Blessedness

Published: Feb. 16, 2020, 10 a.m.

-Both Hebrews and Greeks were blessed by friends, wealth, and health, as well as the wisdom and morality to live in the right way.\n\n-Jesus, amplifying themes expressed earlier in Jewish literature, altered the normal rules of who was blessed to include the poor, meek, mourning, and beaten.\n\n-In Jewish tradition, martyrs were blessed by obeying God's commands. In Christian tradition, we're blessed by obeying Jesus's commands. He and God are on par. \n\nMatthew 5:11-12\nBlessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.