Blessed in the Struggle

In today’s gospel passage we get a glimpse of humanity through Jesus’ eyes.  We see how different humanity looks through Jesus’ eyes than the way we are used to seeing humanity.  

The world responds positively to people who are successful, confident, powerful, and tough, especially if they are males.  Society often rewards them with more power, money, and influence.

In religious circles, people who get the most attention are often those who seem spiritually successful, happy, confident, the people good things just keep happening to, and for whom things keep turning out right.   They are the people we are most likely to think of as blessed.

What strikes me about today’s gospel passage is how differently Jesus sees people.  Jesus looks at the people who struggle and sees their blessedness.  

Jesus sees the blessedness of those who struggle with faith, who are poor in spirit.  

Jesus sees the blessedness of those who struggle with the pain of grief, those who mourn.  

Jesus sees the blessedness of those who don’t get the attention that the arrogant get, the meek.  

Jesus sees the blessedness of those who long for justice and righteousness that don’t yet exist in our world, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.  

Jesus sees the blessedness of those who have been hurt by others, and let go of their hurt by forgiving, the merciful.

Jesus sees the blessedness of those whose heart is in the right place, the pure in heart.

Jesus sees the blessedness of those who struggle with the hostility in life, and keep turning toward working for peace, the peacemakers.

Jesus sees the blessedness of those who struggle with the ways others shame them, harm them, or bully them as they try to do the right thing, those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.

Jesus sees the blessedness of those who struggle with being ridiculed, insulted, slandered, as they try to follow Jesus, those who are reviled, persecuted, and spoken evil of falsely on Jesus’ account.  

In a nutshell, Jesus looks at you with all your struggles, and sees your blessedness.  You don’t have to have it all together in your life.  You don’t have to be “successful” in your faith.  Even with everything that is painful or incomplete or embarrassing in you, when Jesus looks at you, what Jesus sees is how blessed you are.