In the beatitudes Jesus revealed his own heart so that we could more and more "see him as he is" and become like him. The world in which we now live is our trial, a "time of great distress". We overcome this trial, not by our own strength, but by "the Blood of the Lamb". It is his Precious Blood that makes us "pure, as he is pure". It washes our robes and makes them white, fit for heaven.
Trying to follow the beatitudes through natural human effort is a recipe for frustration. In order to put them into practice we need Jesus himself to make them present in us, which he does when we really gaze upon him with faith and learn how they were first present in him. Then our faith becomes like a mirror that transforms us into what we behold.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Jesus was indeed materially poor, but, more importantly poor in spirit. He knew that his help and his hope was in his Father's will. There was nothing to which he would cling over and against that treasure or as a substitute for those true riches. We may not be particularly rich or poor, but we are certainly attached to the things of this world to a degree that they can not only harm us and cause us grief but even so much that they sometimes prevent of from promptly and readily obeying the call to follow Jesus. In Jesus we can see how to find true treasure and true riches in God. Then we can relate appropriately to lesser things.
those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away (see First Corinthians 7:31).
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
In what sense did Jesus himself mourn? He wept over Jerusalem who would need heed his message. His heart was so given over to his Father's plan that his greatest sorrow was to see that plan resisted, the saving impulse of love frustrated. He even grieved when that plan was of necessity delayed resulting in sorrow such as at the death of Lazarus. The fact that Jesus knew he was going to raise Lazarus did not prevent him from being so deeply sympathetic at this consequence of the fallenness of the world, even if temporary, that he himself wept. Jesus was sorrowful about things that were truly worthy of sorrow, and also therefore attuned to where true joy was to be found. Our sorrows are usually more muddled, grieving and rejoicing over temporary things as though they were eternal. In order to be among those who mourn but are comforted we must set our hearts on God for our joy. We must look to him, more than to creatures, for our comfort.
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (see Hebrews 12:2).
Jesus was indeed meek, manifesting power under control, so that it was said of him "a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench" (see Isaiah 42:3). Jesus hungered and thirsted for righteousness so much so that to do his Father's will was, "food to eat that you do not know about" (see John 4:32). His heart was pure, not contaminated by sensual desires, yet still able to enjoy the good things of the world. He was a peacemaker more than any other, making peace between men and God, therefore enabling us to also learn peace with one another. Jesus himself was the archetype of being persecuted for the sake of righteousness. With him as our model we can learn meekness instead of arrogance, purity instead of sinful pleasures, and peacemaking instead of conflict. We can even learn to rejoice when we ourselves are persecuted because of Jesus, knowing that means we are becoming more like him, more and more ready to experience the reward in heaven about which John wrote:
After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice:
"Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb."
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