The Sermon on the Mount: Beatitudes

The Sermon on the Mount begins with the Beatitudes — eight declarations of blessing that invert every expectation about who receives God's favor. The poor in spirit, the mourning, the meek, the hungry, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted — these are the blessed ones. Not the powerful, the celebrated, the successful by the world's measure. Jesus is not describing the conditions for entering the kingdom; He is describing the character of those who already belong to it.