The Beatitudes and True Happiness (Matthew 5:3-12)

The Beatitudes stand as one of the most influential passages in Christian thought, and their significance partly lies in how they subvert conventional worldly virtues, replacing them with values rooted not in power but in Christ. They declare that the strong are not blessed, but the meek; the hungry will be filled with faith, not those who are well-fed. Yet, the most striking aspect for many is the idea that the “poor in spirit” will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.