The Beatitudes Part 2

INTRO: In our last message we gave a general introduction to the Sermon on the Mount, including in that, an introduction to the beatitudes. The beatitudes are the section that open this great sermon. We paid special attention to the word 'blessed' because it plays a big part in the first 12 verses, occurring 9 times. I expressed the view that it does not mean 'happy', but rather it means something like, 'to be envied' or as has been suggested, 'to be congratulated'. The person whose character is like these beatitudes describe, is the man who is to be envied, not from a secular point of view; but from the spiritual and divine point of view. Here is the fulfilled man. He is the blessed man, no matter what circumstances in life he finds himself in.