Being blessed is a reward from God. And as I hope you’ve noticed throughout this four-part series on the Beatitudes, Jesus is saying you can receive these rewards — heaven, comfort, mercy and an inherited Earth — by behaving in specific ways. 

More than that, Jesus is giving us a picture of what heaven will look like. He’s also showing how we can live to make our home here on Earth look and feel more like heaven. 

I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty good to me. I’d like more of heaven here on Earth. So, let’s look at the final blessings and how they tell us we should behave. 

Blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9, NIV). 

Jesus specifically mentions that peacemakers will be called children of God. A peacemaker is someone who helps people who are arguing and fighting to find common ground. A peacemaker understands that we are all brothers and sisters and our relationships with God and one another are the most important. Peacemakers protect and repair relationships. 

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness (Matthew 5:10).

Even when you are treated badly for it, when you do the right thing simply because it is the right thing to do, you are among this group of righteous people whom Jesus calls blessed. Doing what is right means standing up and speaking out against what is wrong. Not in a mean way, but through love. It’s telling a classmate that cheating is wrong. It’s standing up for the kid who is being bullied. It’s turning in the money you find, even when your friends tell you to keep it.

May you be blessed as you make peace and do what’s right! 

READ THE OTHER DEVOTIONALS IN THIS BEATITUDES SERIES:

Part 1: Blessed Are Those Who Are Poor in Spirit or Sad 

Part 2: Blessed Are the Meek and the Hungry

Part 3: Blessed Are the Merciful and the Pure