The Kingdom ManifestoSample

The “Blesseds”

Every kingdom has a rule of law.

Many modern nations have a “constitution”—a set of principles serving as the legal bedrock of the country. All matters tie back to it and must be consistent with it.

Not all have something so formal, but all are governed by something that dictates the values and laws of the land.

The Kingdom of Heaven is no different.

The founding document of the Kingdom is, of course, Scripture—the God-breathed words that serve as the canon of all matters of faith and practice for the Christ-follower (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

And while all Scripture is equally God-breathed, certain sections serve as poignant representatives of broader sections—such as how the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), although representing only 10 out of 613 of God’s total commandments, can serve as something like a summary of the entire Law.

The Sermon on the Mount serves a similar purpose. This week, we will overview it, explore its major themes, and learn what it means to be men of this Kingdom.

Although no more important than anything else Jesus taught, His infamous Sermon is a beautiful manifesto of the principles of His Kingdom, which has been called “The Upside-Down Kingdom” because its values are completely backwards from the world’s.

And it all starts with a series of blessings.

Called “The Beatitudes,” from the Latin word beati (meaning “blessed,” which is how each phrase begins), Jesus declares who is truly blessed from God’s perspective.

And, in an upside-down way, it is not who you would think.

The kingdoms of this world value and elevate the confident, the stoic, the powerful, the pragmatic, the ruthless, the aggressive—those who take.

But Jesus proclaims that, from God’s perspective, these are not actually “blessed.”

In His Kingdom, the blessings of God rest on the poor in spirit, the mourning, the meek, the righteousness-seekers, the merciful, the pure in heart, the persecuted.

They may not look blessed on paper, but God’s pleasure and favor belong to such as these.

The Beatitudes are not a “to-do” list—e.g., “work harder at being more merciful!”

They are a declaration of where God’s blessing already rests, who He draws near to, and what citizens of His Kingdom look like.

As men pursue this Kingdom and its King, we are transformed into men who look like this list of “blesseds.”

May we be men who engage in this pursuit and become these people.

Prayer: Lord, help me be a man who faithfully lives out the values of Your Upside-Down Kingdom, living counter to the ways of this world and instead living out the ways of Heaven in everything I do. Amen.

Reflection: As you read over the lists of Beatitudes, where do you see yourself? Where is God working in these areas? Where is there less growth? Take some time to seek His blessing in any areas that need more of Him!