What would you say are the top 10 things people pray about?  Would you list any of these: health, money, relationships, jobs, children, unsaved family or friends?  What else would you include?  People generally resort to prayer in times of need, because they have a sense that it works, or that it is important. “I’m praying for you” or “I’ll be praying about that” is a popular thing to say today even if one does not necessarily believe there is a God in Heaven who listens to them!   The disciples also recognized that prayer was important because they saw Jesus praying frequently.  While Jesus prayed, something in Jesus' prayers caught their attention.  They knew they wanted to pray like Jesus, so in Luke 11:1, they asked Jesus to "teach them how to pray".  His response is what we have come to call the Lord's Prayer.

            However, the title is a misnomer.  It was not really a literal prayer that Jesus said rather, it was a teaching tool He passed on to His when they inquired about the supplications a disciple should bring before God, the Father.  Many recite this prayer on a daily basis; others once a week.  Its recitation is a treasured Christian tradition.  It’s even popular now to bash the repetition of it and remove it from worship altogether, but if Jesus taught us to say it, is that the right thing to do?  However, when we do say it, do we really listen to the words and mean what we say?  And what was Jesus teaching us about prayer when He used this prayer as a model for His disciples?

            So, if I could be so bold as to rename it (as others before me have suggested), The Disciple's Prayer can be divided into 2 sections.  The first contains 2 declarations about God and His glory.  The second contains 4 requests that have to do with our daily necessities.   In other words, God is first given His supreme place in our lives, and then we turn our attention to our needs and desires.  Sadly, we often approach God with a list of things we'd like Him to attend to without first acknowledging Him above all else.  William Barclay wrote, "Prayer must never be an attempt to bend the will of God to our desires; instead prayer ought to always to be an attempt to submit our wills to the will of God."

            A quick walk through this prayer reveals first that it can be both an individual or corporate prayer.  That is, when Jesus says, "When you pray," He uses the plural form of you,  which can mean the community of believers (first the disciples, and now the church) or you in the singular (as in each individual disciple, or each believer as in you and I).  Secondly, we are to declare the great truths about God.  He is Father.  His Name is holy.  And we desire to see the fulfillment of His kingdom.  Thirdly, in asking for our daily bread, we recognize that God is the Provider of it, not ourselves.  Fourth, forgiveness has two sides; a side that gives and a side that receives.  The Disciple's Prayer includes both a request for forgiveness and a call for forgiveness.  And lastly, God is recognized as our Protector in that only He can keep us from succumbing to the temptations thrown our way by Satan (1 Pet. 5:8).  The prayer emphasizes the desire to follow God and not to be overwhelmed or destroyed by sin.

            Another commentator wrote, "It was the regular custom for a Rabbi to teach his disciples a simple prayer which they might habitually use.  John (the Baptist) had done that for his disciples, and now Jesus' disciples came asking Him to do the same for them.  Luke's version is shorter than Matthew's, but it will teach us all we need to know about how to pray and what to pray for."  The "Disciple's Prayer" is one of the most thorough passages in all of Scripture dealing with the great subject of prayer.  It is a passage that should be studied time and again.   When we say it together as a congregation, or if we say it on our own, let's keep in mind that Jesus Himself gave us these words to pray.  Although many centuries have come since the initial 12 disciples asked Him to teach "us" to pray, the lesson He gave to them is also meant for us today.  Let's not say them lightly.

            Think about your prayer life this week.  How often to you converse with God?  How deeply?  Do you listen for His response?  Is your prayer life composed of a list of requests or do you include other aspects, such as praise and confession, into your prayers?  One of the beautiful things about prayer is that it is profoundly individual.  There is no "one size fits all" formula that everyone must do in order for it to be done right.  I know people who have a quiet time every morning and prayer for an hour straight.  I also know others who pray while they commute, clean the house, or take a walk.    As you pray this week you may want to begin your prayer time with “The Disciples’ Prayer”.  However, or wherever, you pray, take time this week to listen to God's response.  He hears and He answers.
 
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

            I don’t know about you, but I hate it in the Fall when the clocks get changed and darkness comes earlier and earlier.  When the days are short like that, I often feel as if I haven’t accomplished anything when the streetlights turn on in the late afternoon.  I don’t like the “cold” feeling the house gets when the shadows are long and the sun goes below the horizon either.  The only remedy for the darkness which enters my home is the light of my lamps.  Several of them I inherited from my mother and grandmother, two were wedding gifts and one was “inherited” from a neighbor across the street when they moved.  When Hurricane Riley blew through a few years ago, we lost power for six days.  During the day it wasn’t as noticeable when the sunlight was streaming through the windows.  But at night we really missed the power until our neighbor hooked up his generator.  Just one lamp truly made a huge difference in our “comfort” level!

            While most people are drawn to the light of a lamp, there are some who seem to prefer the darkness.  It could simply be an attribute of human nature, but I think the power of light and its positive effect on our inner being, or the adverse with darkness, has spiritual overtones.  The key component to seeing either, of course, is the eye.  And just as the eyes see physical light and darkness, they are also the instruments which introduce both godly and sinful thoughts into our lives.  Jesus illustrated it in this way, “The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great the darkness!” (Mt. 6:22-23).  Simply put, what goes into you through your eyes has a direct effect on both your heart and mind.  So, as the children’s Sunday School song goes, “Be careful little eyes what you see.” 

            Several words in Jesus’ admonition drive home this point.  While the word “eye” is obviously the bodily organ which causes us to see.  What we traditionally think of as a lamp did not exist when Jesus spoke these words.  So, what was Jesus talking about?  A “luchnos” was a small, portable clay “pot” with a hole on top to pour oil in and a spout out of its side where a wick would come out.  They looked like a miniature tea pot without the lid.  The wick would be lit and the light produced by it was surprisingly strong.  The word “haploose” which gets translated as clear in our English translations concerns the clarity of how we see.  It literally means to “see things the way they are”.  The adjective “bad” in verse 23 describes a moral condition.  It can be used of people (Mt. 5:45; Lk. 6:35, 45; Acts 17:5; 2 Thes. 3:2), evil spirits and malignant demons (Mt. 12:45; Lk. 7:21; 8:2; Acts 19:12, 13, 15, 16), or Satan when combined with the definite article “the” (Mt. 13:19, 38; Eph. 6:16; 1 Jn. 2:13), things such as the eye (Mt. 20:15; Mk. 7:22) and thoughts or words (1 Tim. 6:14; Js. 2:4; Mt. 5:11; Acts 28:21; 3 Jn. 1:10).  Jesus also makes a figurative contrast between light (as in knowledge which enlightens the mind- Mt. 6:23; Lk. 11:35) and darkness (as in ignorance or error- Jn. 3:19; Rom. 2:19- or a person’s spiritual state- Mt. 4:16; 8:12; Lk. 1:79; Acts 26:18; 1 Thes. 5:4; 2 Pet. 2:9, 17).  Simply put, Jesus is concerned about what fills the lamp.  If the eye is filled with light, then the eye is healthy, but if darkness, the eye is in desperate need of attention.

            We’ve all experienced times when light and shadows have played tricks on our eyes.  A coat, blanket, or clothes thrown over the back of a chair appears to be a monster to a child; bushes shrubs or trees take on human form in the night.  Each makes us think it’s something that it’s not.  But by shedding light on the situation we are no longer fooled by the illusion.  It drives home the point of how important the lighting is.  A flashlight with weak batteries for example might not reveal the pile of clothes or the bush, but one of those magnum titanium mega lights “as seen on TV” most certainly would.  What then should we be using as a lamp to enlighten our souls?

            In one of the most powerful scenes in the New Testament Jesus encounters Satan who attempts to change Jesus’ lamp so to speak (Mt. 4:1-11; Mk. 1:12-13; Lk. 4:1-13).  No matter what Satan enticed Jesus with, fame, power or pleasure, Jesus steadfastly refused Satan by quoting God’s Word.  Jesus knew that Satan’s promises were optical illusions and the clearest way to see them was through God’s Word.  Like a lamp turned on in a dark room, God’s Word dispenses light that shows everything for what it truly is.  There was a commercial a while back where a band of crazy Vikings would come crashing into a modern scene and demand, “What’s in your wallet?”  Jesus is not concerned with what’s in your wallet.  He wants to know “What’s in your lamp?”.

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

            Jeff and I were not huge television watchers when we had one.  We watched sports and informative shows more than anything else.  We rarely watch the latest shows or fads when it came to TV viewing.  However, there was one show that always entertained us and that was Mythbusters.  The premise of this show was to examine a cultural or historical "myth" by scientific methodology to either prove or disprove whether its claim was true or not.  One of my favorite episodes involved the myth that elephants are afraid of mice.  The hosts headed off to a wildlife preserve somewhere in Africa to run the actual test.  Surprisingly the results indicated that elephants are at least respectful of mice in that they very cautiously avoided the little critters when one crossed their path.  The evidence was not conclusive, but there was some sort of evidence nonetheless.

            Within our culture there is embedded a full-scale belief that if something can be scientifically proven then it is worth believing.  At the same time, and often in conflict with this, is the belief that one's experiences also offer a valid way of gauging whether or not something is true.  What has been lost through the years is the validating of truth with empirical evidence that is relying on observation or experiment, guided by practical experience, and not theory, to verify or prove that something is true.  Of all the impossible things to prove the resurrection would certainly be a target to discredit through any one of these methods.  But Christ's physical resurrection is crucial to Christianity.  No other faith makes the claim that God rose from the dead.

            Through the centuries many theories have been concocted to explain how Jesus did not rise from the dead.  Some believe the resurrection to be part of a hoax and others believe it is purely the stuff fairy tales are made of.  But when the Gospel accounts are read and history is examined, there is evidence and then some to the contrary.  Take, for example, Lk. 24:36-48.  Luke being a trained doctor would most definitely be interested in physical evidence to prove his point.  In this passage he records that Jesus presented physical evidence of His suffering to the disciples and then invited them to touch Him.  "A spirit does not have flesh and bones," Jesus states.  And as if to drive the point home, Jesus proceeds to ask them for something to eat.  Each Gospel writer makes a point of noting that Jesus had a physical body after the resurrection (Mt. 28:9; Mk. 16:6-7; Lk. 24:39; Jn. 20:20) and Luke records in the Book of Acts that Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection "alive" for a period of 40 days (Acts 1:3) offering them "many convincing proofs and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God."

            Not only did Jesus present Himself physically to the disciples, Scripture also records that there were other witnesses of Christ's bodily resurrection.  The most notable testimony of this is Paul's list in 1 Cor. 15:5-9.  Paul states that "appeared to Cephas (Peter) and the twelve" (v.5), then more than 500 witnesses in verse 6, to James and all the "apostles" (those sent out to proclaim the Gospel) in verse 7, and finally to Paul himself (v.8).  Many of these witnesses died for the wonderful news they proclaimed.  The fact that they considered this point worth dying for argues from a practical perspective that Jesus physically rose from the dead.  There are not too many people who will die for a myth (although they might have fun making a TV show around proving or disproving them!).

            Likewise, had the resurrection been added to the Gospel at a later date to bolster support for the teachings of Jesus, there were enough people alive in the first century of church growth, who had also been around at the time of Christ’s death and resurrection, to contest its truth if it had been a lie.  And finally, the disciples themselves are “living proof” that the resurrection was indeed a physical one.  Their transformation from doubting and clueless followers of Jesus to outspoken champions of the faith also demonstrate that their faith in a risen Lord was not a whimsical fantasy, but a fully trustworthy and proven fact. 

            People had doubts about the resurrection of Christ almost immediately after that great event.  People still have doubts today.  But the same confidence that propelled the early believers to take the Gospel to the "ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8) because they knew the resurrection to be a provable fact, can be shared by us today.  The documentation of Christ’s death and resurrection in Scripture is trustworthy so that we too can boldly proclaim our faith in the Risen Lord (Col. 4:5-6; 1 Pet. 3:15).  The resurrection not a myth!

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

            Heroes, we all want one !  We root for them and applaud them when they win their battles.  When we’re reading a good book or watching an action movie, we anticipate the moment of crisis when the hero comes charging into the fray, sends the bad guys running and then rides off into the sunset.  The Lone Ranger had Silver, Knight Rider had Kit, Captain Kirk commanded the Enterprise, and Batman had his Batmobile.  But what kind of vehicle would the Savior of the World ride upon when He came to put Sin and Death to flight?  What amazing mode of transportation would He ride into the Battle of the Ages (Gen. 3:14-15)?  Would you believe it was a donkey?

            Donkeys in Biblical times were not perceived as they are today.  Instead of a sign of stupidity or stubbornness, a donkey was actually a noble animal and a prized possession.  They were used as a beast of burden, carrying about goods and people- both commoners and kings.  When a king or one of his emissaries entered a city upon a donkey it signified they came with peaceful intentions unlike the powerful message which was sent when a king came riding a stallion.  A stallion signified only one thing, “You are about to be conquered!”  So, it would stand to reason in our way of thinking that when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday that He would ride upon a stallion as a conqueror, since He knew what His death and resurrection were about to accomplish.  But instead Jesus chose a different kind of vehicle; a humble and gentle colt.  Each Gospel writer takes note of this with their own unique viewpoint (Mt. 21:1-11; Mk. 11:1-11; Lk. 19:29-44; Jn. 12:12-17) offering us a more complete picture of what has come to be known as the Triumphal Entry.

            While Matthew and John were eye-witnesses to this event, Mark and Luke wrote their accounts based on what others who were there had told them.  Mark’s style is that of a story teller (Mk. 1:1).  Luke (always the doctor) emphasizes the psychological state of Jesus (Lk. 19:41) and John recalls the inability of the disciples to truly grasp the mission of their Master (Jn. 12:16).  Matthew, however, is most concerned with prophetic fulfillment (Mt. 21:4) and makes note of a second donkey, the colt’s mother, which for the culturally savvy emphasizes the fact that the colt is unbroken and the calming effect the presence of its mother would have contributed in the midst of the crowd.

            Make no mistake- the way Jesus entered Jerusalem is unquestionably a claim that He was both Messiah and King.  But for Jesus, these roles were much different than what the people of His day expected.  Matthew, as well as the crowd, recognized that Jesus was fulfilling the words of the prophet Zechariah (Zech. 9:9).  The imagery is also a reminder of King David who sent his future successor (Solomon) to the people on a donkey (1 Ki. 1:32-35).  But the people of Jesus’ day were expecting the Messiah to overthrow the oppressive Romans and return Israel to the glory days of King David.  By entering Jerusalem on a donkey Jesus was in a very dramatic fashion demonstrating two things:  first, that He was the promised Messiah, and secondly that His mission was one of peace.  One commentator put it this way, “He was not coming as a conquering king or worldly potentate in pomp and ceremony, neither was He coming as the leader of an army to kill, injure, and maim.  Therefore, the people had to change their concept of the Messiah, for He was coming as the Savior of Peace.”

            Like the throng of people who in their exuberant recognition of fulfilled prophecy cut down tree branches (Lk. 19:36-37) and shouted Messianic praises (Ps. 118:26; Mt. 21:9; Mk. 11:9-10; Lk. 19:38; Jn. 12:13), we too will lift our voices and sing praises on Palm Sunday.  But will we make the same mistake as those who celebrated Jesus’ arrival with an impromptu parade and expect Jesus to come to us in a certain way, or in a certain role?  Will we dictate to Him how He should answer our prayers, be present in our lives or solve our problems?  Images of heroes have changed through the years and so has the way we perceive Jesus.  Like the disciples will we misunderstand or fail to see Him as He truly is?  Will we be looking for a hero who rides a dashing white stallion, commands an elaborate spaceship or drives a futuristic car when in reality He is coming to us on a donkey?  Will we praise Him today because He meets our needs and on Friday deny Him and flee because we fear for ourselves more than stand for Him?  Jesus has not necessarily come to rescue us from our foes and woes.  But He has come to bring us peace (Jn. 14:27).  Be mindful this week of the way you see Jesus!
 
Ann H. LeFevre , M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com/, https://www.linked.com/in/annhlefevre/, https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre/

            I have a set of salt and pepper shakers on my kitchen counter that get used daily.  They bring to mind a fun story concerning the LeFevre family.  My husband grew up with four brothers and one sister.  Mealtimes were always lively and his mom did her best to feed them on a limited budget.  One time she’d served tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches to her hungry crew but the soup was hot so Jeff and his siblings dug into the sandwiches first- all except his brother Scott who proceeded to “cool down” his soup by adding salt.  Tablespoon after tablespoon was dumped into the bowl but the soup didn’t cool down!  Finally, when it was salted beyond human consumption, Scott lamented he couldn’t eat the soup because it tasted bad.  His mother took a sip and realized what he’d done and asked why.  “Because it takes away the heat” Scott insisted.  Mrs. LeFevre managed to put together another bowl for him and emphatically told him, “Salt does not cool down hot soup.  No more salt!”  The family still gets a chuckle out of that story.

            Salt is not only good for adding flavor to a meal it is an essential for life.  Composed mainly of sodium chloride, this crystalline mineral in its natural form is known as rock salt.  The purified form we use for our food is either mined or gathered by evaporating sea water.  Some salts have proven to have benefits beyond adding flavor to a tasty dish.  Two of the more popular salts, Sea Salt and Himilayan Salt, have risen in popularity for the numerous advantages they have when added to your diet.  According to the popular health physician Dr. Axe Sea Salt is rich in trace minerals, helps avoid dehydration by balancing your fluids, is an excellent source for electrolytes which regulate the heartbeat during muscle contractions during activity, is essential for proper brain, muscle and nervous system function, aids in digestive health, alkalizes the body, eliminates mucus build up, and helps to the build the body’s immune system.  Himilayan Salt also regulates water content throughout the body, eliminates food particles through the intestinal tract, supports respiratory health, promotes sinus health, strengthens the bones and supports the libido.  Both promote blood sugar health, reduce signs of aging, and regulate sleep and blood pressure.  I don’t know about you, but after reading all that information I ordered some!

            Salt was a common seasoning in the Bible too.  It was an important addition to a diet that was comprised mainly of grains and vegetables.  It was obtained by evaporating the waters of the Dead Sea which is seven times saltier than regular sea water or mined from a great ledge of rock salt in a nearby valley.  The purer form of this salt was used in flavoring food and rock salt was spread lightly on soil as a fertilizer.  Salt could also be used medicinally as in Ezek. 16:4 where it is used as a solution to wash a newborn infant.  In NT times salt was used as a form of payment by the Roman army to its officers and men.  Salt is mentioned 35 times in Scripture in a number of settings, the most unusual is probably the story of Lot’s wife who turns into a pillar of salt when she glances back at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:26).  Scripture also uses salt symbolically as a representation of purity, loyalty and either desolation or fruitfulness.  It was a required part of the OT sacrifices (Lev. 2:13; Ezek. 43:24) and the prophet Elisha used it to purify a poisonous spring (2 Ki. 2:19-22).   Salt was also associated with the land, especially in connection with the negative impact it could have (Jud. 9:45; Dt. 29:23). 

            But it is Jesus’ words about salt that most people remember (Mt. 5:13).  In this passage Jesus is referring to the rock salt which was used as a fertilizer.  When it contained minerals which gave it some form of taste, the salt added nutrients to the soil.   But those minerals could be leached from the salt by moisture causing the salt to deteriorate under high heat.  Without its “saltiness” the salt had no value to anyone.  Jesus is admonishing His followers to keep the value of their salt at its most useful level.  Paul also used salt to describe the conduct of believers.  In Col. 4:6 he writes, “Let your speech always be with grace as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person”.   Whether it is rock salt or table salt, each kind is useful; one for agriculture, the other for food.  But the key is that the salt is useful.  Lawrence O. Richards noted, “As our lives reflect our personal relationship with God the Father, we “fertilize” others, stimulating their spiritual growth, enabling them to taste and see the goodness of our God.”  I want my salt to be just as beneficial to others as Sea Salt or Himilayan Salt is to me.  The only way I can do that is to let Jesus be the Salt that fertilizes me (Gal. 5:16-23; Phil. 2:1-8; Col. 3: 12-17).  How’s your saltiness these days?

Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre

            Asher followed along behind his parents.  It was not because he wanted to!  He would have preferred to stay home today; playing in the village square with his pals after studies were finished at the synagogue and snatching a bite or two from whatever Mother was cooking over the hearth when she wasn’t looking.  But Father had heard about a Teacher who was traveling about the Galilee and he wanted to see and hear this man for himself.  So, Mother had packed up a parcel of food and now they were headed to Capernaum where the Teacher was known to be in hopes that he would be there today and preaching.  Asher was surprised to see so many people had done the same but the sloping hillside on the northwestern side of Kinnessert (another name for the Sea of Galilee) perfectly accommodated the crowd and the acoustics allowed the Teacher to sit as was customary for a man of his importance and speak while the crowd listened attentively to every word.  Asher was about to wander off into an adventurous daydream to pass the time away when something the Teacher said caught his ear.  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they shall inherit the kingdom of God.”  What was this?  Was the teacher talking about his name? (Asher means “happy”.)  And what was this about inheriting the land?  Weren’t they already in the land?  How could they inherit something they already had?  Asher, in spite of his youth, could not help but listen and when the Teacher finished he knew what he had to do.  On that day Asher joined a Kingdom that has no end.

            Many people recognized Jesus as a great teacher in the early days of His earthly ministry.  Teachers were highly respected and considered authorities on many subjects.   So, it is not surprising that He attracted large crowds who wanted to hear what He had to say.   What we call The Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7) is most likely a synopsis of all of Jesus’ teachings as He traveled around the Galilee region.  The setting that we often associate it with was a place where Jesus did teach- right near Capernaum, awesome acoustics, and lots of room for people to sit.  Jesus’ teachings can be divided into lessons concerning personal attitudes, practices and purpose.  “The Beatitudes” (Mt. 5:1-12) kick off Jesus’ teachings in the Gospel of Matthew after Matthew has established the main thrust of both John the Baptist’s and Jesus’ message, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand” (Mt. 3:2 4:17).  Throughout the course of the next three chapters, Matthew will record for us how Jesus answered three important questions: What do Kingdom people look like?  How does the Kingdom work?  And how do Kingdom people live?

            Curiously, the word “beatitude” does not appear in the English Bible.  It actually comes from a Latin word that was later associated with this passage in regards to the Greek “markarioi”, which sometimes gets mistranslated as “happy” but should be literally translated as “Oh the blessedness of…”.  In other words, what Jesus is doing here in these verses is making a “declaration of blessedness”.  These types of declarations occur frequently in the Old Testament (Ps. 32:1-2; 41:1; 65:4 for example) and the New Testament also contains isolated beatitudes (Mt. 11:6; 13:16; 16:17; 24:46; Lk 6:20-23; Jn. 13:17; 20:29; Rom. 4:7-8; Js. 1:12).  But the word is most commonly used of the declarations of blessedness made by Jesus in the discourse recorded in Mt. 5:1-12 (as well as Luke’s acct. in Lk. 6:20-23) respectively called the Sermon on the Mount and the Sermon on the Plain.  One in the same?  Or 2 different deliveries of the same material?  It doesn’t matter!  But the content does.

          The Beatitudes should not be isolated, verse by verse, but understood as a whole. And it is important to note that Jesus qualifies these attributes with the phrase “on account of Me.”  Blessedness, therefore, is an attribute that can only be associated with God and being a member of His Kingdom.  When one is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, God’s nature is in him/her and so is the Kingdom (Lk. 17:21).  “Blessed” also means to be fully satisfied.  This satisfaction, however, is not due to the circumstances of life nor the fulfillment of the conditions prescribed in these Beatitudes, but due to Christ’s indwelling.  Therefore, it is wrong to translate “markarioi” as “happy” because happy is connected with happenstance; hap as in the word “happen”.  People can be happy because of favorable circumstances, but they can only be blessed because of Christ (Phil. 4:11-13 is Paul’s take on this kind of living).  Blessedness then is that basic condition created by Christ’s indwelling in our heart which brings a fundamental satisfaction in the life of a believer.  Jesus says this is what Kingdom people look like.  This is how Kingdom people live.  Is this what people see in your life?  Do they know you are part of the Kingdom?
 
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
https://www.annhlefevre.com; Olivetreeann@mail.com; https://www.linkedin.com/in/annhlefevre; https://www.facebook.com/ann.h.lefevre