Matthew 5:1-12
Sermon on the Mount
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Mark 10:21
The Treasure of Following Jesus
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
When I read the four gospels and specifically look for Jesus teachings on personal happiness, personal pleasures, and satisfying personal desires -I really cannot find where He talks about these things...He does not associate any material thing with being happy...When He gives us His Great Sermon on the Mount, instead of talking about happiness, pleasure, or desires we read about being poor in spirit, mourning, when we are meek...And when we are mourning, meek, and low in spirit -then we are blessed...
Jesus leads us in a different direction than we normally would think about happiness...We often search for happiness in all the wrong places...
The treasure we are to desire and make us happy are those treasures in the Kingdom of God...And when we find this heavenly treasure we are to spend all we have to get it...We are to desire the Kingdom of God, that is what we are searching for...There is this Great Treasure in just following Him...