{"id":10776,"date":"2023-01-29T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-29T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/?p=10776"},"modified":"2023-01-16T10:12:01","modified_gmt":"2023-01-16T15:12:01","slug":"blessed-are-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/blessed-are-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Blessed Are You!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<iframe title=\"Blessed Are You! 1\/29\/23\" allowtransparency=\"true\" height=\"150\" width=\"100%\" style=\"border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);\" scrolling=\"no\" data-name=\"pb-iframe-player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.podbean.com\/player-v2\/?i=f8cyq-1363e25-pb&amp;from=pb6admin&amp;share=0&amp;download=0&amp;rtl=0&amp;fonts=Garamond&amp;skin=1b1b1b&amp;font-color=ffffff&amp;logo_link=none&amp;btn-skin=3267a3\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>There was a beggar who came every week to ask a very wealthy man for money. And every week the rich man gave him a generous gift.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But one day the rich man took the beggar aside and said to him,&nbsp;<strong><em>\u201cListen, you know I\u2019m going to continue to give you some money every week. You don\u2019t have to convince me anymore. A little less complaining and a little less whining about your condition in life and we\u2019ll both be a lot happier.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The beggar pulled himself up and stood tall, feeling his pride had been attacked.&nbsp;<strong><em>\u201cMy good man,\u201d<\/em><\/strong>&nbsp;replied the beggar,&nbsp;<strong><em>\u201cI don\u2019t try to tell you how to be a millionaire, please don\u2019t try and teach me how to be a beggar!\u201d&nbsp;<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You and I are a lot like that beggar and that millionaire, aren\u2019t we?<\/strong>&nbsp;We don\u2019t like when someone comes along and tries to turn our world upside down. Our reading from Corinthians today (1Cor 1:26-31) brings this out:&nbsp;<em>\u201cGod chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise,&nbsp;and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>That was and is Jesus\u2019 mission \u2013 to turn the world upside down.<\/strong>&nbsp;Today in the Gospel (Matt 5: 1-12) we hear the familiar Sermon on the Mount. Again and again Jesus says \u201c<strong>Blessed&nbsp;<\/strong>are the poor in spirit,&nbsp;<strong>Blessed<\/strong>&nbsp;are those who mourn,&nbsp;<strong>Blessed<\/strong>&nbsp;are the meek,&nbsp;<strong>Blessed<\/strong>&nbsp;are those who hunger and thirst for justice,&nbsp;<strong>Blessed&nbsp;<\/strong>are the merciful,&nbsp;<strong>Blessed<\/strong>&nbsp;are the clean of heart,&nbsp;<strong>Blessed<\/strong>&nbsp;are the peacemakers,&nbsp;<strong>Blessed<\/strong>&nbsp;are the persecuted, and&nbsp;<strong>Blessed<\/strong>&nbsp;are you when they insult you.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Jesus uses the word\u00a0<strong>Blessed<\/strong>\u00a0nine times as he turns the values of the world upside down. You won\u2019t hear this message in two weeks during the $7 million, 30-second Super Bowl commercials.\u00a0\u00a0Jesus doesn\u2019t use the word\u00a0<strong>Happy<\/strong>, does he? The message of the multi-million dollar Super Bowl commercials will be \u2013 drink this beer or soda and you will be\u00a0<strong>Happy.<\/strong>\u00a0Wear these sneakers or drive this car and you\u2019ll be\u00a0<strong>Happy<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What Jesus wants us to possess is far beyond being&nbsp;<strong>Happy<\/strong>.&nbsp;<strong>He wants us to have Godlike Joy, that is the definition of Blessed.&nbsp;<\/strong>Happiness usually depends on the quality and quantity of material things. Happiness comes from the outside. The&nbsp;<strong>Blessed Joy<\/strong>&nbsp;Jesus gives us comes from the inside.&nbsp;<strong>Blessed Joy&nbsp;<\/strong>can thrive even when we have little or nothing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Happiness depends on good health, a good job, a nice family and material possessions. All you need to have Joy or Blessedness is the presence of God. Joy can break out in the middle of a war, in a depressed economy, in an intensive care waiting room or in the slums.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Jesus says,&nbsp;<strong>\u201cBlessed are the peacemakers, they will be called the children of God.\u201d&nbsp;<\/strong>Jesus is really turning your world and mine upside down when he says that<\/em><strong>. I bet 90% of us are peace-keepers.<\/strong><em>&nbsp;I know I am.&nbsp;<strong>\u201cDon\u2019t confront a family member. Keep the peace at all costs. Don\u2019t rock the boat. Grin and bear it\u201d.<\/strong>&nbsp;No wonder we walk on egg shells so often.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The following prayer was found on the body of an unknown Confederate soldier during the Civil War. This soldier obviously understood the words of Jesus and the difference between being&nbsp;<strong>Happy<\/strong>&nbsp;and being&nbsp;<strong>Blessed<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>\u201cI asked God for strength, that I might achieve,<\/em><\/strong><em>&nbsp;I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.<br><strong>I asked for health, that I might do greater things.<\/strong>&nbsp;I was given infirmity that I might do better things.<br><strong>I asked for riches, that I might be happy<\/strong>. I was given poverty, that I might be wise.<br><strong>I asked for power, that I might have the praise of others,<\/strong>&nbsp; I &nbsp;was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.<br><strong>I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life,<\/strong>&nbsp;I was given life that I might enjoy all things.<br><strong>I got nothing that I asked for<\/strong>&nbsp;\u2014 but everything that I had hoped for.<br><strong>Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.<br>I among all people, am most richly blessed.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Spend some time praying and reflecting on the Beatitudes and on the Prayer of the Confederate Soldier.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>EVERY MORNING I SPEND 10 MINUTES FILLING MY MIND FULL OF GOD. SO THERE\u2019S NO ROOM LEFT FOR WORRY THOUGHTS!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There was a beggar who came every week to ask a very wealthy man for money. And every week the rich man gave him a generous gift.&nbsp; But one day the rich man took the beggar aside and said to him,&nbsp;\u201cListen, you know I\u2019m going to continue to give you some money every week. You [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10777,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"qubely_global_settings":"","qubely_interactions":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"qubely_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Balloons-with-Smiley-Faces.jpg",345,232,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Balloons-with-Smiley-Faces.jpg",345,232,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Balloons-with-Smiley-Faces.jpg",345,232,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Balloons-with-Smiley-Faces-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Balloons-with-Smiley-Faces-300x202.jpg",300,202,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Balloons-with-Smiley-Faces.jpg",345,232,false],"large":["https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Balloons-with-Smiley-Faces.jpg",345,232,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Balloons-with-Smiley-Faces.jpg",345,232,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Balloons-with-Smiley-Faces.jpg",345,232,false],"ocean-thumb-m":["https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Balloons-with-Smiley-Faces.jpg",345,232,false],"ocean-thumb-ml":["https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Balloons-with-Smiley-Faces.jpg",345,232,false],"ocean-thumb-l":["https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Balloons-with-Smiley-Faces.jpg",345,232,false],"qubely_landscape":["https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Balloons-with-Smiley-Faces.jpg",345,232,false],"qubely_portrait":["https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Balloons-with-Smiley-Faces.jpg",345,232,false],"qubely_thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Balloons-with-Smiley-Faces-140x100.jpg",140,100,true],"rpwe-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Balloons-with-Smiley-Faces-45x45.jpg",45,45,true]},"qubely_author":{"display_name":"Medard Laz","author_link":"https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/author\/medlaz\/"},"qubely_comment":0,"qubely_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/category\/weekly-messages\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Weekly Messages<\/a>","qubely_excerpt":"There was a beggar who came every week to ask a very wealthy man for money. And every week the rich man gave him a generous gift.&nbsp; But one day the rich man took the beggar aside and said to him,&nbsp;\u201cListen, you know I\u2019m going to continue to give you some money every week. You&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10776"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10776"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10776\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10785,"href":"https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10776\/revisions\/10785"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.treatsforthesoul.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}