Attitude/Altitude
Jo Penn
February 03, 2026
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Matthew 5: 1-12 (NIV-UK)
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.
I was wondering what some of the beatitudes (signs of society’s blessing) in our current culture might be:
‘blessed are the braggers for theirs is the limelight.’?
‘blessed are those who complain for the world’s attention is theirs’?
‘blessed are those who perfect their ‘selfies’ for they will be admired’?
‘blessed are the powerful for they can conquer the world’?
Our present culture seems to be a fight for attention, control and admiration. Recently celebrity astronauts spent time on an 11 minute flight above the earth into space, which speaks to me of the Tower of Babel story in Genesis 11 — valuing the ingenuity of man above serving God in humility.
In today’s reading Jesus lists those who will be blessed by God, and it is a list of people in circumstances which is so counter to what we would say were places of blessing. The beatitudes list also qualities of character which God values, and that do not belong to the proud and self-sufficient.
In that culture wealth was seen as a sign of a blessing from God, and therefore poverty and sickness meant that God was not pleased with you. Here Jesus is saying that God is with very ordinary people: those who live a life of honesty not knowing everything; experiencing loss; seeking after righteousness before personal gain; offering mercy instead of holding onto unforgiveness; making peace between rivals instead of holding onto hatred; and being willing to call the powerful to account about what needs to change so that God’s kingdom will be seen on earth.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus
Keep me trusting You through all that life holds.
Comfort me as I experience loss.
Strengthen me as I seek God’s way forward.
Keep my heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit, seeking righteousness.
Help me to forgive, as I have been forgiven.
May I experience the goodness of God in the quiet moments of my life.
Call me to action to bring sides together in disputes, to build bridges of trust.
Keep my heart pure, take away bitterness.
When persecution comes, keep me grounded in the love of God. Amen
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