How did Jesus use the beatitudes?

Answer 1

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http://wordbytes.org/SpirGrowth/beatitudes1.htm

http://www.faithfirst.com/html/family/gospRef/0203gospRef.php

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Answer 2

I should recommend that you get a copy of The Catechism of the Catholic Church and read the entire article on The Beatitudes: , article 2 Our Vocation to Beatitude, pages 477-480, paragraphs 1716-1729.

from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994

1723 The beatitude we are promised confronts us with decisive moral choices. It invites us to purify our hearts of bad instincts and to seek the love of God above all else. It teaches us that true happiness is not found in riches or well-being, in human fame or power, or in any human achievement-however beneficial it may be-such as science, technology, and art, or indeed in any creature, but in God alone, the source of every good and of all love:

All bow down before wealth. Wealth is that to which the multitude of men pay an instinctive homage. They measure happiness by wealth; and by wealth they measure respectability . . . It is a homage resulting from a profound faith . . . that with wealth he may do all things. Wealth is one idol of the day and notoriety is a second . . . Notoriety, of the making of a noise in the world-it may be called "newspaper fame"-has come to be considered a great good in itself, and a ground of veneration. (John Henry Cardinal Newman, "Saintliness the Standard of Christian Principle," in Discourses to Mixed Congregations (London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1906) V, 89-90.

1725 The Beatitudes take up and fulfill God's promises from Abraham on by ordering them to the Kingdom of heaven. They respond to the desire for happiness that God has placed in the human heart.

1726 The Beatitudes teach us the final end to which God calls us: the Kingdom, the vision of God, participation in the divine nature, eternal life, filiation, rest in God.

1727 The beatitude of eternal life is a gratuitous gift of God. It is supernatural, as is the grace that leads us there.

1728 The Beatitudes confront us with decisive choices concerning earthly goods; they purify our hearts in order to teach us to love God above all things.

1729 The beatitude of heaven sets the standards for discernment in the use of earthly goods in keeping with the law of God.

　

Answer:

The "beatitudes" are a list of the "character traits" of a Child of God.

Being humble, meek, merciful, a peacemaker, and graciously suffering and enduring the persecution from others for "righteousness' sake" - just isn't the way the average person lives their life.

For the most part... these admirable and righteous character traits are all listed as reaping a FUTURE REWARD["THEY SHALL... be comforted... inherit... be filled... obtain mercy... see God... be called THE CHILDREN OF GOD"].

These are the character traits that the ones whom God is calling now, some will take a lifetime to learn, some, learn them quicker -- but, all through the Holy Spirit of God living in them. They are the result of "belief" in God's Word as "Truth" [John 17:17] -- and an individual's application of them.

Kindness and mercy are not the ways of this world. Pride, haughtiness and conceit are. Kindness and mercy are for the world of the future... when God's Kingdom reigns over the nations of men.

"...many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and HE WILL TEACH US HIS WAYS, and WE WILL WALK IN HIS PATHS: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem."

"And HE SHALL JUDGE AMONG THE NATIONS, and shallrebuke many people..." (Isa.2:3-4).

This is a prophecy of the thousand year rule of Jesus Christ on earth. It hasn't happened yet. It SHALL happen... in the future. The laws and the Word of God doesn't go forth out of Jerusalem, yet. And people aren't clamoring to get to Jerusalem, that Jesus Christ, the King, might teach them His ways and paths.

And He certainly isn't "judging among the nations" at this time.

Because the nations of the world aren't "humble, meek, merciful, peacemakers and pure of heart." None of them know or recognize the "KING OF THE JEWS" [not even the Jews].

"O House of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the Light of the Lord... their land is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands... The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and THE LORD ALONE SHALL BE EXALTED IN THAT DAY. For the Day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low..." (verses 5-12).

Ultimately, the beatitudes are the character traits that all of God's Children shall one day possess if they are to be born into God's Family. But for now... they are being learned and practiced by those whom the Father is calling to rule the Kingdom of God with His Son, Jesus Christ -- those whom He has given to His Son to train to think, live and love His ways and paths through the Holy Spirit that dwells within them -- that they may one day teach them to the nations.

"...he that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron... he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." (Rev.2:26-29).

The beatitudes are righteous character traits that work the will of God... they are foreign to the natural, selfish, carnal minded man... and only those with the faith and power of God revealed to them will learn to "live" them... Eternally.

Answer 3

The Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are they who suffer persecution for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The Beatitudes are all noble statements, worthy of a great religion, but are they all moral guides? "Blessed are the merciful" certainly is, as are "Blessed are the pure of heart" and "Blessed are the peacemakers". "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice", provides comfort for those who have not received justice, a noble sentiment, but lacking in imperatives. "Blessed are they who suffer persecution for righteousness sake" should not be interpreted as encouraging us to suffer persecution, although the pursuit of righteousness or justice is a worthwhile goal. Another ambiguous Beatitude is "Blessed are they who mourn", since it is unclear what moral imperative this provides.

The Beatitudes are inspirational but arguably not practical guides for day to day living. I believe it is far better to identify your ethical and moral goals and try to live out those goals.

Answer 4

The beatitudes are the promises of happiness made by Our Blessed Lord to those who faithfully accept His teaching and follow His divine example. We live out the Beatitudes by praying and worshiping God, and by fulfilling His Will. How we will be judged, Our Blessed Lord spells out later in the same Gospel, it is called the Judgment of the Nations; thus we live out the Beatitudes by faithfully following the teaching of His Holy Catholic Church:
Matthew 25:31-46 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)The Judgment of the Nations31 “When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. 34 Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? 38 And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? 39 And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ 46 And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Answer 5

Simply by preaching them.