“Mapalad ang mga taong walang inaasahan kundi ang Diyos, sapagkat mapapabilang sila sa kaharian ng langit.”

Mateo 5:3

A few years ago ay nauso ang hashtag blessed. Kapag nag-scroll ka sa social media, bawat uploaded picture corresponds to success, power, achievements, and other good things in life. Kasabay nito ang biruan about earning langit points. Kapag nagpost ka tungkol sa kantang “Ama Namin” o ng mabuting bagay, plus langit points ka, at minus langit points kapag negative ang post.

Hangad ng bawat tao ang buhay na puno ng pagpapala. Pero kung Christ follower ka, to be #blessed is more than what we think it is.

In Matthew 5, Jesus shared the eight beatitudes with His disciples. The original term came from the Latin word “beatus,” which means blessing, and from the Hebrew word blessed, “esher,” which means to be happy.

Kabaligtaran ng mga kaisipan ng mundo, the list of beatitudes start with “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The real #blessed people are those who humbly recognize that they need the lordship of Jesus Christ, because they are empty, unable, and spiritual beggars.

In Jesus’ time iniisip ng mga Pharisees that they deserve to be in the Kingdom of God because of who they are and what they do for God, but Jesus made it clear what it means to be blessed. Today, some of us try to fill our lives with the things of this world and call ourselves blessed, and sometimes, kahit matagal ka nang Christian, iniisip mong entitled ka to be “blessed” kasi you’re serving God’s kingdom. But it’s never about the blessings that the world says mean something, it’s understanding that apart from Christ we are nothing.

It’s when we have nothing (spiritually) that we can be filled with everything about Christ and His Kingdom. The blessing of the poor in spirit is not in the world but in the Kingdom of Heaven where riches, pride, and success are nothing. Happy are those who humbly walk in faith with Jesus.