April 15

The Beatitudes

Blessed ... Blessed ... Blessed ... Blessed ... — Matt 5:3-10

The Blesseds of the Scriptures shine all over the inspired pages, like stars in the midnight sky. The Bible is a book of beatitudes and benedictions. God’s mercy lies everywhere. Wherever we see Christ he is imparting blessings as the sun imparts light and warmth.

While He was here on earth He was always reaching out his hand to give a benediction to some life that sorely needed it. Now it was on the children’s heads, now on the leper, now on the blind eyes, now on the sick, now on the dead, that He laid those gracious hands, and always he left some rich gift of blessing,

Then we remember one day when those gentle hands were drawn out by cruel enemies, and with iron nails fastened back on the cross; yet even then it was in blessing that they were extended, for it was for our sins they were transfixed thus on the wood. As we see them thus stretched out as wide as they could reach, the attitude suggests the wideness of the divine mercy. Thus the arms of God are open to the utmost to receive all who will come to seek refuge. There is room for the worst sinners.

Finally, it is a striking fact that the last glimpse we have of the Saviour in this world shows Him in the attitude of blessing. He had been talking with His disciples as He led them out, and then He lifted up His hands and blessed them : and while He was blessing them He was parted from them and received up into heaven. Surely there could bo no truer picture taken of Jesus at any point in His life than as He appeared in that last view of Him which this world enjoyed. In heaven now he is still a blessing Saviour, holding up pierced hands before God in intercession, and reaching down gracious hands full of benedictions for our sad, sinful earth. If any life goes unblessed with such a Saviour, it can be only because of unbelief and rejection.