Teaching the Second Beatitude by Jeanne Sparks
Categories: Beatitudes
Read Matthew 5:4
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Qualities of "mourning:"
- Tears of repentance
- Willingness to release
- A broken heart
- Emotional hurt
- Sadness
- Unhappiness
- Sorrow for wrong doing
- Repentance for inappropriate or dishonest behavior
- Readiness to reconcile with God.
Qualities of being "comforted:"
- Feelings of peace
- Feeling forgiven
- Feelings that everything is fine
- Courage and freedom to move forward
- Redemption
- At-one-ment with God, and the understanding that good can never be lost because God is good and all that He made is very good (Gen 1:31).
Paraphrasing of Beatitude # 2
- Happy are those who have done something wrong and are ready to not repeat it, for they are forgiven.
- Happy are those who are really sad for whatever reason, because they can instantly feel God's loving arms around, beneath, and above them and everyone, arms that are always holding them securely and gently.
Create your own paraphrase of Matt 5:4
- INSTANTANEOUS FORGIVENESS
- LOTS OF HUGS
- HAPPINESS
- SECURITY
- GOOD, WARM, COZY FEELINGS OF BEING LOVED AND CARED FOR
- Offered daily to anyone who is:
- Very sad
- Sorry
- Unhappy because of:
- Losing a friend
- Making a mistake
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
You might start your poster by making a list of the things you feel sad about.
- Have you ever had an argument with a friend and then wished you hadn't said something?
- Have you ever wanted to take back something you said to a family member?
- Have you ever made a mistake and tried to hide it?
- Did you miss getting on a team, or getting a grade you thought you deserved?
- What else might make you feel unhappy?
- Aren't Jesus' words wonderful, that when we feel awful about something, God is right there to comfort us?
- What does it mean to comfort?
- Have you ever felt comforted by God's love?
- Have you ever comforted someone else?
|
