Beatitudes

Short sayings beginning with the word blessed that describe actions or thoughts that will give a person joy and peace. In the Old Testament, beatitudes were written by psalmists and prophets. The Old Testament beatitudes often promise blessings of health, peace, prosperity, and family. But most of all they promise that God will be near to a righteous person. The Beatitudes in the New Testament have one big difference from those in the Old Testament: They stress the joy of belonging to God’s kingdom. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says the poor in spirit, those who weep, and those who are persecuted are blessed because they belong to God and enjoy being close to Him.