logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2023
47m 48s

Teaching | Who is Actually Blessed? | Go...

Practicing the Way
About this episode

Most people think of the Beatitudes as virtues, but what if that's not at all what Jesus was saying? John Mark looks at some of the ancient context around Jesus's opening of the Sermon on the Mount and argues that Jesus is not telling us virtues to aim for, but offering blessing to the downtrodden of the world in the midst of their pain.


Key Scripture Passage: Matthew 5v1-10


This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for today’s episode goes to Michele from Mooloolah Valley, Queensland; Philip from San Diego, California; Kyle from Portage, Michigan; Meagan from Austin, Texas; Katya from Portland, Oregon. Thank you all so much!

If you’d like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.

Up next
Jun 29
Water From A Deep Well | Sacraments E06
What if God is found as much in the ordinary as in the extraordinary? In this conversation, John Mark and Dr. Sittser take us into the days of the medieval church, highlighting the emphasis in that period on bridging the seen and unseen realms through architecture and the sacrame ... Show More
45m 21s
Jun 22
Water From A Deep Well | Icons & Saints E05
How different can the church be and still be one? In this conversation, John Mark and Dr. Sittser discuss the development of Christianity in the East, highlighting its cultural diversity, historical divisions and what we can learn today despite the differences that marked that ti ... Show More
41m 28s
Jun 15
Water From A Deep Well | Rhythm E04
How do you spend your time? In this conversation, John Mark and Dr. Sittser continue exploring the desert movement as it became more organized in monastic communities, and specifically how these communities related to one of humanity’s most valuable commodities: time.This podcast ... Show More
40m 34s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2024
Why Do the Beatitudes Matter for the Overworked and Hopeless? – Sermon on the Mount Q+R 1
<p>Why do we not find the Sermon on the Mount in the gospels of Mark or John? Why is “blessed” not a good translation of the word <i>makarios</i>? And if Jesus says that mourning, powerlessness, and poverty are the key to the good life, should we pursue those things? In this epis ... Show More
1h 8m
Mar 2024
#205: Praying the Bible (Matthew 5:1-12: The Beatitudes)
Matthew 5:1-12. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave us specific characteristics of those who follow Him and the blessings they would receive. In today&#39;s episode, we look at the first three beatitudes and discuss what they mean for us as followers of Jesus. Jesus longs to b ... Show More
12m 48s
May 2024
#209: Praying the Bible (Matthew 5:1-12: The Beatitudes)
In this episode, we discuss the fourth, fifth and sixth beatitude that Jesus gave in His Sermon on the Mount. Jesus teaches us what it looks like to follow Him through the beatitudes. Because of the Beatitudes, we know more of what God values and what is close to His heart. We al ... Show More
10m 30s
Sep 2025
The Sermon on the Mount (The Beatitudes, The Lord's Prayer, and More!)
We have had a couple of requests for The Beatitudes which are at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. This is one of Jesus' most famous sermons and I'm thrilled to share this episode. There is a lot to unpack. It includes the Lord's Prayer (I get emotional reading that!) and ... Show More
42m 19s
Apr 2024
Jesus’ Surprising Warning About Religious Practices
<p>Sermon on the Mount E18 – In Matthew 6, Jesus turns his attention to religious practices of his day, specifically generosity to the poor, prayer, and fasting. But Jesus gives a surprising warning about these practices: if you do religious practices to get praise from people, t ... Show More
54m 14s
Jan 2024
The Powerless, Grieving, and Unimportant (The Beatitudes Pt. 2)
<p>Sermon the Mount E5 – What does it mean to be poor in spirit, mourning, and meek? Jesus uses these words in the opening of the Sermon on the Mount, and the guys examine them in biblical Greek and Hebrew, finding that a better translation may be “powerless,” “grieving,” and “un ... Show More
40m 40s
Jan 2024
What Does "Blessed" Mean? (The Beatitudes Pt. 1)
<p>Sermon on the Mount E4 – What does Jesus mean when he calls people “blessed” in the first section of the Sermon on the Mount? The Greek word translated as “blessed” is <i>makarios</i>, and its Hebrew equivalent is <i>ashrey</i>, which means “the good life.” But there’s another ... Show More
33m 33s
Aug 2024
Why Does Jesus Talk About Pearls and Pigs?
<p>Sermon on the Mount E31 – Is it possible to evaluate the behavior of others in a healthy way? Jesus offers two parables that illustrate the wisdom needed to evaluate someone else's behavior. The first parable invites us to examine ourselves before others, and the second parabl ... Show More
51m 32s