Beatitudes explained in layman's terms to find true happiness [closed]

Question

There is a question listing out the Beatitudes in the link below. I'm interested in these because according to the Bible, these eight things will make everyone happy! Can you help me interpret these in layman's terms, so they are easily understood? Please look at my interpretations below each and make any corrections and/or expand on what I have. The more answers the better, because, in life, there isn't just one correct answer.

What are the "Beatitudes"?

Please be very specific about which ones are from the first person, second person or third person, or a combination thereof. I did not put this much thought into it yet, because I was afraid of getting it wrong. The first person is the I/we perspective. The second person is the you perspective. The third person is the he/she/it/they perspective.

For people with empathy, they feel what the other person they are with is feeling. So in a sense, they both share the same feeling. But in order to achieve the feeling (either when together or in prayer or thought), I need to know which person the beatitude is happening to, and which person the beatitude is being observed from.

The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)

³ Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

• people who recognise their own spiritual poverty, their need for God

⁴ Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

• feel regret or sadness about someone else, but not ourselves

⁵ Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land.

• quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive to others

⁶ Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.

• fairness in the way that people are treated

⁷ Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

• being compassionate and forgiving when someone else does not deserve it

⁸ Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God.

• speaks of our motivation, our desires that move us to act and seek a place and purpose in the world

⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God.

• a person who brings about peace, especially by reconciling adversaries

¹⁰ Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

• if someone is harassed or punished in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict, then heaven is on the way soon for them

¹¹ Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against - you, untruly, for my sake: ¹² Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven.

• to express disappointment; to harass or punish;

Answer 1

Jesus spoke to his people about how they could be blessed, not how to find lasting happiness. There are crucial differences, in the Bible, between mere happiness, and blessedness.

Just look at some of the blessing, to see that. How could anybody wanting to stay in a state of happiness consider themselves in that state when being persecuted? How could anyone be in a state of happiness while simultaneously mourning? How often are 'the meek' happy when most others scorn them, if not trample on them? How can people be happy when being reviled and spoken ill of?

No, Jesus was speaking of something far higher, way above mere human ideas about being happy. He spoke of an inner, spiritual state among those who are truly spiritual in the sense the New Testament speaks of throughout. The clues are all there: those who know thy are 'poor in spirit' will have the kingdom of heaven. Turn to the end of that sermon on the mount to see how, exactly:

"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink, or Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:31-33 A.V (emphasis mine).

Another clue Jesus gave, a few verses earlier, was that the righteousness of his people had to exceed the apparent, outward righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. If it did not, then "ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven" (5:20).

Blessedness comes in being brought into the Kingdom of God, which has Christ as its King. Then, no matter what you might suffer on Earth for his name's sake, nothing and nobody can take away the blessedness that is God-given, and which is spiritual, not material or physical.

This question now asked was summed up by Jesus, to ordinary folk, in simple terms they could understand: "But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness".