Friday, July 17, 2026

PT-3 “The Blessed” (Luke 6:20b-23)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 7/17/2026 8:33 PM

My Worship Time                                                                               Focus:  PT-3 “The Blessed”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                              Reference:  Luke 6:20b-23

Message of the verses:  “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.  Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied.  Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.  Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man.  Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven.  For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.”

            I want to pick up from where I left on in last this morning’s SD and see how far I can get this evening.

            I am picking up from where I left off this morning, which is counting from the third main point from MacArthur’s website.

            “Those who mourn will not only be comforted (Matt. 5:4), but will even laugh, expressing the joy, relief, and freedom of the forgiven.  Psalm 30:5 promises, ‘Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning.’  In Jeremiah 31:13 God promises, ‘I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and give them joy for their sorrow.’  At His second coming the Lord Jesus Christ will ‘comfort all who mourn…in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting’ (Isa. 61:2-3; cf. 35:10; 51:3, 11).”

(Isa. 61:2-3; cf. 35:10; 51:3, 11)

“2  to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3  to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.”

“10  And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

“3  For the LORD comforts Zion; he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.”

“10  Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made the depths of the sea a way for the redeemed to pass over?”

            “The final Beatitude is perhaps the most paradoxical and, from the human perspective, most incomprehensible of all.  The first three describe how the repentant sinner views himself; the fourth describes how the world see him.  The Lord used four verbs, hate, ostracize, insult, and scorn so sum up the vitriol, hostility, and animosity poured out on His disciples by the unbelieving world.  This fourth Beatitude indicates that the work of the first three has been accomplished.  Genuine salvation has occurred, and the disciples’ changed lives are an evident rebuke to all.  The world’s hostile reaction to Christ’s followers is evidence that they are among the blessed, since the world does not reject its own.

            “The underlying reason for sinners’ hatred, ostracism, insults, and scornful denunciation of the name (Christian) that believers bear as evil is because of their association with the Son of Man.  The Lord elaborated on that truth in His charge to the Twelve before sending them out to preach (Matt. 10:16-33).”

(Matt. 10:16-33)

“16 ¶  "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17  Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18  and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19  When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20  For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21  Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22  and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23  When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24  "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25  It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. 26  "So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27  What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31  Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32  So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33  but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

“In verse 16 Jesus likened the opponents they would face to vicious wolves (cf. Matt. 7:15; Acts 20:29).”

(cf. Matt. 7:15; Acts 20:29)

  15 ¶  "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

“29  I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock;”

“He further cautioned the apostles that they would be severely punished in the courts and synagogues (cf. 2 Cor. 11:24), including being put out of the synagogue (John 9:22, 34; 16:2), and by rulers (Matt. 10:17-18).”

(cf. 2 Cor. 11:24)

“24  Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.”

(John 9:22, 34; 16:2)

“22  (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.”

“34  They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.”

“2  They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God.”

(Matt. 10:17-18)

“17  Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18  and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.”

“Families will be divided when some members identify with Christ (v. 21; cf. Luke 12:51-53).”

(v. 21; cf. Luke 12:51-53)

“21  “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. ”Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.”

“51  Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. 52  For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. 53  They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’”

“All of this hatred will be directed at believers because they name the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (vv. 23:24-25) whom the unbelieving world hates (John 15:18-19; 16:33).”

(vv. 23:24-25)

“22  "Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!”

“24  "But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25  “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. ”Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.”

(John 15:18-19; 16:33)

“18 ¶  "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

“33  I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.’”

7/17/2026 9:19 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

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