The Beatitudes describe eight blessings in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew ( Matthew 5:3–12 ). Four of such "blessings" also appear in the Sermon on the Plain in Luke (Luke 6:20–26), and are followed by four woes that mirror the blessings.
Each Beatitude consists of two phrases: the condition and the result. In almost every case the condition is from familiar Old Testament context, the Ten commandments, but Jesus teaches a new interpretation.
The Ten Commandments or Decalogue (10 words) was given by God on Mt. Horeb (also known as Mt. Sinai) to Moses around 1280 BC. They are the core of the moral teachings of Israel and have come down to Christianity as part of Divine Revelation. The Church in commenting on the Commandments sees in them the totality of the negative and positive moral law, the things we should not do, as well as the things we should do. the message of Jesus is one of humility, charity, and love. He teaches transformation of the inner person.
Jesus presents the Beatitudes in a positive sense, virtues in life which will ultimately lead to reward. Love becomes the motivation for the Christian.
All of the Beatitudes have an eschatological (meaning: relating to the end of the world) meaning, that is, they promise us salvation - not in this world, but in the next. The Beatitudes initiate one of the main themes of Matthew's Gospel, that the Kingdom so long awaited in the Old Testament is not of this world, but of the next, the Kingdom of Heaven.
While the Beatitudes of Jesus provide a way of life that promises salvation, they also provide peace in the midst of our trials and tribulations (meaning: suffering resulting from oppression or persecution) on this earth.
1. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
"Poor in