Jesus’s Blessings for Today (Matthew 5:1–10)

What does it mean to be blessed? Explore this week’s Gospel reading and consider what it means for us today.

Each week, we post a passage from Sunday’s Scriptures; share links to resources that give context and inspire new ideas; and offer a few questions to get you thinking about what we’ll read together in church.

The Gospel for September 13, 2026

Matthew 5:1–10

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Read all of Sunday’s Scriptures

Step Into the Story

3 Ways to Go Deeper

Poetry

Anna Kamieńska’s poem “Those Who Carry” is based on the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount and speaks to Jesus’s enduring promise of salvation — particularly for those with heavy burdens.

Social Justice

Theologian Alma Tinoco Ruiz digs into the differences between the Beatitudes we see in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, with the former emphasizing material poverty and physical hunger while the latter — our reading this week — focuses on spiritual need. “But what if Matthew’s Beatitudes are intended for the poor, too?” Tinoco Ruiz asks. “What if this text is an act of resistance to oppression, a message of liberation for the poor rather than confirmation for the rich?”

Reflection

Has our familiarity with Jesus’s words softened their radical spirit? “The ministry of Jesus cut across worldly divides in ways that were unfathomable to his peers and to us today, extending from outright criminals to the hopelessly destitute, from the compulsive liar to the protester in the street who has had enough,” says writer Todd Brewer.