Being Blessed Pt. 2

Being Blessed (Part 2): Submission and Satisfaction

We use and hear the word "blessing" constantly in everyday conversation, but our cultural definitions often fall short of what Jesus actually means when He calls someone blessed.

When we talk about blessings, we usually mean temporary things: health, wealth, general prosperity, or wisdom and athletic ability. We say "God bless you" when someone sneezes, hoping a minor bug doesn't turn into something worse. We pray financial blessings over people so they can prosper, ask God to bless our nation with power, or ask Him to bless doctors and surgeons in times of crisis. Athletes and high achievers constantly describe themselves as "blessed" because of their talent. While these represent God’s general goodness and common mercy, they are all fleeting. We will all eventually die, you cannot take your possessions with you, your job will replace you as soon as you are gone, and earthly relationships change or end.

Can something truly be the ultimate blessing if it is corruptible and temporary? Is life just about getting yours while the getting is good, or are the gifts of God supposed to be better than a happy moment here and there? This is exactly why Jesus asks a piercing question in Mark 8:36:

"For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?"

The real blessings Jesus talks about cannot be corrupted, and they can never be lost. To understand them, we must ask ourselves three questions: What does being "blessed" actually mean? How do we receive these blessings? And how should this shift our perspective on everything else in life?

The Blessed Understand Submission

"Blessed are the humble for they will inherit the earth."- Matthew 5:5

Why is it that the meek and humble are the ones who inherit the earth? It comes down to understanding three foundational truths: God owns the world, inheritance requires legal adoption, and true meekness surrenders control to Him.

God Owns the World

First, we must establish that God owns absolutely everything.

"The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the LORD." — Psalm 24:1

Because God owns it all, He alone decides who receives the Kingdom, the New Heavens, and the New Earth. But if God owns the world, why do wicked, arrogant people seem to rule it right now? As we see throughout Scripture, God is not giving the earth to wicked rulers permanently. Their possession is a temporary, passing shadow. Leaders can fight, conquer, and hoard all the wealth they want, but they will leave it all behind in a grave. God temporarily permits their power and uses every circumstance in history for His sovereign purpose: to draw people to Himself.

"From one man he has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live. He did this so that they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." — Acts 17:26–27

Adoption and Forgiveness

If temporary human rule is passing away, how do we receive the permanent inheritance of God's Kingdom? Inheritance can only happen through a family line. In the New Testament, the apostles use the framework of ancient Roman law to explain adoption: when a child was adopted, all their old legal debts were canceled, they received a brand-new name and identity, and their old life "died" in the eyes of the law. They gained the full, unalienable inheritance rights of a child.

However, for God to adopt us into His family, our sin must first be forgiven. While God is all-powerful, there are things He cannot do because of His holy character:

"If we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself." — 2 Timothy 2:13

God cannot sin, He cannot lie or break a promise, He cannot change, and He cannot simply ignore or overlook sin. Doing so would violate His perfect justice and holiness. Because our debt of sin had to be satisfied, God sent His Son to pay it, opening the way for our adoption.

"When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under that law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba, Father!' So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then God has made you an heir." — Galatians 4:4–7

Power Under Control

Whom does God adopt into this inheritance? He adopts the meek. Modern culture equates meekness with weakness, cowardice, or being a pushover. But Jesus uses this exact same word to describe Himself:

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." — Matthew 11:29

No one would ever accuse Jesus of being weak. True biblical meekness is power under control—specifically, power surrendered to God's control. It is the quiet, gracious refusal to use force, manipulation, or self-promotion to get ahead, trusting instead that God will exalt you at the right time.

Look at how Jesus illustrates this contrast in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector:

"He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else: 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: "God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get." But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner!" I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other, because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.'" — Luke 18:9–14

The Pharisee trusted in his own assets, religion, and moral accomplishments, expecting God to reward him; he walked away empty-handed. The tax collector—despite having intelligence, status, and wealth—recognized his spiritual poverty, asked for mercy, and walked away justified.

God has given you gifts, skills, resources, and influence. The critical question is: Will you use your gifts to build your own empire, or will you surrender them to God? Many Christians claim they want to follow God, yet they struggle to identify the last time they obeyed His promptings because they are too consumed with their own agendas. To inherit the Kingdom, you must trade your temporary earthly agenda for His eternal one.

The Blessed Understand Real Satisfaction

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." — Matthew 5:6

What does it mean to be righteous? In Scripture, a righteous person is someone who is right before God, trusting Him fully and seeking to do His will in all things—someone who obeys Jesus' command to "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness."

We were originally created in God's image to reflect His righteousness and enjoy total fellowship with Him. But when sin entered the world, humanity's condition changed drastically:

"There is no one righteous, not even one." — Romans 3:10

Counterfeit Satisfactions

Human beings are born spiritually starving. We have an undeniable, built-in craving for value, purpose, and fulfillment. The problem isn't that we lack an appetite; it's what we choose to feed on. Just as a starving person will eat anything to stop the pain, we try to cure our spiritual malnutrition with cheap substitutes:

Success: We think, "If I get that promotion, hit that income level, or make a name for myself, I'll be complete." But there is a massive difference between being an important employee and a righteous person. You never accidentally become righteous. If all you want is ambition and career success, you don't need Jesus—you just need drive. But at the end of life, God will not look at your resume; He will look for your name in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Stuff: We think, "If I buy that truck, remodel the house, or go on that vacation, I'll be satisfied." Yet material goods cannot heal a starving soul. If your goal is simply to live a comfortable life with nice possessions, you don't need Jesus—you just need money. But you cannot buy your way into Heaven.

Self-Righteousness: We think, "At least I'm a good, decent person compared to others." Surveys show nearly half of all people believe they are better than everyone else they know. But being a nice neighbor or raising polite kids does not make you righteous before a holy God. Cultured manners without Christ are useless for eternity. You don't need Jesus for basic manners—but manners won't save your soul.

Fullness in Christ

When you recognize your spiritual bankruptcy, mourn over sin, and submit to God in meekness, your appetite changes. You stop chasing empty substitutes and begin craving what God desires: holiness, truth, and His divine will.

"And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." — Romans 6:18

Jesus promises that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be satisfied. The Greek word used here for satisfied (chortazó) means to be so filled that you are completely stuffed, with abundance overflowing—the exact word used when Jesus fed the crowds and had baskets of bread left over. Ambition leaves you hungry for the next title; possessions leave you hungry for the next purchase; self-righteousness leaves you hungry for the next compliment. But Jesus fills you completely.

Look at the dramatic shift in Zacchaeus the tax collector when he encountered Jesus:

"Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, 'Look, I’ll give half of my possessions to the poor, Lord. And if I have extorted anything from anyone, I’ll pay back four times as much.' 'Today salvation has come to this house,' Jesus told him..." — Luke 19:8–9

Zacchaeus didn't care about hoarding wealth or protecting his status anymore. Once he humbled himself and received Jesus, his appetite completely shifted—he was finally full.

Main Point: Submission Brings Satisfaction

The overarching truth of Jesus' teaching is that Submission Brings Satisfaction.

You were created to find ultimate fulfillment in God, but sin tricks us into chasing satisfaction everywhere else—in career success, physical comforts, social status, and self-made morality. True satisfaction only comes when you surrender your personal agenda, humble yourself before God, and hunger for His righteousness above all else.

Challenge

Perform an "appetite assessment." Take 10 minutes to audit your recent text messages, daily screen time, and bank account statement. Ask yourself honestly: "If an outsider looked at how I spend my time, energy, and money, would they conclude that I genuinely hunger for Jesus?"