The Good Life: What It Really Means According to Jesus

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”
Matthew 5:3

How often have you seen an Instagram picture of someone’s beautiful vacation or brand-new car with the caption, “#blessed?” We see these posts and think, “Man, they’re living the good life.” We compare our messes to their highlight reels and wonder, “Why doesn’t God bless me?”

You may be experiencing a difficult season right now. It’s hard to see the blessing when we’re broken, diseased, oppressed, or hurting. Yet, this was the lived experience of the people Jesus was addressing.¹

Right after Jesus’ testing in the wilderness, he calls his disciples and begins his public ministry, declaring, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”² Then, he climbs a mountain, turns to his disciples, and preaches his inaugural sermon.

And what’s the first thing he says to these broken and hurting people? “You are blessed.”

What Does It Mean to Be Blessed?

In Greek, blessed (makarios) describes an envious position—someone who is experiencing prosperity, joy, and contentment that comes from a right relationship with God apart from circumstances. Some suggest makarios carries a sense of salutation, as if Jesus was saying, “Congratulations!” Today, we might say the “blessed” person is “winning,” or they’re living “the good life.”³

But how can Jesus’ words be true? What do the poor in spirit possibly have to be congratulated for? How can we be blessed when we can’t see the blessing–when we certainly don’t feel it? And, in many cases, when it looks or feels quite the opposite?

If you’re confused, imagine how they must have felt—demoniacs, paralytics, and poverty-stricken citizens under the oppressive Roman government—crowding around to hear his words. How could they be experiencing “the good life” in an empire like this – when they appeared to be losing at life, not winning?

The Upside-Down Kingdom

God’s Kingdom operates differently than the world’s standards. In his upside-down Kingdom, the weak are strong⁴, the last are first⁵, and enemies must be loved⁶. Those who give will receive⁷, and those who lose their life will find it.⁸ The humble are exalted⁹, and the poor in spirit live…the good life?

Contrary to some interpretations, Jesus wasn’t suggesting that we take a vow of poverty to win God’s blessing, nor was he saying, “Relax, your sin and hardships don’t matter.” He was saying that believers are blessed despite their sins and circumstances. But why?

The Blessing of Dependence on God

The Beatitudes address characteristics we are unable to achieve on our own. Interestingly, this word for ‘blessed’ is only ever used to describe believers.¹⁰ Each of Jesus’ words reveals the character traits of those already in the Kingdom and the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in our attitudes.¹¹

We need to reconsider what blessing means. Regardless of the world’s narrative, we are not blessed because of our status. Our blessing lies in our total dependency on God. We have nothing to offer. Our sin and brokenness make us utterly reliant on God, and our blessing lies in trusting Him.

The poor in spirit recognize their dependency on God in all areas of life. As believers who are ever-growing in our faith, we tend to see more sin and brokenness in our lives, not less.¹² It’s not that sin increases, but we recognize it more easily, becoming more sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts. There can be no better position, for those who don’t recognize their need will not come to Him. But for those who rely on and trust in Him, God Himself is our blessed reward.

So, congratulations, you who are poor in spirit, for you recognize your utter dependence on a faithful, good, and trustworthy God. Congratulations, you who trust him for your sustenance; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to you.

Reflection:

1. How does this perspective change your ideas on what it means to be “blessed?”
2. How does this Beatitude encourage or strengthen you?
3. In what ways is God asking you to trust Him in your current situation?
4. Psalm 34:18 reminds us that “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” How might your current struggle be an invitation into His presence?

For further reflection and prayer, read Psalm 40.

FOR DEEPER STUDY:

1. Matthew 4:23-25 ↩︎
2. Matthew 4:17 ↩︎
3. This perspective comes from a conversation between Tim and John at BibleProject.  You can listen to the podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bibleproject/id1050832450?i=1000642463359 ↩︎
4. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ↩︎
5. Matthew 20:16 ↩︎
6. Matthew 5:44 ↩︎
7. Luke 6:38 ↩︎
8. Matthew 16:25 ↩︎
9. Luke 14:11 ↩︎
10. Faithlife, LLC, “Blessed.” Logos Bible Study Factbook, computer software (Bellingham, WA: Faithlife, LLC, February 1, 2025), https://ref.ly/logos4/Factbook?id=ref%3abk.%25blessed ↩︎
11. Jerry Bridges, The Blessing of Humility (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2016), 12. ↩︎
12. Bridges, The Blessing of Humility, 12. ↩︎