ITS ALL ABOUT JOY
The Beatitudes. They are the most profound and fundamental lessons of Jesus. They are his teachings about how we are to live the joy that Christ promised. They are how we live with ultimate freedom and receive the promises of God.
Each of them concern how we live joyfully in communion; how we discipline our own desires and practice detachment. Because here is a fundamental lesson of Jesus: it is not about what you have or don’t have; it is about HOW you have it. That is to say, Jesus is not concerned about how rich or poor you are as a measure; but rather about HOW you understand and use what treasures you have.
Let me ask you, why did Jesus get so angry at the people in the market place? Or get so frustrated by the Pharisees? After all, they were only doing what they were supposed to do. They were doing what they felt was needed for the law, but they could not understand that HOW they were doing it was lacking. Though technically there was nothing wrong with this according to the law, their intentions – the way they did it (so as to take advantage of others) was the issue.