I am a Jesus pusher!!! Jesus gave eight Beatitudes. There is some argument about this number. Many have paralleled the Sermon on the Mount with the Ten Commandments, attempting to create ten Beatitudes. However, in verses three through ten, the verb of being (are) is not in the Greek text. A literal translation is “Blessed! The poor in spirit,” (Matthew 5:3). Again, this follows through until verse eleven, which contains the verb of being (are) (Matthew 5:11), giving us eight Beatitudes.
All eight Beatitudes have three parts. First is the “ascription of blessedness.” All Beatitudes begin with blessed (makarios) as the first word. In the Greek language this becomes the highlighted thought of the sentence. You can accurately place an exclamation mark after each blessed! The second part is the “description of the person” to which this ascription applies. There is a definite article placed before each description in the Greek text. It the plural definite article “the” (hoi) before each noun used as an adjective. It is not just “a poor in spirit,” but is “the poor in spirit.” It is the mourning, the meek, the hungering and thirsting, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted.
The third part is a “subscription of this description.” It is the reason for the condition or state exists in the ascription. Each state is experienced in relationship with Jesus. In other words, He is the state. We are blessed exclusively because of Him. I am a Jesus pusher!!!