I am a Jesus pusher!!! Jesus congratulates us in the Beatitudes. He declares we are “Blessed.” Blessed (makarios) is a difficult problem for translators of the New Testament Greek because it is displayed in a variety of ways. Several translations use the English word “happy.” However, “happy” has as its primary meaning an emotional state. It comes from the old English “happenstance.” It contains the root “hap,” which means “chance.” Human happiness is dependent on the chances and the changes of life. Life gives, but life also destroys. It contains the flavor of “fate” and has its roots in “luck.” This is far from the meaning of blessed.
There is another Greek word translated blessed. It is “elougetos.” We derive our English word “eulogy” from it. It means, “to speak good things” or “praise.” Paul uses this word often in Ephesians. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). In this one passage Paul uses the word (elougetos) as an adjective, verb, and noun. This Greek word does not seem to be connected to our Greek word in Matthew. “Makarios” carries the idea “to be in a good position,” that is, “to be in a favorable place to receive something good.” It describes a joy that has its secret within itself. This joy is serene and untouchable; it is self-contained and independent from all the chances and changes of life. It describes the presence of God reaching in and through your life to accomplish His Divine will. It often carries with it suffering or hard circumstances; however, those circumstances are overshadowed by the wonder of His fulfilled plan and presence. This is the state in which the Christian dwells. We are blessed in the presence and will of Jesus. I am a Jesus pusher!!!