The Inside Out Kingdom: Reimagining Life through the Beatitudes of Christ

Copyright © 2024 Kevin Murriel.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Reddhouse Publishers, LLC

www.kevinmurriel.com

All Biblical translations are from the New Revised Standard Version.

Scripture References are from the NRSV

Print ISBN: 979-8-89269-795-8

eBook ISBN: 979-8-89269-799-6

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:9-12)

Contents

INTRODUCTION

Chapter 1: Blessed are the Poor in Spirit

Chapter 2: Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Chapter 3: Blessed are the Meek

Chapter 4: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

Chapter 5: Blessed are the Merciful

Chapter 6: Blessed are the Pure in Heart

Chapter 7: Blessed are the Peacemakers

Chapter 8: Blessed are the Persecuted

INTRODUCTION

There is something that all of us expect to experience when we follow Jesus – blessings. I would even say that one of our main goals in following Christ is to be in a position to receive the blessings of God and to live a blessed life. However, the very thing that we seek is often the very thing that we don’t fully understand. The world has taught us to believe that the more we have, the more blessed we are. In fact, we often say, I’m blessed, when people ask us how we’re doing. And that may actually be true. But what may also be true is that your blessed disposition probably (whether you realize it or not) has very little to do with how much you have in your bank account or how many material possessions you own. Rather, being blessed is dependent on your spiritual disposition.

I understand how hard it is in today’s world to not equate blessings with material accumulation. And I’m definitely not speaking against the acquisition of nice things because, let’s be honest, we all want to look nice, live well, drive comfortably, and much more. Let’s go ahead and establish that we enjoy having nice things. Personally, I like eating well, living comfortably, and ensuring that my family can do the same.

We all like nice things. But I have discovered that having nice things doesn’t necessarily equate to living a blessed life. Don’t get me wrong, nice things can lead to a comfortable life, but by Jesus’ standards, they don’t define a blessed life. Here’s why. If the accumulation of things were the standard for being blessed, then many would be excluded, and only a select few would be included. And we