Title: What is Happiness? / Matthew 5:1-12
words to enter
A young Frenchman came to see a psychiatrist. He described his emotional anxiety and depression and asked for a prescription. While the doctor was talking about a lot of things, a famous comedy actor came to the city and put on a show, so go see it and it will help you with your treatment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I made a recommendation. Then the young man stood up helplessly. And as he opens the hospital door and walks out, he mumbles like a moan. 'I keep my head down and move forward without power while saying that the comedian is me...
The comedian who brought laughter to many people and made them happy for that moment was not happy and was suffering from depression.
Where is true happiness?
As a poet put it, "Going to visit because there is happiness beyond that mountain, and then returning with only tears." is probably what we are today.
The God who created us came to give us true happiness and teach us true happiness.
Galilee is a very geographically beautiful and prosperous place. To the north is Mount Helmon, which is covered with snow all year round, and melted snow always flows into the Sea of Galilee, and in the morning dew wets the vast land. The Sea of Galilee was always clean and there were many fishermen living there. Although it was a lake, it always contained clear water because it took in the melt water of Mount Helmon from above and drained it down into the Jordan River. It was a peaceful Galilee. But the people of Galilee were not at peace and not happy. Many were suffering from disease, poverty, and Roman oppression. The Lord came to this Galilee.
Jesus chose his disciples and traveled all over Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing many sick people. And at night he took his disciples and went to the mountain to pray. As he comes down from the mountain with his disciples in the morning, he meets a large crowd of people who come to Jesus on the mountain.
These unhappy people of Galilee came to the Lord in search of happiness and to obtain happiness. The Lord did not even eat breakfast, but the Lord did not settle in a place where they could be seen. And he opened his mouth and began to speak the truth of happiness, the message of the famous Beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount.
Our Bible says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." However, if you look at the text of the Bible, the order is different. “Happy, blessed, blessed are you who are poor in spirit/ for theirs is the kingdom of God.” “Blessed are you who mourn, for we will be comforted.
What do we want to enjoy the most?
Among the things that human beings long for the most, it is probably happiness. I got married to be happy, and to be happier, I ask for this and that and work.
So what is true happiness? What is the real blessing?
The traditional blessings of our country are 'to live long, to become rich, to become successful, to have many children, to be healthy, and so on. When we ask for blessings from God, we tend to have ups and downs of faith in seeking worldly blessings rather than the teachings of the Bible.
The first words that Jesus taught when he opened his mouth taught us what true happiness is and what kind of person is a happy person.
The word “blessing” that is repeatedly written in the text is macarios ( ) in Greek. This word has several unique meanings, but I will mention three.
It is used to indicate the existence or characteristics of a god.
1 Timothy 1:11 This teaching is according to the gospel of the glory of the blessed God, which has been entrusted to me.
1 Timothy 6:15 At the end of the day, God will show his appearing, the blessed and the only mighty one, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Paul says that God Himself is blessed. That God Himself is happy. He tells us that the source of human happiness is God Himself.
The source of happiness lies in God. Human happiness comes from God. Only through a right relationship with God can we achieve happiness and enjoy happiness. Paul was a promising young man who had received the best education and was recognized by a good family, Roman citizenship, and the leaders of the time.
In today's political terms, he was a smart and capable young man who was recognized as the undisputed leader of the next generation. But not everything he had made him happy. Zeal and passion for religion did not bring happiness. However, after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul began to experience what true happiness is. Paul was happy because he threw away everything that was in his heart and lived only with God, the source of blessing. They were happy even when they suffered, and they were happy even when they were persecuted. No matter how difficult it was to die, even if we were beaten, if we were poor, or if we were tormented by disease, it did not matter because we had the Lord who is the source of happiness.
Happiness begins from the moment we humans come to the cross of the Lord, repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Lord of salvation. It is to enjoy happiness the moment we call God our Father through the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ.
The moment we say “God the Father”, happiness springs up in our hearts.
The etymology of the word blessing has the meaning of offering to God.
It is said that the word blessing in English comes from the word 'blood sacrifice' (blessing). When they offered blood sacrifices, they found the meaning of blessing in the sacrifices offered by consecration.
Happiness is not just having possessions. How much you have is not a measure of happiness. True happiness lies in giving. True happiness begins with giving to God. This is the teaching of the Bible.
Happiness does not come to those who are full of the selfishness of possession. No matter how much he has, he is never satisfied. But those who live a life of devotion are indescribably happy even if they give the least.
There is some truth in the words of communist Karl Marx, “The more you have, the more alienated you are from human life.”
The passion of possession makes humans obsessed with desire. Sometimes this desire causes us to sin against God. But from the moment we learn to know and give to God, the Lord of all, we feel happy and free. The spirit of worship is the spirit of dreaming. Happiness is not in possessions, but in dreams.
The word happiness means 'to contribute to the lives of others.'
No matter what a person says about me, a person who contributes to their life by telling good stories about them is a happy person.
Romans 12:14 - "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."
Destroy both those who take vengeance and those who seek vengeance. Forgiveness alone makes both the forgiver and the forgiver happy. Happiness is a gift from God that comes to those who bless their neighbors. Happiness comes to us when we love God and love our neighbor. The Bible teaches that happiness is a gift that comes when you make a beautiful contribution to the lives of others.
How do I contribute? By teaching the word of God, by praying, by guiding us in the right way, by building us up when we fall...
closing words
We should note that the happiness Jesus speaks of is spiritual and personal, not material and temporal. The poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who are merciful, those who are pure in heart… Happiness lies not in what we have, but in what kind of person we become.
Please believe that our happiness comes from God the Creator who made us in His image.
We have happiness when we live a life that we give to God. There is true happiness when you make a beautiful contribution to the lives of others.
Today is a historic day when the Lord broke the power of death and rose again. By the death of the Lord, our sins are forgiven. This is our happiness. The Lord rose from the dead on the third day. We who are in Christ have the resurrection to live again even if we die. This is our happiness. The Lord's death and resurrection set us free from sin and its wickedness. This is our happiness. I pray that you believe that you have found your lost happiness through the resurrection of the Lord. I pray that you will be filled with spiritual happiness with the risen Lord. I wish you personal happiness and family happiness in the Word.