Memorize this verse as a family:

Matthew 5:3: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Listen. People use glasses in order to be able to see. Jesus gathers his disciples to give them glasses that will help them see in his new kingdom. Jesus’ kingdom will be different from all of the other kingdoms of our world.

The glasses Jesus gives us are called “The Beatitudes”. The Beatitudes teach us what it means to be “blessed”. Blessed simply means happy, or to be a person that others  would want to be.

Discuss with your kids what kinds of people we think are happy and the kinds of people we would want to be. 

Now it is time to put on Jesus’ glasses. Read Matthew 5:1-12 together. Here is a guide to the special words in the Beatitudes: 

• poor in spirit – someone who knows they need God
• meek – to be strong, but gentle; not using power unless God wants you to. 
• hunger and thirst for righteousness – those who want themselves and the world to be what God wants us to be
• merciful – to show love to those who need it even if they don’t deserve it
• pure in heart – those who only want what God wants
• peace-makers – those who do the hard work of helping people get along with each other; they never give up.
• persecuted, insulted, lied about – those who are chased, hurt, made fun of, lied about, or rejected because they love and follow Jesus. 

Which of these seem to fit?

Which are surprising when we think of people who are blessed?

It is not a “happy thing” to be sad. It doesn’t feel good when people are mean to us. But Jesus makes some promises that tell us that we are blessed. There are two kinds: there are the “theirs is” promises and the “they will” promises. 

Read through Matthew 5:1-12 again and see if you can find these promises together. [You might want to make a list or draw pictures that describe these promises.

Respond. If Jesus’ glasses are good glasses, if Jesus keeps all of his promises, what will you do? Be personal and specific. Here are some ideas:

• How are we thankful for Jesus?
• How will we trust God?
• Do we need to tell God we are sorry?
• Does God want us to pray a certain way?

Share. Jesus gave these glasses to us so that we can give them away to others. Who will we share this lesson with?