Jesus Christ, the greatest Prophet and Teacher, delivered the Sermon on the Mount, which includes the Beatitudes as a profound introduction to His teachings about the nature of those who will be in His Kingdom. These Beatitudes set forth eight distinct qualities that every disciple ought to embody, such as being poor in spirit, merciful, mourning, and making peace. They are not intended for separate groups but describe the ideal character of each follower of Christ. Each beatitude pronounces a blessing on the person possessing that quality, reflecting God's approval rather than mere subjective happiness. These blessings, tied to the qualities, offer both present and future fulfillment, allowing disciples to experience contentment and well-being even amidst trials, while anticipating a full harvest of blessings in the future. The Beatitudes serve as a powerful call to high standards of responsibility, establishing a complete set of qualities essential for every child of God to enter His Kingdom. They are linked together like a golden chain, each standing alone yet connected to the others. The first four beatitudes focus on one's relationship with God, setting the stage for the final four, which address relations with others. Among these, being "poor in spirit," as highlighted in the beatitude "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," refers not to economic poverty but to a spiritual state of recognizing one's utter dependence on God. This quality spans all economic conditions, as even the materially wealthy can be poor in spirit by acknowledging their spiritual need and seeking enrichment from God. It is a work of God's Holy Spirit in the minds of those He calls, fostering an attitude of humility and reliance on Him for all spiritual needs.

In Matthew 5:6, Jesus describes a profound longing within a person, a driving need from the depths of their innermost being to satisfy a spiritual desire. This hunger and thirst for righteousness is not merely an ambition to achieve, but a vital necessity for spiritual life and strength, akin to the daily need for nourishment. Within the sequence of the Beatitudes, this hunger and thirst follow the acknowledgment of spiritual bankruptcy, mourning over sin, and meekness, leading to a motivation to overcome character deficiencies that God reveals. This desire is integral to significant steps toward salvation, encompassing justification, sanctification, and growing into the image of God. Jesus emphasizes that seeking God's Kingdom and His righteousness must be the top priority in life, surpassing worldly ambitions. Jesus refers to righteousness in a broad sense, urging a pursuit of all of God's spiritual blessings, favor, and image. This pursuit includes three kinds of righteousness essential to Christian life: the righteousness of faith through justification by grace in Christ, personal righteousness in daily conduct, and a social righteousness that extends to the community. While the social aspect may be less directly applicable due to a Christian's heavenly citizenship, it still involves letting one's light shine before others to glorify God. Jesus Himself focused on internal change through preaching the gospel and doing good, without engaging in external societal reform, setting an example for prioritizing spiritual over worldly change. The promise attached to this Beatitude is that God creates this hunger and thirst to fill it. He fills the believer with understanding, wisdom, peace, thanksgiving, faith, hope, and love, enabling them to navigate life with His perspective and vision for the future in His Kingdom. Ultimately, this filling leads to a state where hunger and thirst are no more, as the Lamb shepherds them to living fountains of waters.

The Beatitudes serve as signs of those who are truly Christ's disciples, identifying those upon whom God's blessings rest to aid them in living joyfully. They also describe the nature of true happiness, contrasting sharply with the carnal mind's pursuit of happiness through possessions, power, and social standing. God reveals that the ultimate sense of human well-being comes from possessing and cultivating spiritual qualities derived from a relationship with Him. Among these, Jesus plainly asserts that the merciful are blessed, emphasizing the importance of mercy as a prominent spiritual feature. This quality, indispensable in the holy, divine character, becomes ours through a close relationship with God and is given through His indwelling Spirit as we yield in obedience and cultivate it. Mercy, as highlighted in the Beatitudes, is not disconnected from the inward-focused qualities but begins a group more outwardly directed toward fellow man. It is a clearly visible action, a fruit produced by the preceding spiritual attributes. Jesus promises that those who give mercy will obtain it, underscoring a principle of reciprocity in our actions. God takes the mystery out of this: if we act in mercy, kindness, and compassion, we will receive the same in return. This reflects the enduring nature of God's mercy, which serves as the pattern we are to emulate in our lives.