In Matthew's Gospel, the Sermon on the Mount inaugurates Jesus'public ministry, and the first word out of Jesus' mouth is "blessed."He repeats this word throughout his first sermon. Jesus calls hisdisciples by blessing them, and as he speaks, Jesus introduceshimself to us but also introduces disciples to themselves, for theBeatitudes offer a character sketch of who disciples will become ifthey follow him.
The Beatitudes, says Martha Stortz, function as a compass for thejourney of Christian discipleship. The first group of Beatitudestarget people in situations of suffering. The second group ofBeatitudes target people who help those who suffer. Each chapterin Blessed to Follow is structured around a similar pattern: appealto experience; biblical stories; Jesus: the one blessing and the oneblessed; disciples: blessed to be a blessing; practice: the blessingmade real. Includes questions for discussion and additionalresources.
