Blessed

My wife, Jo, and I hosted our first family Thanksgiving meal in our new home yesterday. We have enjoyed 38 Thanksgiving Days together with nearly all of them celebrated with dearly loved extended family and friends on or near the family farm. But this year, our kids (all adults) wanted a smaller Thanksgiving celebration in our new home.

I saw the enthusiasm as the younger members of our family, including spouses, eagerly offered to cook and bring their favorite dishes. I loved the energy that I saw in their planning and preparing. Though, I stayed quiet as I watched. For me, Thanksgiving has always been about the people and place – the bigger family and the farm. I guess I had my doubts about changing the tradition. But I didn’t want to curb their excitement.

Then the big day arrived. I spent the morning hunting with my son (hunting guide), son-in-law (never hunted), and my youngest daughter’s boyfriend (less than five hunts in his life). I could not have scripted it better. We had a blast. The weather, conversations, hunting, and overall experience were perfect.

As lunch drew near, arrivals to our home seemed synchronized, with all the dishes hot and ready to serve at the same time. Our meal was full of compliments, laughter, and grateful stories about the people, experiences, lessons, and gifts we’ve encountered this year. The afternoon flowed right into watching football, playing games, and sharing more stories and laughter.

I found myself watching and listening with one simple word in mind – Blessed.

Though I was considering the way Jesus used the word blessed rather than the way the world tends to use it. The world uses blessed as if it’s synonymous with favored, affirmed, acknowledged, or rewarded. Common thought seems to be that wealthy, physically fit, attractive, intelligent, creative, funny, healthy, socially connected, or disciplined people have been blessed.

But Jesus’ (Greek) word that we translate blessed in the New Testament is Makarios. In other first century Greek (pagan) literature, makarios is most often referred to as a deep state of happiness, joy, and well-being (contentment) as known by the gods.

Lord knows I didn’t feel physically fit, attractive, smart, healthy, or disciplined as I savored the last morsels on my dessert plate. I was stuffed. But I was deeply content. My heart was full. I was craving nothing.

Jesus opened the Sermon on the Mount with the word makarios. He said,

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

Being “poor in spirit” is the state we find ourselves in when we realize that we have nothing of spiritual value upon which we may claim our citizenship in the kingdom of heaven. Our resumes, family ties, reputations, occupations, bank balances, church attendance, giving and service records, and good works fall short when seeking to justify or state our eternal citizenship. “Poor in spirit” is the recognition that we are spiritually bankrupt apart from God’s grace, and only God’s grace, when it comes to citizenship in the kingdom of heaven.

So, when Jesus pronounces “the poor in spirit” as blessed, he’s giving us the true root of contentment. Lasting contentment comes from one’s dependence upon God rather than a never-ending pursuit of independence. We can release all that anxiety that comes with trying harder and doing more to be accepted by God. True contentment comes from simply accepting Truth.

So how do I reconcile my Thanksgiving contentment with this Biblical concept of true contentment being rooted in my being poor in spirit?

Parents will understand. The stories around our Thanksgiving meal reminded me that each of my children know that they are poor in spirit and have openly and continuously embraced their dependence upon God’s grace above everything else. That reminder puts everything else into perspective. I am blessed.