The Posture of the Kingdom
What the Beatitudes Reveal About Us — and How to Live in the In-Between
This reflection was originally published on Medium under the “Even Here” publication.
Read it there → Even Here
Blessings on the poor in spirit! The kingdom of heaven is yours.
Blessings on the mourners! You’re going to be comforted.
Blessings on the meek! You’re going to inherit the earth.
Blessings on people who hunger and thirst for God’s justice! You’re going to be satisfied.
Blessings on the merciful! You’ll receive mercy yourselves.
Blessings on the pure in heart! You will see God.
Blessings on the peacemakers! You’ll be called God’s children.
Blessings on people who are persecuted because of God’s way! The kingdom of heaven belongs to you.
Blessings on you, when people slander you and persecute you, and say all kinds of wicked things about you falsely because of me! Celebrate and rejoice: there’s a great reward for you in heaven. That’s how they persecuted the prophets who went before you.— Matthew 5:3–12, N.T. Wright, The New Testament for Everyone
We often live in the in-between — between hope and disappointment, clarity and confusion, justice and grace, belonging and exile. It’s tempting to resolve that tension with certainty, or to escape it through denial. But what if the way of Jesus invites us to stay in the tension — not passively, but attentively, expectantly?
That’s how I’ve come to read the Beatitudes.
When I read them anew, I was reminded of something I once heard in a teaching series: that the Beatitudes aren’t just a list of virtues, but a movement. A flow. A kind of inner journey of transformation. That idea stayed with me. So I wanted to revisit it — this time more slowly, more reflectively — to see again how Jesus paints a picture of what kingdom-ready people look like.
These blessings are framed by the Kingdom — it begins and ends with the same promise: “The kingdom of heaven is yours.” Everything in between describes the kind of people who live under its reign. This isn’t merely a list of virtues or a moral checklist; it is a portrait of the posture that kingdom-ready people adopt.
I don’t offer this as a formula, but as a formation. The Beatitudes aren’t a ladder to climb but a rhythm to dwell in. Some of us might find ourselves living in one posture more than another. Some return to the same place, again and again.
That’s the nature of the in-between.
Poor in Spirit — The Starting Point of Surrender
To be poor in spirit is to recognize our limits and let go of self-reliance. Whether financial or spiritual (and especially the latter), this is about faithful dependence on God. But it’s more than that. It’s also about letting go of control, entitlement, image, and moral self-sufficiency. It’s the posture of those who know they need help — and aren’t afraid to say so. In our poverty, we seek the Almighty — and He meets us where we are.
The kingdom of heaven is yours.
In the in-between, we don’t pretend. We confess. We live open-handed before a generous God.
Those Who Mourn — Grieving What Is and What Isn’t
Under this posture of humble dependence, it is natural to mourn. We grieve the past, our mistakes, and the deep brokenness we see and feel. We grieve the future we hoped for but didn’t see unfold — the expectations unmet, the uncertainty still looming. We don’t move quickly past our sorrow — we hold it, speak it, and bring it before God. And He does not turn us away.
You’re going to be comforted.
In the in-between, we don’t numb ourselves. We feel what must be felt. And God meets us there.
The Meek — Strength That Yields Instead of Grasping
As we sit with our grief and recognize our limits, we begin to grow into meekness — or at least, we ought to. We stop grasping. We become people who yield rather than dominate, who listen rather than shout. Meekness isn’t weakness — it’s strength under surrender. And somehow, paradoxically, this leads to inheritance.
You’re going to inherit the earth.
In the in-between, we lay down our need to win. And in doing so, we receive far more.
Those Who Hunger and Thirst for God’s Justice — Longing for More Than This
Then we hunger. For the world to be made right. For God’s ways to break in. For wrongs to be addressed, for justice to flow. And not just justice out there, but in our own hearts, our own systems, our own communities.
You’re going to be satisfied.
In the in-between, we live with holy discontent. We pray, protest, and persist.
The Merciful — Letting Grace Reshape Our Response
But what a surprise. We long for justice — and yet we become merciful. Because we’ve been shown mercy ourselves. Justice doesn’t harden us; it softens us. We begin to see others through the lens of grace. And in doing so, we receive even more mercy.
You’ll receive mercy yourselves.
In the in-between, we forgive even when we still remember. We give because we’ve been given much.
The Pure in Heart — Reoriented by Mercy
This mercy reshapes our vision. It purifies our hearts — not by making us perfect, but by reorienting us toward what truly matters. Our motives are less divided. We begin to see with softer eyes, drawn more by love than certainty. And we begin to see — not physically, but spiritually.
You will see God.
In the in-between, we stop performing and start paying attention. We discover God was here all along.
The Peacemakers — Carriers of Reconciliation
Now we become peacemakers. Not just avoiding conflict, but entering into it with the hope of reconciliation. We help restore what has been broken. We mirror the heart of the Father.
You’ll be called God’s children.
In the in-between, we don’t choose sides — we choose healing. We become bridges, not barriers.
The Persecuted and Slandered — Blessed in the Struggle
And yet, this way of life — the way of mercy, humility, and peace — will not always be received well. It will threaten other kingdoms. We may be misunderstood, excluded, even persecuted. But we are not alone. We are in the company of prophets. The Kingdom still belongs to us.
The kingdom of heaven belongs to you.
In the in-between, we press on. Misunderstood, maybe. But never forsaken.
The Invitation
The Beatitudes do not demand perfection. They describe what it looks like to live faithfully in the tension — between what is and what will be. They reflect the values of the Kingdom of God. It’s not about spiritual performance — it’s about surrender, dependence, mercy, and belonging.
Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount not with commands, but with comfort. Not with threats, but with blessing. Not with ladders to climb, but with a vision of the kingdom for those who are ready to receive it.
And this vision echoes the heart of God revealed elsewhere in Scripture:
“I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”
Even here — where certainty is elusive and belonging is fragile — He is ours, and we are His.
Questions for Reflection
Where do you find yourself in this unfolding rhythm?
What does it mean for you to live honestly and hopefully in the in-between?
What kind of community would be formed by people shaped by these Beatitudes?