過去幾天的學習，讓我們認識到八福為我們的健康和豐盛的生活，提供了正確的精神和靈性的態度，相信我們已准備好開始思想意義深刻的第一句話：「虛心的人有福了！因為天國是他們的。」（太五3）。

有些譯本翻譯為：「靈裡貧窮的人是快樂的……」；另一個譯本什至說：「恭喜那些靈裡貧窮的人……」重要的是，要記得「快樂」（希臘語是makarios）這個詞的含義遠比我們平時想到的豐富得多。牠所表示的是深刻、持久的快樂，不是短暫的情緒提升。

因此，耶穌在登山寶訓開始時，就指向個人生命中一件最重要的事情上──個別的和獨自的快樂。我們所有人都想快樂，這沒有不對。渴望持久的快樂是根深蒂固的本能，是由創造主自己放在我們的裡面。神創造日落、繪畫玫瑰、將笑容放在嬰孩面上、把玩樂的恩典賜給小貓、將歡笑放在我們的靈魂裡，而當我們不快樂的時候，他肯定也不會快樂。

雖然快樂是神所賜的一種本能，但我們也必須明白，隻有神才能夠令我們快樂。如果沒有神和他那透過十字架與復活表達出來的救贖之愛，我們便會是「最可憐」（林前十五19）的。正如我曾聽過一個弟兄說：「現在我認識基督了，我在憂愁時也比以前高興的時候更快樂。」

Now that we have spent a few days meditating on the fact that provide us with the right mental and spiritual attitudes for healthy and abundant living, we are ready to begin focusing on the first of these profound statements: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 5:3).

Some translations read, "Happy are the poor in spirit...", and one goes so far as to say, "Congratulations to the poor in spirit...It is important to keep in mind that the word "happy" (Greek makarios) carries a far richer tone than we commonly attach to the word. It suggests a deep, abiding happiness, not just a temporary emotional lift.

In the very first words of the Sermon on the Mount, therefore, Jesus puts His finger on one of life's most vital issues - individual and personal happiness. We all want to be happy - and rightly so. The longing for lasting happiness is a deep-rooted instinct that has been built into us by the Creator Himself. The God who made the sunset, painted the rose, put the smile on a baby's face, gave the gift of playfulness to a kitten and put laughter in our souls is surely not happy when we are unhappy.

Although it is a God-given instinct to be happy, we must also see that it is only God who can make us happy. Apart from Him and His redemptive love as expressed through the cross and the resurrection, we would be "most miserable" (1 Cor. 15:19, AV). As someone once confessed: "Now that I know Christ, I'm happier when I'm sad than before when I was glad."