"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

It was upon these words of Thomas Jefferson that our country was founded on July 4, 1776. These profound concepts served to justify the American colonies' declaration of independence from the most economically and militarily powerful nation on earth at the time, the British Empire. And now, 224 years later, these words are still celebrated. (Surely most Americans could quote the phrase, and confirm their right to "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," even if they aren't quite sure what document they are quoting from!)  These "truths" are still cited as "self-evident." And they are still used to justify decisions, actions, even declarations of freedom -- most often freedom from any restraint or limit to an individual's method of  pursuing his or her own idea of happiness.

Happiness . . . so many people long for it. We all have dreams of the perfect life, the ultimate situation that would make us finally happy. How do you define happiness? The world certainly offers many things with the promise of happiness. Ads sell happiness with everything from the right brand of coffee to the right model of car to the right Internet service provider. But somehow it always seems to elude us. We work toward something. We work so hard, even at the expense of other things — like relationships with family or friends.  And we finally achieve it. But somehow it fails to satisfy. It's not what it was supposed to be. It didn't bring happiness. Maybe we were aiming too low. 

That's it... we just have to set our goals higher. More money. More possessions.  Better clothes. Better cars. More important friends. More prestigious titles. 

But happiness is always one step ahead, just out of reach. And all we're left with is a greedy heart, a gluttonous appetite, shattered standards and failed relationships.

So what are we missing? 

If the world's promises of happiness are empty, where can we turn to escape despair?  A look at Jesus' most famous sermon will shed light on our confusion.  God knew the world's ways hold nothing but disappointment. He had experienced it.  In Genesis 6:5-6, he tells us of his heartache: "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." God nearly destroyed his whole creation with a worldwide flood because of that disappointment. But, thankfully, "Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD." (Gen. 6:8)

And it is through God's gift of his son that we have an alternative to the world's hollow offerings.  In Matthew 3, Jesus gave us a picture of true happiness. It looks nothing like the flashy TV images.  It is, rather, contrary to what most of us have probably been aiming for.  This sermon is commonly known as the Beatitudes. It is found in Matthew 5.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit:" Jesus began.  The literal translation of the Greek for "blessed" in this instance is "oh how happy." In his sermon, Jesus listed seven characteristics, and specific rewards for each. The eighth has to do with the world's reaction to these traits. But it is important to note that these attributes or attitudes cannot be reached directly -- true happiness is a byproduct of a right relationship with God. Only he can give us true joy and peace, despite our circumstances. 

The first three beatitudes have to do with our response to the revelation of God:

v. 3   "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Happy are they who are conscious of their own sinfulness and spiritual poverty. Before God can change us or our lives, we must first surrender ourselves and our lives to him, realizing that we are totally dependent on him and giving him authority over all we do. We must acknowledge our sinfulness and our need for his grace and mercy and our need for a saving belief in Jesus Christ. This is the foundation upon which God can build.  And our reward is the kingdom of heaven. 

v. 4   "Blessed are they that morn: for they shall be comforted."

The Greek suggests a most intense sorrow. There are many things for which we might mourn so deeply. The same word for "mourn" was used in Genesis 37:34-35 when Jacob thought that his son Joseph was dead. We mourn over lost loved ones. We mourn over the conditions of the world, as Jesus mourned over Jerusalem and the sin of the world (Matthew 23:37-39). And we mourn over our own sinful destitution. Our state now, fallen so far from God.  But for all of this sorrow, God offers comfort — comfort that he has, if we have accepted Christ as our savior, cleansed us from our sins (Romans 6:23), and comfort that he has given us the hope of a better world (Isaiah 2:4).

v. 5   "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

A God-controlled life is meekness. It is a willingness to submit to work  under his authority. And in exchange, God promises us that we will have the whole world for our reward. And, in another interpretation, those who meekly submit to God's authority already have inherited the earth, for they are satisfied with their circumstances, satisfied that God is in control of their lives and their world. They have no want for anything else.  The next Beatitude shows the child of God seeking for a remedy for their helplessness:

v. 6   "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

Happy are they who long for righteousness — for the righteousness of God.  Note that the verse does not say blessed are they who attain righteousness  through their own means. Only through Jesus can our sins be turned to righteousness (Romans 3:10-13, 3: 23-26). And Jesus promised in John 4: 14 that he can fill us with life. And yet we never stop longing for that complete righteousness, for we will never experience that until God perfects us in heaven.  Because the child of God has been covered with Jesus' righteousness, he or she will, through God, produce the next three characteristics:

v. 7   "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."

Because we have received God's mercy, we can in turn be merciful to our  fellow men. We then may receive the mercy of men, but we are assured of the mercy of God.

v. 8 "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

The word "pure" here refers to a purity that is the result of washing. Our  heart, our spirit, is cleansed by Jesus' blood. King David longed for such a cleansing in Psalm 51:10. Such purity is the work of the Holy Spirit in our 
 lives.  Those who allow God to cleanse them from the stains of sin will see God — they will have a more intimate relationship with him, and that, not fear of the consequences, utimately will motivate them to remain pure. And,  of course, they will see God face to face someday in heaven.

v. 9   "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."

A peacemaker is more than one who stops quarrels; he is one who brings good into the lives of others. A peacemaker wars against evil and fights for good -- until God vanquishes all evil; that is part of the process. Peace cannot coexist with evil or sin. A peacemaker is one who shows others the peace with God that they can only have through God. Such peacemakers will be recognized as truly being children of God, for his desires are their desires.

The last of the Beatitudes deals with the world's reaction to one who possesses the seven previous traits.

v. 10  "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for  theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

We will suffer if we take a stand against the world. If we reliquish control of our live to God, he will instill his character in us. But the road from then on will not be easy. We will have to rely on God every step of the way.  He is the only one we can ultimately and eternally trust. The world will betray us and persecute us, perhaps physically, or perhaps only with words and attitudes. But righteousness should be the cause of the world's hatred of us -- our own fanaticism should not be what is provoking the world's wrath. And the reward for those who are thus persecuted?  Heaven. A promise of a future reward, though they most likely will have no reward for their  righteousness on earth. And a promise that if that persecution should lead to death, they will immediately be in the perfect kingdom of heaven.

And the next two verses instruct us how to respond to such persecution:

v. 11-12 "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."

Notice that no retaliation or resentment is mentioned. Instead, we are to  rejoice in our suffering, for it is for Christ's sake. God will uphold us, though we cannot endure by our own strength. "My grace is sufficient for thee," Jesus said in II Corinthians 12:9, "for my strength is made perfect in weakness."

So Jesus has taught us that we cannot find happiness in the world. It is only through him that we can find true joy and peace. We cannot depend on circumstances to make us happy. How many times have your dreams crumbled?  How many times have you been hurt, even by people you trusted? If our happiness is connected to our situation, then we are doomed to forever be disappointed.  But God offers us the answer in himself.

The prophet Habakkuk understood this. Though even the very laws of nature turn out to be untrue, he said, he would trust in God and find his happiness in him. "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength..." Habakkuk 3:17-19a 

Can you persist in seeking happiness elsewhere?
 

http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/declaration/declaration.html
http://www.blueletterbible.org
**Chuck Smith's study guide for the Sermon on the Mount
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tmp_dir/comm_read/974319571.html
**David Guzik study guide for Matthew chapter 5 
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tmp_dir/comm_read/974321266.html
**Matthew Henry Commentary on Matthew chapter 5 verses 3-12
http://www.blueletterbible.org/tmp_dir/comm_read/974322134.html