Matthew 5:1–12 — The Beatitudes

King James Version · comfort

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 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.

Why families choose it

One line of this reading is addressed directly to the people in the room: ‘Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.’ No passage says more plainly that grief is not a failure of faith but a condition heaven blesses. The Beatitudes dignify everything the world counts as losing — poverty of spirit, meekness, mourning itself — and the promise made to mourners stands in the future tense, they shall be comforted, which is exactly the tense a funeral needs.

Reading it aloud

Eight sentences built the same way will pull a reader into singsong — resist it by treating each blessing as its own complete thought, with a real stop at the end of each. The line for the room is the second blessing; let a longer silence follow ‘they shall be comforted’, so it lands where it is aimed. The opening is quiet scene-setting: read it plainly, then slow down when the blessings begin.

In the programme, list it in the order of service as “Scripture Reading — Matthew 5:1–12” with the reader’s name beside it. The full text is public domain and may be printed on the life-story or back page.

Often read alongside: Philippians 4:4–9 Psalm 34:17–19 1 Peter 1:3–9

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