In Matt. 5 Jesus opens His Sermon on the Mount with 9 bestowal of blessings known as the Beatitudes. The invocation of blessedness was and remains common in our communities of faith. They denote Divine approval, favor and protection, and a radical reorienting of one’s identity. But the offering of blessings usually occurs right before a send off, after the delivery of instruction, or at the conclusion of a conversation. In this way Jesus begins with a benediction. And while u