The teachings of Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount about actions and attitudes that should characterize Christians and lead to genuine meaning and happiness are known as what?

• A. Original Justice
• B. Indulgence
• C. Beatitudes
• D. Heaven

Answer: (C)

Beatitudes are the teachings from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount that describe the attitudes and dispositions that should shape a Christian life and bring true happiness. They present a countercultural form of blessedness: being poor in spirit, mourning, being meek, hungry and thirsty for righteousness, showing mercy, purity of heart, making peace, and enduring persecution for righteousness. These sayings reveal the inner posture that God desires and show how that inner life translates into actions in the world. Because they root happiness in relationship with God and align believers with God’s Kingdom, they explain why these attitudes lead to genuine meaning. Other options don’t fit because they refer to different concepts: Original Justice is about humanity’s pre-Fall state; Indulgence concerns remission of punishment for sin; Heaven is the final destination, not the specific teachings about the character of a disciple.