Joy, after all, is a central theme of the Beatitudes. The word blessed actually speaks of a deep, abiding happiness, which Christ says belongs to all who are characterized by the qualities He described in the Beatitudes. My heart is stirred every time I review this crucial passage of Scripture. The message never seems old or overly familiar. It is one of those deep wells to which we can return for refreshment again and again. In an important sense, that original series I preached on the Beatitudes