In preparing the expositions on the Beatitudes I enjoyed reading William Barclay's, 'The plain man looks at the Beatitudes,' and the relevant chapters in Martin Lloyd-Jones, 'Studies in the Sermon on the Mount'. I was also helped to get the meaning of the qualities Jesus was promoting by referring to the Pulpit Commentary on Matthew.

I have to say that most of what I read on the Beatitudes highlighted the worthwhileness of the virtues for their own sake. The blessedness lay in being poor in spirit, meek, pure in heart, kind and so on. The rewards that are an integral part of each Beatitude were rather neglected. I believe the rewards are very much part of the blessedness and should be dealt with in the same detail as the nature of the virtues themselves. I have tried to do this. It hasn't been easy and I just hope that I have understood what Jesus meant by his more enigmatic promises.