I think of blessings in a new way after reading an essay by Claudia Hinz about being a messenger for the blessing a person needs. It is all about trying to fulfill a homework assignment given by her rabbi. One evening on the Jewish Sabbath he tells the congregation to turn to the person next to them and practice.

     She writes, “Our blessings are stiff and rehearsed.

‘Keep practicing,” our rabbi says, “You don’t get good overnight.’”¹

     Praying over someone is familiar to me, articulating a blessing not so much.

     I think of blessings I have read in the Bible.

     When Rebekah left with Abraham’s servant to become Isaac’s wife, her family blessed her with these words upon her departure:

     “Our sister, may you become

     The mother of thousands of ten thousands;

     And may your descendants possess

     the gates of those who hate them.” Genesis 24:60

     They were parting words. Isaac gave parting words as well near the end of his life when he blessed his son Jacob.

     To Jacob, he said: “May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine. Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!” Genesis 27: 28-29

     Both are a statement of goodwill. They seek God’s favor. I can see how a spoken blessing would be stilted if we pattern it in the language of those living centuries before we were born. More appropriately, we may ask God to protect the crops of a farmer we know and bless him with a good harvest, which would be similar to the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain. Perhaps today, those in Christ are more likely to pray what might be considered an Old Testament blessing.

     Instead of stating “I want to bless you,” as Hinz was instructed to do by her rabbi, Christians are more likely to say, “May I pray for you?” and deliver what might be defined as a blessing within the prayer.

     However, we are instructed to speak a blessing in a couple sections of Scripture I can recall from memory.

     “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. Luke 6:27-28 ESV

     Also, in Romans 12:14—“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.” ESV

     The Greek word for bless in these verses is eulogeo, which is speaking good words. Our custom of giving a eulogy at a memorial service, speaking well about someone who has died, comes from this Greek word. I am reminded of Ephesians 4:29 where the apostle Paul exhorts us to speak “only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

     When people criticize us or say things that are unflattering, our natural inclination is to defend ourselves or berate the person who is verbally attacking us. But we are to intensely, intelligently will the best for others, which is agape love. Others may not speak in our best interest but we can do our best to consider what is best for them before words pass from our lips.

     In the Old and New Testaments to be blessed is to be granted special favor by God which results in joy and prosperity. However, in the New Testament the emphasis is on spiritual blessings rather than material.²

     Often, I think of blessing people in the material sense. This might be running an errand for someone who is homebound or buying groceries for a family struggling financially.

     But I may try giving a verbal blessing. In her essay, Hinz meets a man named Angel at the café counter of a grocery store when she stops for a coffee drink after buying groceries. It gives her opportunity to practice the homework assignment given by her rabbi. She says, “May you be an angel to everyone around you.” He answers, “I try.” Then she adds, “May you find yourself surrounded by angels.” And he responds, “Thank you.”

Let’s Talk:

1-If you have ever given a verbal blessing, please share what you said in the comments. How was it received?

References:

1-“Angel Practice” by Claudia Hinz, published in the Christian Science Monitor newspaper November 2020.

2-Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology accessed through biblestudytools.com.