The Beatitudes describe the ideal disciple and his rewards, both present
and future. The person whom Jesus describes in this passage has a
different quality of character and lifestyle than those still "outside
the kingdom." As a literary form, the beatitude is also found often in
the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms (1:1; 34:8; 65:4; 128:1) and
in the New Testament as well (John 20:29; 14:22; James 1:12; Revelation 14:13). Gotquestions.org/beatitudes.html
Jesus was interested in human happiness, which is why he began his well-known Sermon on the Mount with nine beatitudes—nine expressions that begin: “Happy are . . .” (Matthew 5:1-12) One of the beatitudes is: “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need.” (Matthew 5:3) Why did Jesus say this? Because, unlike animals, we have spiritual needs. Created in God’s image, we can to a degree cultivate divine attributes, such as love, justice, mercy, and wisdom. (Genesis 1:27; Micah 6:8; 1 John 4:8) Our spiritual needs include the need to have meaning in our life.
I have a friend that's a priest. He says the "beatitudes are the attitudes to be at." They are the attitudes Jesus Christ wants His followers to have, to work on, to cultivate.
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