John Who?
Generally speaking I am a lectionary preacher. Where I serve now that fits this congregation. Although I do know some who would see value in something other than that. As I read the texts for Epiphany 4 which include Micah 6:1-8, Psalm 15 & Matthew 5:1-12, I decided to pull and dust off my ole Works of "Johnny" Wesley. You know who that is right? I cannot remember when a Methodist at heart said the name without adding the phrase, "the founder of Methodist." What is that saying? That is for another blog post I believe.
But I pulled the book volumes 5 & 6 off the shelf and turned to his treatment of the Beatitudes. First I looked up the definition of Beatitudes.Certainly you will find many dictionary that tell you that the meaning is the statements made by Jesus. Other definitions mention the idea of utmost blessedness or happiness. Harper's Bible Dictionary says, "Many scholars believe that Luke’s Beatitudes, with their more direct reference to socioeconomic circumstances (e.g., ‘Blessed are you poor’), are more nearly original than are Matthew’s, which appear to represent a later, ‘spiritualizing’ tendency on the part of the church (e.g., ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit’); others, however, disagree. Since the four Beatitudes of Luke reappear, with some modification, in Matthew, this interpretation concentrates on the latter."
Achtemeier, P. J., Harper & Row, P., & Society of Biblical Literature. (1985). Harper's Bible dictionary. Includes index. (1st ed.) (100). San Francisco: Harper & Row.
Wesley writes: "Our Lord, First, lays down the sum of all true religion in eight particulars, which he explains, and guards against the false glosses of men, to the end of the fifth chapter."
"Blessed are the poor in spirit...."
Wesley writes, "
Poverty of spirit then, as it implies the first step we take in running the race which is set before us, is a just sense of our inward and outward sins, and of our guilt and helplessness." In others words our first step is recognizing we cannot do this alone and without God in Christ."
"Blessed are those who mourn..." 
Wesley: "
The mourners of whom our Lord here speaks, are those that mourn on quite another account: They that mourn after God; after Him in whom they did "rejoice with joy unspeakable," when he gave them to "taste the good," the pardoning, "word, and the powers of the world to come. 
But although this mourning is at an end, is lost in holy joy, by the return of the Comforter, yet is there another, and a blessed mourning it is, which abide sin the children of God. They still mourn for the sins and miseries of mankind: They "weep with them that weep." They weep for them that weep not for themselves, for the sinners against their own souls. They mourn for the weakness and unfaithfulness of those that are, in some measure, saved from their sins." 
So as we mourn after God we also mourn for those children of God and situations beyond us. In other words we move outside of our mourning to mourn for others. We move to see Christ in others as Christ is in us. Our spirit with Christ's.
My insight as I prepare to read more of Wesley's insights is that the first four are how we are to be with God and the others how we are to be with each other. I saw something once that interpreted it this way: BE-Attitudes
I am still reading but wanted to share a couple of Wesley's insights from his sermon. Amazing what we find when we go back to the basics of our denomination and faith. I pray as you worship this week and hear these beatitudes once more you will not only be blessed but be a blessing to others. Back to Mr. Wesley's sermons and cup of coffee.....
Peace
PS here is a great site for his works, journal and sermon. AND pic to the right is a church of the Church of the Beatitudes in Israel. 
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