blessedness, Jesus spoke of present blessedness.

A money-changer from Carioth was among His disciples. So far he had
only been with the Prophet on Sabbaths; on week-days he sat in his
office and counted money and reckoned interest. But things did not go
well, for while he was doing his accounts his thoughts were with the
Master, and he made errors; and when he was with the Master his
thoughts were with his money, and he missed what was being said. He
must leave either one or the other, and he could not decide which. But
after listening to the Sermon on the Mount he determined to go no more
to his place of business, but to remain with Jesus, so strong was his
belief in Him. And the exchange brought as much joy into his heart as
if he had lent money to a man at two hundred per cent. For he would
have treasure in the Kingdom of the Messiah.

The only people who more or less still held aloof were the Galileans.
They had known the Prophet as a carpenter, and were uncertain what
position to take up towards Him. On the other hand, there were
Galileans who came to Jerusalem, or Joppa, and were proud to hear their
Prophet spoken of there, and they pretended to be His acquaintances and
friends, only to greet Him on their return with the same old contempt.
He used to say that no man was a prophet in his own country. At this
period Jesus often went to Nazareth, and always accompanied by an
ever-increasing number of followers. His mother could never get any
confidential talk with Him. And His native place disowned Him. His
youthful acquaintances fought shy of Him as an eccentric vagrant who
opposed the law, stirred up the people, and from whose further career
no great honour was to be expected. The Rabbi in the synagogue warned
men of Him as of a public traitor. He described with ardent zeal the
ruin in which all would be involved who were persuaded by this man
without a conscience to renounce the belief of their ancestors. "There
is only one true faith," he exclaimed, "and only one God, and that is
not the faith and God of this heretic, but the faith of Moses and the
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And that God curses the false
prophet and all his followers, so that the devil has power over him."
And he continued sorrowfully: "His relations are greatly to be pitied,
especially the unhappy mother who has borne such a son to the shame of
the family and the grief of the whole land." And then the Rabbi
alluded to