8th Day of Christmas - Beatitudes

 On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me eight maids a-milking.

The eight maids a-milking can represent the eight beatitudes told by Jesus in the Sermon On the Mount in Matthew 5:3-11. The word “beatitudes” comes from the Latin beatitudo which means blessedness.  

“How blessed are those who are destitute in spirit,
    because the kingdom from heaven belongs to them!
 “How blessed are those who mourn,
    because it is they who will be comforted!
“How blessed are those who are humble,
    because it is they who will inherit the earth!
“How blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness,
    because it is they who will be satisfied!
“How blessed are those who are merciful,
    because it is they who will receive mercy!
“How blessed are those who are pure in heart,
    because it is they who will see God!
“How blessed are those who make peace,
    because it is they who will be called God’s children!
“How blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
    because the kingdom from heaven belongs to them!

Jesus taught these to the people who were following him, looking for guidance. It seems that he wanted to reassure them that these characteristics were not weaknesses, but strengths and blessings. He went on to say that the people who followed him stood out in the world as different, describing them as salt and light. 

The beatitudes, the blessings, are for those who go against culture, those who are the outcasts, those who are misfits and not popular. Jesus reached out to the unlikable, the unlovable, the undesirables, and reassured them that their brokenness was actually a blessing, because he came to seek and save the lost.