Yancey, Jesus, Chapter 6

In chapter 6, Yancey begins the enormous task of approaching Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, with the very difficult analysis of the Beatitudes.
Christians have always had trouble with the words of Jesus, especially these. How can we deal with a Lord who tells us that the poor, the mourners, and others like them are actually blessed? The world tells us that it is the rich and popular and famous and powerful who are blessed - and we fall for it. We want to believe it, because we want to have all that stuff, and still have God's approval.
So many have tried to soften what Jesus has said, even to the point of reversing his principles (Remember the Be Happy Attitudes?). But to his great credit, Yancey will have none of this. (Consistently through the book, Yancey has insisted on taking Jesus at his word - as if he really meant what he said, not what we hoped he would say.)
Yancey sees truth in the Beatitudes on three levels:
First, they are promises of things to come. There really is an eternal heavenly hope for us, and it will be blessed. Those who suffer and hurt now can look forward to an eternity of blessedness.
Why does God do things this way? Why not just bless all of us here and now?
Second, the Beatitudes are indications of a great reversal. Those who put their trust in the world's blessings, the rich, powerful, etc., will trade places with those who are hurting now. See the same attitude in Luke 1:52-53 and 16:25. A key to understanding this reversal is the dependence the needy have of God. Their advantage - they know they are in need; the rest of us think we're okay on our own.
How do we use our weaknesses to bring us closer to God?
Finally, Yancey sees the Beatitudes on the level of psychological reality. Stepping through each of the Beatitudes in turn, he points out how the rich really are poor, and so on. Those whom the world considers blessed are really not as happy or fulfilled as we might assume. But those who are poor, especially some who have made themselves poor for the sake of the Kingdom, are the truly happy ones.
What worldly blessings are crippling your soul? What trials are blessing you now?