Intro
When I say “The Beatitudes”, I think you all know what I’m talking about. They are the opening statements of Jesus’ most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. They have been immortalized in so many different ways that I couldn’t count them if I tried. The number of sermons preached about them and in so many different ways is only known by God. Even in our culture that wants nothing to do with God, a few of these can still be found in some form. And yet, despite all this, many people don’t fully understand what Jesus was telling the people of His day – much less what He’s telling us today. And as my pattern has been for all my posts, I aim to bridge the gap between knowing about Biblical truths and understanding Biblical truths.
Just to give you a heads up, this post is the opening to a series of posts on the Sermon on the Mount. Stay tuned! There’s going to be quite a few, so subscribe if you haven’t so you don’t miss a single one (it’s free!).
The Beatitudes
First of all, some review. What exactly are the Beatitudes? They were a series of blessings that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 5 – the opening to His Sermon on the Mount I referenced. Jesus gives these as a roadmap to living a God-pleasing life. They are also promises of values that lead to prosperity and salvation. By following the principles laid out in the Beatitudes, Christians can live a life pleasing to God and positively impact the world around them.
However, it is worth noting that many of these would have shocked Jesus’ listeners as they go against what they had been taught in Synagogue. One person I read describes them as “laser-guided bombs” and “grenades”. Which is pretty heavy stuff. As I go through, I’ll point out any I can find that differ from what the culture expected.
Oh, by the way, I’ll be posting snippets of the passages as I go, but if you want to follow along with the entire thing, here’s a link to the whole passage: Matthew 5:1-12. All of these will be in the NIV.
The Poor in Spirit
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (V3)
I mentioned that when Jesus spoke these, they were not what His listeners expected. Here’s a great example of one. The Jews believed that because they were descendants of Abraham, they had the Kingdom of God. But Jesus didn’t say that. He also didn’t say Jews or Pharisees, or even good, moral people. He said the poor in spirit, that’s who inherits the Kingdom of God.
And just what does it mean to be “poor in spirit”? It means humility. Specifically people who admit their fragile nature and choose to lean on God and let Him change their lives. It’s those who recognize that they have a spiritual need that the law – or their own good deeds – cannot fulfill and cannot save. When you humble yourself before God and admit your need for Him, you will see His Kingdom manifest in and through your life.
The Mourning
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (V4)
The mourning described here isn’t necessarily a grieving over someone (or something) you’ve lost. The type of mourning Jesus describes here is a mourning over sin. God promises His people in the Old Testament that anyone who mourns over the sins of Israel will be comforted. I think Jesus echoes that here, but for those of us Gentiles (and in light of the new covenant), Jesus is also calling out those who mourn over their own sinful state.
But it can also be applied to those who mourn for other people in our lives. That kind of mourning leads to us reaching out to others to provide encouragement. Or even to bring witness to them about the love of God.
I don’t think this one shocked the listeners so much – just because of the Old Testament parallels.
The Meek
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. (V5)
All too often people associate meekness with weakness. But that’s just not the case. I actually covered this definition in my post on the Fruit of the Spirit. Here’s what I had to say about meekness there.
When applied to wild animals, the Greek word actually means “tame”. In other words, the wild animal has not lost any strength. But it knows how to control it and when to use that strength….And we must be like that. Humble, knowing our strength, but not lording it over people.
Those who choose to be meek and submit to God’s will can expect peace and tranquility in the next life when the earth is remade.
I could see some people being shocked by this one. After all, the religious leaders tended to lord their authority over the common people. And that’s nothing compared to how the Romans lorded their authority and strength over the conquered people. Furthermore, the people at this time were looking for a conquering Messiah to rescue them from oppression. So the idea of being meek and inheriting the earth likely sounded foreign to many of those listening.
The Hungry
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (V6)
In our next of the Beatitudes, we have the people who hunger and thirst after righteousness. These people long for virtue in their lives. They recognize that they have no righteousness of their own and need to rely on God’s righteousness. People who hunger after this rely on God’s righteousness for salvation, for transformation, etc.
Pharisees and other religious leaders likely felt stung by this one. Jesus tells them here that their self-proclaimed-righteousness does not make them blessed.
The Merciful
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (V7)
Luke writes that we must “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). Jesus tells us by showing mercy to others, we ourselves will be shown mercy. Mercy from others and mercy from God Himself. How do you show mercy? By caring and acting for the good of others, especially when they don’t deserve it nor can repay it. After all, God in His mercy sent His Son to die for our sins. How can we repay such an act? And if we are to be merciful as He is, then we should perform acts of service towards others when they can’t repay us.
Taking it a step deeper, this includes forgiving others even when they aren’t sorry for whatever they did to you. And I think this is one of the things that would have made it difficult for those listening to Jesus to accept this statement. After all, the Law of Moses allowed for retribution in different ways – depending on the offense. This will actually come up in a later post, Jesus addresses this more directly later on in the Sermon on the Mount.
The Pure in Heart
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (V8)
The pure in heart. First thing to say about this is that it does not mean free of all wrong thinking or sin. Which is good, because otherwise this blessing would be next to impossible to receive. Rather to be pure of heart means you are free of selfish purposes and self-seeking motivations. It means your heart is undivided, you’re going after one thing and one thing alone. And when you are free of selfish ambitions and are in genuine pursuit of God, you will find Him. And He will cleanse your heart and will fashion His righteousness and character in you.
It’s pretty easy to have a divided heart. Just look at all the stuff around us to distract us. All in pursuit of “The American Dream”, whatever that is. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day certainly had divided hearts. They loved attention, wealth, power, etc. And they desired to be perfect in the Law and obtain salvation to be with God forever. I imagine there might have been some who felt like Jesus targeted them with this one. Some might have even felt a tug of conviction on their hearts.
The Peacemakers
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (V9)
I like this one a lot. Mostly because I feel like I am one of these peacemakers. As a kid/teenager, I mediated arguments and debates between my sister and her friend. It seemed all my sisters would come to me to vent any frustrations they had with any of the other sisters. And that continued for a long time. And I’ve taken different types of personality tests, and if any of the defined ones included something about striving for peace and harmony or had the label “Peacemaker”, I always got it at the top. Never failed. I always seek to live a peaceful life. Peace between me and everyone around me. And I want others to live in that as well, so I’ll do what I can to help others achieve that. And this is what Jesus is talking about here.
However, in order to do this we need to cultivate peace within ourselves. We can’t give to others what we do not possess. And this has been an up and down in my life. I don’t always have the peace I need and desire in my life. But I continue to strive for it and pray for more of God’s peace in my life.
The other thing that falls in this one is sharing the truth of God’s peace and love with other people so they can achieve peace in their own lives. And peace does not mean perfect lives with no conflicts, but it does come with it a sense of “Everything will be okay” as God spoke to me.
Jesus’ use of the phrase “children of God” likely caused a stir. After all, as children of Abraham they’re also children of God. Right? Not according to Jesus.
And now we turn to the last of the Beatitudes.
The Persecuted
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (V10-12)
The last of the Beatitudes is one of the hardest to swallow. After all no one wants to be persecuted, right? No one wants people jeering them or hating them simply because of their beliefs. But Jesus promised that we would face persecution in this world. He never said it would be easy, in fact He said the opposite multiple times (John 15:20-21; John 16:33). Of all the Beatitudes, this one probably makes the least sense in terms of being blessed. But rest assured that in the end, we will receive great reward for enduring such persecutions. And in the short term, the Spirit of God remains with us and draws us closer to Him in those moments of trial. That’s a blessing in and of itself. Praise God!
And for the Jews, persecution was normal from the Romans. So this one for sure would have stung. As I said, it makes no sense that there could be blessing in persecution. And then His statement that it would be on His account. Not because of being Jewish, but because of being followers of Jesus. That’s radical, unless of course you intend to revolt against the social norms. Which is precisely what Jesus did. And what He expects us to do. Don’t follow society, follow Jesus. Expect ridicule and other forms of persecution, but hold steady. You are and will be blessed.
And that’s the Beatitudes in a nutshell. Peace be upon you all and stay tuned for my next post on the Sermon on the Mount.
Wrapping Up
By taking to heart all that Jesus said here in these Beatitudes, we can find peace, comfort, and a practical guide on what Jesus looks for in His followers. I hope that you all will seek after God and submit to Him that way you can see all these things manifest in your own life. God bless!
Outro
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