The Beatitudes...My Little Study....

Matthew 5 - The Sermon on the Mount - The Beatitudes- the Ethical Guidelines for living in His Kingdom

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, 

²and He began to teach them, saying:

³Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

⁵Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness,

for they will be filled.

⁷Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.

⁸Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

⁹Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.

¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 

¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

I want to gather all my thoughts and findings of certain topics into one place. What better place than my online blog that will live on forever?

Isaiah 61:1 – 3 – a prediction from the Old Testament? Sounds like it could be to me!

Matthew 6:33-34 – “But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Psalm 33: 4-5 “For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.”

Psalm 112: 4-5 “They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful and righteous. It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice.”

We have to study this passage in the correct historical context, that of first century Jewish culture. We need to study the context of the words used in the passage to fully understand it’s cryptic meaning.

Blessed – often people devalue this word into meaning simply “happy”. But it is much more than happiness. It is finding the inner joy and peace that comes with being right with God. It is a happiness that transcends what happens in the world around us, a happiness that comes to the soul from being favored by God. So in this passage, it is a “pledge of divine reward for the inner spiritual character of the righteous”  The opposite of Jesus’ “blessed” in Matthew 5 would be the “woes” pronounced in Matthew 23 against the scribes and pharisees. The woes describe their character as well, but it is an evil and hypocritical character; and the woes are a divine pledge of judgment if those lives continue in their wickedness.

One interesting Old Testament connection that would make a good related study is the section in Proverbs 6:16-19, which lists the things that the Lord hates.

1.      A proud look/pride/haughtiness/arrogance

2.      A lying tongue/liars/untruthfulness

3.      Hands that shed innocent blood/murdering

4.      A heart that devises wicked plans/scheming/conniving

5.      Feet that are swift in running to evil/eagerness to do evil

6.      A false witness who speaks lies

7.      One who sows discord among brethren/pot stirring

³Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (not just financially/physically poor, but the spiritual version of poor. The oppressed, afflicted, powerless, those without hope.)People who are “poor in spirit” are those who are humble before God. – People who realize they cannot get into heaven on their own accord. They have humbled themselves and repented their many sins. Helpless and Hopeless sinners, as we all are. They are not arrogant or self-righteous or self-sufficient. You must be “spiritually poor” to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. BECOME DEPENDENT ON GOD

⁴Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (the brokenhearted) Those who are brokenhearted will find comfort. Isaiah, in the Old Testament proclaimed that the Messiah would bring comfort to the brokenhearted, that their “mourning would be replaced with the oil of gladness (61:1-3)”. Mourning can be for the loss of anything from the death of a loved one, loss of a valued life, loss of possessions, status or health, people mourn over a lot. When people mourn they seek HOPE. The mourning that this passage focuses on is over the humiliation of Israel and it’s cause, we mourn because Jesus gave his life to save us from our sins.  “So for mourning to be “in the faith,” it will be likewise be a mourning not just for the suffering and sadness of life, but for the sinfulness that causes it. They understand that their grieving is ultimately for a world that is lost and ruined, in which God and his will do not prevail.” “So the promise is that they will be comforted. They will be consoled above all when God wipes away all tears, and death will be no more, nor grief nor tribulation (Isa. 25:8; Rev. 21:4). This is what citizens of his kingdom can expect.”  (Bible Study)

⁵Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.(spirit of gentleness and self-control, free from malice and condescending spirit)The meek do not exploit or oppress others, they are not vengeful or violent, they do not seek self-serving power. They strive to live life as Jesus did. “This does not mean that they are weak or ineffective in life. They may be gentle and humble, but they can and do champion the needs of the weak and the oppressed.” “Those promises seem now to be realized with the second coming of the Messiah when there will be a new heaven and a new earth.” “The new creation will not be possessed by the powerful despots, the ruthless tyrants, or the manipulative schemers. It will be possessed by the meek.”

This beatitude is very much like the promise in Psalm 37:11, “But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”

“Meekness and gentleness and goodness are part of the fruit of the Spirit--they are produced in the Christian by the Holy Spirit. So the direction people should follow to cultivate a spirit of meekness would be to walk by the Spirit, or be controlled by the Spirit of God so that the qualities of Christ can be produced in and through them.” (Bible Study)

⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled.(drive for righteousness/our basic/constant needs)Desire to be pleasing to God, to do what God wants, live up to His will. Part of this comes from the development of our spiritual life with God as the center.

Psalm 42:3- “My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, Where is your God?”

Psalm 63:1- “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water.”

“This beatitude is saying much more than most people think. It is not simply describing those who are righteous, or who try to do good things. It is describing their passion in life--they hunger and thirst for it. Like the poor and the meek these people put their lives into the hand of God and hope for his help.” “But the promise of the King is that the desire for righteousness will be filled. Theologically this happens in several stages. The basic desire to be right with God is met by the gracious gift of righteousness. This we call justification, being declared righteous in the courts of heaven. Then, as a disciple of the Savior, the desire to do righteous works will find fulfillment by the power of the Spirit. This we call practical sanctification, becoming more and more like Christ. And in the future, when the Lord returns and establishes universal righteousness, we shall be changed. This we call glorification, being transformed into the glorious state.” “So it begins with commitment to God’s will. Then, as the spiritual walk is guided by the Holy Spirit, He leads the believer into righteousness. And the closer one lives to the Lord, the more sensitive he or she becomes to the unrighteousness and injustice in the world. The truly spiritual person then will begin to long for righteousness.” (Bible Study)

⁷Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy. (Showing mercy to others includes both the forgiveness of the sinner and compassion for the suffering and the needy) They place showing mercy above their own rights. Show kindness to others. Heal wounds. Make no hostile stand against people in need. According to this beatitude – because of this selfless “mercy”, they shall obtain mercy themselves.

“One thing that is common to the poor in spirit, the meek, and those who hunger for righteousness is that their life is not self sufficient but looks outward for help. They understand mercy for they know their own inadequacies, dependence, weaknesses and incompleteness. And, when they receive gracious and merciful bounty from the King, they in turn know to show mercy to others.” (Bible Study) This looks into the future, to the day of judgment, when by his mercy they will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven! “not because they did enough good deeds, but because they understood how important mercy is in their own spiritual pilgrimage and having entered into that state of grace were eager to share it with others. They learned to forgive others because they were constantly being forgiven; they learned to show mercy to others because they were being shown mercy every day.” (Bible Study) Part of how we do this is by constantly remembering God’s mercy in our own lives. We must never forget to confess our sins and ask for forgiveness. It is ALL because of HIM.

⁸Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.(inner purity and singleness of mind) “The “heart” is used in the Bible for the will, the choices. And so to be pure in heart means that the decisions one makes, the desires one has, the thoughts and intentions of the will, are untarnished by sin, and that the will is determined to be pleasing to God. From the pure of heart come only good things, acts of love and mercy, desires for righteousness and justice, decisions that please God.”   “The description of the human “heart” outside the household of faith is very different--at its worst it is constantly acting selfishly and causing pain (Gen. 6:5). Jesus said it was what came from the heart that defiled people, evil thoughts, impure desires, blasphemies and the like (Matt. 15:18,19). Nothing short of a change of heart will bring about a pure heart. Jesus does not explain that here; but his language of being born again will necessarily begin the process. The transformation from a heart of flesh to a pure heart will come by following Christ, but it will not be an easy or a swift change. But those who enter this kingdom of righteousness must have this new heart.”  (Bible Study)  This process begins with conversion when God gives you a “new heart” and it continues throughout your spiritual growth as you follow Christ through your life. We must walk in the light, meaning learning to live by the word of God. “Walking in the light, meaning learning to live by the word of God, will change the way we think so that our hearts will grow more and more pure. But as the light of the word reveals impurities, we must deal with them and change.”

Genesis 6:5- “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Matthew 15: 18-19- “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.”

This beatitude, for the Blessed, promises that they will SEE GOD. The Bible says that NO one has seen God! “(Exod. 33:18-23; 1 Tim. 6:16). People have seen appearances of the Lord in various forms, like Moses on Mount Sinai seeing the hem of the garment(Exod. 33), or the Israelite leaders eating with the Lord and seeing the God of Israel in the form of the revealed presence (Exod. 24), or an Isaiah (Isa. 6) or John (Rev. 1). .” “Here on earth the vision of God is denied to us; but one day when heaven will be opened he will be visible to our transfigured eyes. As Job said, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes--I and not another. Howe my heart yearns within me” (Job 19:25-27).” (Bible Study)

⁹Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God. (begins with reconciliation with God and extends to reconciliation with other people) People must first understand what true peace IS. It is all about peace that embraces God’s idea of peace, living in harmony. These “peacemakers” are the ones who promote the kingdom of God.

“God is the God of peace; His whole plan of redemption is to provide peace with God for those who were formerly alienated from God, and ultimately bring peace to the whole world (Isa. 9:6,7). This is the goal of the work of the Messiah. But in the human race, however, there is strife and conflict with little hope for peace and unity. The peace that God brings is not a cessation of hostilities, tolerance, or the readiness to give way. True peace that the world needs calls for a complete change of nature. And only God can give this kind of peace. It is a peace that the world does not understand (John 14:27).” “Their lives are given to working for promoting the kingdom of God, reconciling adversaries, quenching hatred, uniting those who are divided, promoting true understanding and spiritual love. And they do this because they know what true peace is. So the quality described here is one that is spiritual and not simply a political seeking of peace. And the promise is that they shall be called the sons of God. That means they will be true children of God. This adds to what life will be like in the kingdom--possession of land, stilling of hunger, vision of God, and now sonship. And all these begin when people enter the kingdom by faith, but will be fulfilled completely when the kingdom finally comes.”  “We are called the children of God” (see John 1:12,13 and 1 John 3:1).” People spread PEACE by spreading the Gospel to the world. Promoting Reconciliation. Work of the Messiah.

¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (If you want to live for God, you must be ready to say and do what seems strange to the World) You must be willing to give when others take, to love when others hate, to help when others abuse.

“In this fallen world when people try to promote peace, or champion righteousness, or live a life of gentleness and meekness, they find opposition. One would think that such a life would attract people to the kingdom of God. But the fact that it does not naturally do that tells us clearly that the race is not only alienated from God, but in rebellion to God. They might want a form of justice, but in their own terms. They much prefer power, and privilege, and possessions. And so John the Baptist called for righteousness and went to an early death. And Jesus proclaimed all the right virtues but found opposition to his message because it called for them to enter his kingdom. And if they persecuted these, will they not also oppose the disciples?”  “The beatitude is not simply for all who have suffered persecution. God, as the righteous judge of the earth, will deal with that as well. But this beatitude is for followers of Christ, those who suffer persecution for the sake of righteousness. And as the next verse clarifies to the disciples, that means suffering for Christ’s sake. They have been identified by faith with the King, they carry his name, and they proclaim the good news that there is a kingdom of righteousness and peace that is spiritual and eternal. But they will find opposition. Nevertheless, they should rejoice, for their reward in heaven will be great. God will make it up to them, and more. But the blessing stated here for those who suffer such persecution in this world is that their destiny will be a complete contrast to their present humiliation--theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And that, the disciples know, is something worth dying for. But it is not a future reality only--they have it now (and so this blessing parallels the first). People should simply be living for Christ in THIS world, living as we would in the Kingdom of God. Just like all these beatitudes have praised. But they should know that genuine righteousness is offensive to many, and so they will be prepared for opposition. (Bible Study)

¹¹Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.