DAY #66: Matthew 5:1-10

Background:

The passage of Matthew Chapters 5-7 is one of the most loved sections of the Gospel. It forms the beginning of what has come to be known as the “Sermon on the Mount.”

Let’s first fill in what transpired prior to this passage: Jesus preached a message of repentance because the kingdom of heaven was near (Matt. 4:12-17) and the calling of the first disciples, Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John (4:21-22). As Jesus’ ministry spread throughout the region (4:23-25), throngs of people came to Him from as far away as Jerusalem. When Jesus saw the crowds coming, He went up on a mountainside, the hills in the region of Capernaum. He sat down -- the well-known posture of the teacher -- and began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

The Sermon of the Mount begins with the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes have been called the “beautiful attitudes” – character qualities of the true disciples of God. The word beatitude literally means "happiness" or "blessedness.” In the Beatitudes, Jesus offers us the answer to our search of meaning and happiness that God has placed in our hearts. In each of the eight Beatitudes, Jesus uses the word blessed to signify “happiness, joy, contentment and satisfaction.”

1. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (5:3)

This is the message of the Kingdom: The call to repentance. Jesus makes it clear that happiness is not found in money or material possessions. To be “poor in spirit” is to:

• Realize our spiritual poverty and to confess our sin with deep contrition;
• Receive the riches that Christ has provides through the power of His resurrection;
• Acknowledge our inadequacy and our dependence on God to supply our needs;
• Deny ourselves in order to better serve Him.

2. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” (5:4)

Everyone experiences mourning for sadness and “losses” in this life, but the mourning that leads to comfort in God’s Kingdom that Jesus mentions here encompasses much more. There are different kinds of mourning:

• Feeling deep sorrow over our sin and our inadequacy;
• Grieving over our pains and suffering of life;
• Concern deeply over the wrongs and injustice of the world;
• Weeping over the dire needs of others.

Jesus teaches us to focus on the cause for the mourning, not the mourning itself. In our mourning, we, the disciples of Jesus, know that our grieving is not without hope. We know that our life on earth is temporal and our hope lies in heaven.

3. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” (5:5)

The dictionary says that the word meek means “mild, submissive and compliant.” The Bible tells us that meekness does not mean “weak or ineffective.” Instead, it means gentleness, yieldedness, forbearance, patience and self-control. These qualities are all parts of the fruit of the Spirit – a gift of God. To cultivate a spirit of meekness is to walk and be controlled by the Spirit so that the qualities of Christ can be produced in and through us.

4. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (5:6)

Hunger and thirst constantly cry out for fulfillment; it is the most basic human need. Jesus gives us this image to portray the constant and strong desire to do the will of God -- the true meaning of righteousness -- the desire to be pleasing to God and to live up to what God wants for us.

How does this desire become so intense? As we mature spiritually by walking daily with Jesus, we will begin to long for righteousness.

5. “Blessed are the Merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (5:7)

One thing that is common to the poor in spirit, the meek, and those who hunger for righteousness is that they understand mercy. They know their own inadequacies, dependence, weaknesses and incompleteness. When they receive grace and mercy from God, they in turn know to show mercy to others, that includes forbearance, forgiveness and compassion for the suffering and the needy.

We Christians sometimes think that we deserve the grace that God has bestowed but then become intolerant of others, even judgmental. Jesus reminds us of our own spiritual poverty and never to forget God’s mercy and compassion we ourselves have received.

6. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (5:8)

To be pure in heart means that our thoughts and desires, our intentions and decisions are to be untarnished by sin. From the pure of heart come love and mercy, desires for righteousness and justice, decisions that please God. And the promise for us is that we will see God. This promise is not only for the future, but is here and now – we will see God, by faith, in all the events and circumstances of our life.

How does one gain a pure heart? It begins with our repentance and receives a “new life” through the power of Christ’s salvation, and it continues through the spiritual growth as we follow Christ and to live by the word of God.

7. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God.” (5:9)

In the human race, there is strife and conflict with little hope for peace and unity. But God is the God of peace; the peace that God brings calls for a complete change of the human heart. It begins with reconciliation with God and extends to the reconciliation with other people. God’s 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. This is the goal of the mission of our Lord Jesus.

8. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (5:10)

In this fallen world when we try to promote peace, or champion righteousness, or live a life of gentleness and meekness, we will face opposition. This Beatitude is for those of us , followers of Christ, who incur persecution for the sake of righteousness, and suffering for Christ’s sake. Jesus tells us to rejoice, for our reward in heaven will be great.

SO WHAT? (What will I do with what I have read today?)

Many of us think of happiness as something that is discovered by our constant and relentless searching. But Jesus tells us that happiness is not found by seeking. It is not an end in itself. The Beatitudes which Jesus offers us are in complete contradiction to the world's understanding of happiness and joy. How can one possibly find happiness in poverty, hunger, mourning, and persecution?

• Poverty of spirit finds joy and contentment in receiving God as our Savior;
• Hunger of the spirit seeks nourishment and strength in God's Word and His Spirit;
• Sorrow and mourning over sin and unproductive life leads to joyful freedom from the burden of guilt and spiritual oppression;
• God reveals to the humble of heart the true source of abundant life and happiness. Jesus promises us, His disciples, that the joys of heaven will more than compensate for the troubles and hardships we can expect in this fallen world.

Jesus once told His disciples: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt. 6:33 ESV)

Pauline Lo Alker