The Beatitudes
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And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
Read through the Gospels and you’ll see this often.
Read through the Gospels and you’ll see this often.
Jesus sees a group of people and takes the opportunity to teach them.
45 times in Matthew alone those who were following Jesus are referred to as a multitude.
A crowd
When seeing the multitudes, we find Jesus teaching them, healing the sick and casting out demons.
Notice here that His disciples came to Him.
This is not just the 12 who would become the Apostles, but all those who were His disciples.
Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 3101 μαθητής
[mathetes /math·ay·tes/]
A learner or pupil
We often refer to ourselves as Christians
Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 5546 Χριστιανός
Christianos /khris·tee·an·os/
Christianos /khris·tee·an·os/
Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
A follower of Christ
Have you ever asked yourself, are you a pupil of Christ, or merely a follower?
Do you study and learn from Jesus or merely follow Him around?
Here, in chapter 5, Jesus goes up on a mountain, sits down and teaches His disciples.
Chapters 5-7 are commonly referred to as “The Sermon on the Mount” for this very reason.
While this is one sermon, we break it up into sections as we learn, and hopefully follow our Lord’s instructions.
The Beatitudes
The Beatitudes
And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
I often thought of the beatitudes as the be-attitudes.
I often thought of the beatitudes as the be-attitudes.
Literally, “a state of utmost bliss”.
I often thought of the beatitudes as the be-attitudes.
The way we should be.
The attitudes we should have.
The term “beatitudes” does not appear in Scripture
It’s from the Latin beatitudo which means blessedness.
Because they start “Blessed are...”
Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 3107 μακάριος
makarios /mak·ar·ee·os/
Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 3107 μακάριος
[makarios /mak·ar·ee·os/]
Literally means blessed or happy.
They are a list of attitudes and actions that Jesus says God will bless.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Often misquoted as “Blessed are the poor”, it is the poor in spirit who are blessed.
Beyond the idea of financial poverty, poor can also mean a lack of influence, position or honor.
Spirit, literally a movement of air, refers to that non-corporeal part of you.
Who you really are.
The Greek actually says “poor in the spirit”.
As Strong’s puts it:
Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 4434 πτωχός
3A as respects their spirit. 3A1 destitute of wealth of learning and intellectual culture which the schools afford
Why would the lack of learning or education be blessed?
Literally, because theirs will be the kingdom of God.
It has been my experience that the more someone is educated, usually the dumber they become.
It’s like formal education elevates the knowledge of man over the knowledge of God.
Maybe that is why Jesus didn’t appear before the educated class?
Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.
Maybe that is why the Pharisees could not understand Jesus’ gospel?
Or why Jesus said little children are the kingdom of God.
But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.
But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”
It is neither ignorance nor poverty that Jesus blesses, but the simplicity of understanding uncluttered by man’s spin on things.
It is neither ignorance nor poverty the Jesus blesses, but the simplicity of understanding uncluttered by man’s spin on things.
Remember that the next time you think you don’t have the education to do something for God.
All you need is the simple faith of a child and the willingness to follow your Lord.
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
One of the most difficult things we have to deal with in this life is those who are mourning.
We see their grief and desperately want to help.
This often leads to simple, saccharin platitudes that more often than not cause more pain then they relieve.
Instead of trying to help those who mourn “get through it”, maybe we should just comfort them in their pain?
Like Job’s three friends, before they opened their mouths.
Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 4239 πραΰς
mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit
Meekness is not weakness.
Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon 4239 πραΰς
mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit
Gen
A gentle spirit is accepting of how God deals with us.
Not disputing or resisting God.
Inherit the earth, which is where we live.
Think of Abraham.
He asked of God, but did not dispute with God.
He was obedient to His instructions, even when they didn’t make sense.
He went where God told him to go.
He did what God told him to do.
He was blessed, not only with wealth but family.
More importantly, he was blessed with a relationship with God most of us will never have.
Quite an inheritance.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
Does this mean we should all be hungry and thirsty?
Sort of...
Hunger & Thirst are desires.
We all know that gnawing in the pit of our stomachs when we are hungry,
Or the parched throat calling for relief.
Righteousness is a type of character.
A lifestyle conformed to justice and morality.
We are to desire to build a righteous character.
To hunger and thirst for it.
If that is the desire of our heart, we shall be filled.
In the Greek, satisfied.
Living a righteous life is not a deprived life, but a satisfied one.
Satisfied with what God has provided.
Comfortable in spirit, even if not in body.
but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
We are blessed when we are merciful.
Merciful, one who shows leniency, compassion and forgiveness.
Especially towards someone who has offended them.
For they obtain mercy.
Remember the Lord’s Prayer.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
Or the parable of the wicked servant.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’
We obtain mercy when we show it to others.
We obtain mercy if we show it to others.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
Pure means guiltless.
The heart is the center of your being.
So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 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. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
We worry so much about our bodies, what we do, yet how much time to we take considering what comes out of our hearts?
We act like we are bodies that have a spirit.
But we are spirits that have a body!
Jesus says, if our hearts are pure, if evil does not proceed from them, then we shall see God!
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
A peacemaker is literally a mediator,
Someone who intercedes between parties to help find a resolution.
When we see conflict, is our first reaction to try to mediate between the parties or to pick sides?
Think about the last story you heard about a church or church leader.
Think about the last political story you heard.
When we see those who believe different from us, do we mediate or do we fight?
Mediating does not mean compromising what God has said,
But the act of helping other reconcile with themselves and the truth.
Not just called to be the sons, but become them.
Legally regarded as children.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
To be persecuted is to be the subject of systematic harassment and attack.
Righteousness sake is for justice and morality.
It is not easy to stand up for what is right,
Especially when you know there will be unpleasant consequences.
The kingdom of heaven is the domain where God dwells.
Imagine living where God dwells.
Doesn’t that sound like a pleasant consequence?
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Revile is harsh fault finding
Not simply pointing out your faults, but doing so harshly
As I’ve said, persecute is systematic harassment
Sure, there are those who don’t want to see our faith in public, but is that really harassment?
What about places where being a Christian is punishable by death?
To say evil is to say bad things about you.
Have you ever had someone lie about you?
To do so falsely is slander.
It’s one thing to have someone point out your faults,
It’s quite another for them to lie about you.
This doesn’t sound very nice, does it.
Lied about, harassed, treated harshly.
But what does Jesus tell us to do?
Rejoice, Exult, Feel EXCEEDINGLY glad.
Do you think Daniel was exceedingly glad when he was dropped into the lion’s den?
Or his three friends when they were dropped into the furnace?
How about Paul when he was falsely accused of starting riots?
It’s hard to rejoice when people treat you badly,
But that is what we’re told to do?
Is it because we’ll get a reward?
Reward, literally recompense or wage.
Not here, but in heaven.
They persecuted the prophets.
I believe we should rejoice not because we will one day get a reward,
But because we have followed the will of our Lord.
If you are doing what God wants, you are probably aggravating those who oppose Him.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Yes, the Beatitudes are a list of ways we should be,
They are not simply a list of rules we’re told to follow.
Like the Ten Commandments, they help us to live a better life.
A life glorifying to God.
And a life worth living here on earth.
As we continue through this sermon, we will see that many of the standards we are used to in the world and completely upside down to what God has established.
Let us be, with the attitudes that make our Lord happy rather than the world.