1 One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2 and he began to teach them.
Introduction
Today, we begin a study
of Matthew chapters 5-7, what are known as Jesus’ famous “Sermon on the Mount .” The sermon gets its name from the big hill (or
mount) where Jesus shared these teachings.
Many consider these to be Jesus’ central teachings about how to live as
His disciple. The Sermon is only three chapters long, but it is packed full of wisdom that challenges us to be a
better follower of Christ. So, we will
take it slowly, lesson by lesson, until we work all the way through.
What
do you think of when you think of being blessed? Does it mean life is good, all is well, you're happy and content? Well, Jesus’ definition of Beatitude—supremely
blessed—may surprise you. Let’s take a
look at what He says about being truly blessed. Let's go through the blessings one by one.
Matthew 5:3
3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize
their need for him,
for
the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Right off the bat,
we get a clue Jesus is going to turn our ideas of blessings upside down. Do you
honestly think you are blessed when you are poor? Does anyone actually go around saying (without
sarcasm): "Yep, I'm so broke I can't afford to put gas in my car. My rent
is passed due, and I have no money to buy food. I'm truly blessed!"
Most of those
folks Jesus ministered to were that kind of poor. But Jesus said they
were blessed, because He knew it gave them an advantage over rich people
because they knew they must depend on God. When we have money, it's easy to forget how
much we need God. Why do you need God? You can take care of yourself. Or at least we think we can take care of
ourselves. We have a false sense of security. Let me remind you: your money cannot save you.
But most Bible
translations render this verse to say, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” And that is important, because Jesus isn’t
just talking about your finances. There are
people—in Jesus day and in our own—who feel as though they are spiritually safe
and secure. They say to themselves: “I’m
a good person. I treat people fair. I live the right way. Therefore, God will be good to me.” This was the basic philosophy of the
Pharisees in Jesus time. And it’s the
way many people think today. But, God doesn’t
owe you anything. Our so-called righteous deeds are but filthy rags in the
sight of a pure, perfect, and holy God.
And so Jesus says, “You are truly blessed if you really know you are poor
in spirit and realize you desperately need God to save you.” It isn't those who think they are good; it is those who know they are not good and rely completely on the mercy of God that He welcomes into His
Kingdom. And Jesus goes on, smashing our
preconceived notions of what it is to be truly blessed:
4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
We’ve had a lot of
deaths in our community lately. It seems
like the last few months have been particularly hard. Our bereavement committee has been working
overtime to provide meals for the families.
According to Jesus, that means we are truly blessed. Does it feel like it? Do you feel blessed when someone you love dies?
Jesus is pulling
from Old Testament Scripture in Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 where it says: “Better to spend your time at funerals than
at parties. After all, everyone dies—so
the living should take this to heart. 3
Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. 4 A wise person thinks a lot about death, while
a fool thinks only about having a good time.”
We live in a
culture where we want to avoid pain at all cost. And yet the cliché really is true. No pain.
No gain. We live in a broken
world. Things are not as they are supposed
to be. We are not as we’re supposed to
be. If we never realize this (and feel
this), we are missing out on something really important.
5 God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.
This beatitude is
a difficult one to translate. The NIV
says: Blessed are the meek. The NASB says: Blessed are the gently. The NLT uses the word humble. The Greek word is praus, which means mild
of disposition, gentle of spirit.
In Jesus day, the
Romans were the one’s who possessed the Holy Land. They were the powerful and proud ones. They used violence to subdue the Jews and
anyone who resisted them. Some in Israel
wanted to use violence to rise up and overthrow the Romans. Jesus says, no. It is not the violent or proud or powerful
who will possess the land. It is the
humble, the gently, the meek. These are
the kind of people who will possess the Holy Land. In fact, they will possess the whole earth when God's Kingdom comes on earth. So, you are blessed if you are humble, gentle,
and meek.
Psalm 37:7-9 – “Be still in the
presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or
fret about their wicked schemes. Stop
being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to
harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but
those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.”
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied.
Most people know what it’s like to
be really hungry. Can you remember the
last time you were famished? Or
what about a time you were truly parched?
One day, some are going to be truly satisfied—like a starving man who
finally gets food; like someone dying of thirst who finally gets cool,
refreshing water. Those who hunger and thirst for justice—for all that is wrong in the world to
be made right—will finally be full and satisfied because God will make it all right.
7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
This one goes
right down into the core of Christianity.
We say it every time we pray the Lord’s prayer. “Forgive us our trespasses, as we
forgive those who trespass against us.”
There are so many offences in this life that just cannot be repaid.
If we demand every wrong done is repaid in full, it will make
our life (and everyone else’s) a living hell.
And at the end of it all, we will not be satisfied, because some debts cannot
be repaid; they can only be forgiven. So, you are blessed when you show mercy,
because you will receive mercy too. Do you want to be angry and full of pain and resentment all your life? Or do you want to be at peace with God and yourself and the world around you? You don't forgive for the sake of the one who wronged you; you forgive for the sake of your own peace of mind.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
If I were to put
this in my own words, I would say it this way:
“You’re blessed if you’re
totally sincere, because you will actually see God.”
When you’re your thoughts are pure,
when you’re motives are pure, when you are totally sincere,
then you will see God. Most of us have a
long way to go on this. Often, we don’t
even know the impurities that lie within us.
We need God’s help to root them out.
The Christian journey is walking alongside Christ every day, allowing
Him to reveal the impurities within us until we are totally sincere and blessed
to actually see God, face to face.
9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
Most people agree a
little more peace in the world would be nice. Then we wouldn’t have wars and fighting. The problem is: you want things your way
and I want things mine. And this country wants this and that country wants that. And it seems like the only way to settle it is to fight and see who
comes out on top. Of course, the one that comes out on top can’t stay on top forever.
The biggest, baddest bully grows old and weak and someone takes their place. Even the strongest empires rise and eventually fall. It always happens--always has, always will.
Jesus came to end
all that. He came to bring true
peace. It’s not a peace where the weakest people must submit to the strongest rulers. It’s a peace where we all finally live in a right relationship with our loving Creator God—as we were originally intended to live.
God's true children spend
their lives working to bring this kind of peace on earth, more and more.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Living for God and
doing the right thing may make you blessed in God’s Heavenly Kingdom, but it
may not feel much like it in this world.
In fact, it may make you a lot of enemies in this world. Those who want to remain in darkness will fight to keep your light from exposing
them. Even if you aren't overtly calling them out on their wrong behavior, your righteous life exposes their unrighteousness. So, if you are truly living for Jesus, people who aren’t will mock you, persecute
you, lie about you, and say all sorts of evil things because you follow
Jesus. But don’t worry about it, because
you are blessed. The Kingdom of Heaven
is yours. And Jesus said in Matthew
5:11-12:
Matthew 5:11-12
11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about
you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in
heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.
As we review what Jesus said about who is truly blessed—supremely blessed and happy—we can clearly see Jesus’ definitions are not at all the same as the world’s.
You can strive to be blessed according to this world’s definitions. You can strive for:
wealth, comfort, power, prosperity, and selfish fulfillment. But this world and what it stands for is passing away. At most, you may have 100 years to scrape and scratch and fight to hold onto the things of this world. But the end will come. You will have to
stand before God and give an account for your life. And then you will have all eternity to answer for it.
But those who repent and turn to Jesus, turn their back on
this world and its values. They become children of God and royal priests in the Kingdom of God. And Jesus atones for all their sins.
They are made pure and righteous before God. They offer mercy and receive mercy from God.
And theirs is the glorious Kingdom of God, in which they will dwell for all eternity in everlasting life--where there will be no more sin or sickness or suffering or sorrow or death.
Which Kingdom do you choose? The kingdoms of this world or the Kingdom of God?
Closing
If you choose God's Kingdom, pray to Him today. Ask Him to forgive you. Promise to follow Jesus from this day forward. Thank Him and receive His Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you and empower you to live for Jesus every day.
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