Now when
Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down.
His disciples
came to Him, and He began to teach them
The
Beatitudes
He said:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
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.
Matthew
5:1-12
This article is an
in-depth look at each trait that Jesus discussed on the Sermon in the Mount. Have reflection time after reading through
each one. Though as followers of Christ we may not embody each trait perfectly,
but our hearts must want to align with the traits. We then surrender what we cannot
do on our own, and ask the Holy Spirit to align our hearts to His desires for
us.
Poor
in Spirit:
Poor
in spirit is referring to our relationship with God. It is the opposite of
arrogant self-confidence. It is the deepest form of repentance. It acknowledges
our desperate need for God. We acknowledge we can do nothing on our own or in
our own strength. When we come to God we must realize our own sin and our spiritual
emptiness. We must not be self-satisfied or proud in our hearts, thinking we do
not really need God.
“God opposes the proud but
gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6
Mourning:
Blessed
are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. We can mourn for repentance,
consequences of sin, over persecution, sins of God’s people and sincere
concerns for the church. The Holy Spirit in us can grieve over our sins and the
sins of others. So this type of mourning may be more referring to a spiritual
mourning.
Meekness:
A Greek translation of meekness
can be translated as gentle. Dictionary.com defines meekness as humble, patient
or docile, gentle.
Synonyms
for meekness: forbearing, yielding, unassuming, calm, soft. Ask.com defines
meek as a word to describe one’s character meaning humble in spirit. It could
also mean to have a feeling of patience, submissiveness, and humbleness.
In
the Old Testament the meek are those wholly relying on God rather their own
strength. Gentleness and meekness is the opposite of self-assertiveness and self-interest.
It stems from trust in God’s goodness and control over the situation. The
gentle person is not occupied with self at all.
Meek
does not mean weak! Gentleness or meekness is not weakness, nor is it belittling
of oneself.
Gentleness can be described as a considerate or kind disposition,
not harsh or severe; mild and soft and easily managed. Humble can be defined as
someone who does not think they are better than, or more important than others.
Humble means not proud or arrogant. A humble person never demands their own
ways (see 1 Corinthians 13:4-8). Humility is the opposite of pride,
haughtiness, being puffed-up, boasting, self-will, self-glory, and self-promotion.
Humility does not seek personal recognition. Humble people esteem others better
than oneself. Humility is not timidity or a self-degrading attitude towards
self.
Righteousness:
An
important part of righteousness is that a person is honest, dependable, and
trustworthy. One is faithful towards God and others. A righteous person will
live morally upright, fair, and in an upright manner.
Merriam-Webster
dictionary defines righteousness as morally good; following religious or moral
laws.
Synonyms:
decent, ethical, honorable, just, moral, right, virtuous.
Antonyms:
bad, dishonest, evil, evil-minded, immoral, indecent, sinful, wicked,
unethical, wicked, unrighteous.
Greek
words that are used to describe unrighteousness:
Anomia:
Lawbreakers; Hamartia: Sinners; Atheist: Those who do not believe in God.
Unrighteous
Acts:
Greed Not honoring agreements
Envy Not loving
your family
Murder Not being
merciful
Arguing Being
sexually immoral
Deceitfulness Worshipping idols
Gossiping Committing adultery
Slandering Practicing
homosexuality
Not
believing in God Thievery
Pride Drunkenness
Bragging Insulting
Being
angry Extorting
Being
disobedient to parents
Mercy:
Mercy
can be defined as compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is
within one’s power to punish them. The Pharisees in their self-righteous judgments
showed little mercy. The truly merciful are too aware of their own sins to deal
with others in condemnation and judgment. The merciful person is sensitive to
others needs. When we must judge another person we should be careful because we
really do not know their situations and their hearts. Jesus, in the Beatitudes
says that those who show mercy are given mercy.
Pure
in Heart:
Meaning
being clean or free from stains or
shame; free from adulteration; it denotes a physical, religious and moral
cleanliness. Being pure in heart goes deep. The Bible makes it clear that
worshipping God cannot be an outward function, but must come from the inside
(the heart). Being pure in heart means we are in right relationship with God
and with others. We have to guard and preserve our heart. The pure in heart are
those who seek to stay free from sin.
Peacemaker:
Peacemaking
seeks to produce right relationships between persons. Those that sow discord,
slander, and gossip are not peacemakers. Holding grudges, busybodies, and the disagreeable
do not promote peacemaking. Peacemakers are needed in our homes, churches, and
in the marketplace. Quarreling, arguing, and wanting to be right provides an
opportunity for the enemy to cause division and strife.
Peace
means tranquility, harmony; absence of strife. The Hebrew meaning, Shalom means
the absence of strife and evil, and all the presence of good things.
True
peace never evades the issues by “sweeping them under the rug,” but deals with
them by building the right bridges and moving through the pain until harmony is
established. Sometimes the way to lasting peace includes addressing issues
which will be painful to work through. Truth and righteous are just as important
as peace. Jesus taught that sometimes faithful followers would cause strife with
loved ones. Paul implies not all strife can be avoided when following Christ,
however, we should do what we can to be at peace with others.
Persecuted:
The NIV
states blessed are you when people insult you and falsely say all kinds of evil
against you because of God. Jesus called those who lived out these traits
blessed. To Jesus, blessed means the experience of hope and joy, independent of
outward circumstances.
Barnes
commentary notes on Matthew 5:10: Blessed are they which are persecuted. To
persecute means literally to pursue; follow after. Here it means to vex,
oppress one on account of one’s religion.
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