So I’ve been doing a chronological study through the Gospels over the past year, and have finally gotten all the way up to the famed “Sermon on the Mount”. This iconic speech is the longest of Jesus’ recorded sermons in the gospel accounts, and will no doubt provide me with plenty of study and reflection opportunities for many months to come.
We begin this famous sermon with the “blessings”, or what we often refer to as the “beatitudes”. Each of these “blessings” begin with the Greek word ‘Makarios’, which directly translates to “fortunate/prosperous”.
1. Beginning in Matthew 5:3 we read, “Blessed (fortunate/prosperous) are the poor in spirit (that is – those who are not spiritually arrogant), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The poor in spirit are those who are unfeignedly penitent (thanks John Wesley), they who are truly convinced of sin; who see and feel the state they are in by nature, being deeply sensible of their sinfulness, guiltiness, helplessness.
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven – the present inward kingdom; righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, as well as the eternal kingdom.
2. “Blessed (fortunate/prosperous) are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” This may be meant as an encouragement to those mourning in bereavement, or possibly mourning Israel’s exile and captivity. Alternatively this could be interpreted in the context of the other beatitudes, which all seem to center around kingdom teaching.
In this light, “those who mourn” could mean “those who mourn their sins/sinful nature” as well as that of humanity in general, and their own families and friends in particular. These then would be “tears of repentance.”
For they shall be comforted – with the peace that passes all understanding. This seems like a simple response on the surface – true guilt should dead to confession and result in repentance (turning away from sinful habits and establishing new habits) – but the challenge is that much of the time we lack the former condition (mourning our sin and sin nature). It’s easy to enjoy the immediate pleasures of sin rather than living with the “big picture” of life in mind. Perspective and intention matter. We can’t expect positive change if we’re unwilling to receive it.
3. “Blessed (fortunate/prosperous) are the gentle, meek, humble (power under control), for they shall inherit the earth.” Happy are the meek, for they hold their passions and affections evenly balanced; they enjoy whatever portion God has given them here with a true spirit of gratitude. They shall have everything necessary for life and godliness, as well as an inheritance in the “new earth”, wherein dwells righteousness.
4. “Blessed (fortunate/prosperous) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Jesus elsewhere uses complementary imagery – “I am the bread of life”, the “living waters”.
On the one hand this is an encouragement to seek God diligently, so that we may find Him. An additional dimension, but implication, is that as we seek to be righteous in our own conduct, pursuing righteousness in our thought patterns and actions, we will succeed. Part of this, I think, is the power of habits and our ability to choose which neuro-pathways we reinforce. We aren’t simply a product of our surroundings, and our neuro-pathways aren’t determined without our consent.
The other element, of course, is the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit in our lives. I do not think this verse has anything to do with cultivating either a desire for justice or a crippling opinion about the righteousness (or lack thereof) in others – culture/the world/etc. Rather, we are to apply this verse personally, and examine ourselves truthfully.
Just for a Closer Walk 