5. “Blessed (fortunate, prosperous) are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” This immediately reminds me of two other sayings of Jesus. The first is when He’s diving the “sheep” from the “goats”, and both groups ask ‘when did we… see you hungry, sick, in prison, etc…?’ and Jesus responds that when they did it (or did not do it) for the “least of these” that they did it for Him. And the second is in the model prayer – “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” When we exercise mercy, we are inviting/ushering in God’s kingdom here and now, and that truly is a blessing.
Recall that mercy (and the nature of God’s kingdom) is the opposite of violence and force, which is the nature instead of fallen humanity’s “kingdom”.
6. “Blessed (fortunate, prosperous) are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” As with many of the statements in this section, there is a strong cord reaching into the future as well as into the present. The pure in heart will indeed see God Some day, but also Each day. Certainly with this picture in mind the statement/promise makes perfect sense, for surely those who see God are blessed. “Pure in heart” is pretty straight forward, but does also include an element of purity in our deeds as well. When our thoughts AND actions are pure reflections of life in Christ, we are indeed quite fortunate and prosperous.
7. “Blessed (fortunate, prosperous) are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” This again reminds me of the Lord’s prayer – “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Peace, and especially the deep shalom peace seems to be one of the characteristics of God’s kingdom – the place where His presence and perfect will are accomplished without opposition.
To the degree that we endeavor to pursue and “make” this peace on earth (in our own life, in the lives of others around us, and even to the entire created order), to this degree we are co-laborers of the Gospel with Christ. To this degree we are living out the Lord’s prayer. It’s not simply a request (“bring Your kingdom”) but also an action (“I’m seeking to bring Your kingdom). The sons of the Father have a vested interest in the welfare of the Father’s kingdom. When we pursue, make and bring peace in our world, we are acting as Christ’s ambassadors here. What a blessing it is to be a child of God with open access to His presence!
8. “Blessed (fortunate, prosperous) are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Many commentators think Jesus is referring to Old Testament prophets here, but I think Jesus meant for this message to apply directly to His audience. Echoing John Wesley’s reflections, this could instead be included as something of a summary statement. The earlier statements/attributes (pure in heart, merciful, peacemakers) are this righteousness. We are blessed when persecuted for this righteousness because it affirms our true and chief citizenship in the kingdom of heaven rather than in the kingdoms of men.
One other aspect worth mentioning from a practical view is the question of whether we live/display integrity when faced with opposition/persecution – or do we instead cave-in to “peer-pressure”? Persecution can come in many shapes and forms, and “wear many different masks”, but in integrity, we cannot.
9. “Blessed (fortunate, prosperous) are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (See 2 Chron. 36:16) (I’m also reminded of Ezek. 2:4-5 – “whether or not the people listen/respond, they will know that a prophet has been among them.”)
It seems that Jesus’ goal in this statement (which is similar to the previous statement) is to make it more personally applicable to His audience. It’s not just about some “historical saints” but rather you and I – both of us. We are fortunate to be counted among the number of the prophets, the faithful and true of Christ’s ambassadors.
Rabbis weren’t known for/recorded as ever asking their disciples to suffer or die for them, which makes this a bizarre statement unless our particular Rabbi is in fact God. Ours too is the kingdom of heave – our chief allegiance and privilege.
Just for a Closer Walk 