Beatitudes: Complete Series
Introduction
Matthew 5 v 3-12
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 sons 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 before you.
The Gospel of Matthew sets out what is commonly called the Beatitudes, or the ‘Blessedness’. The Greek word Μακάριοι means happy, fortunate, or to be envied.
Luke mentions the Beatitudes in Luke 6, but they are presented differently and there are less of them.
Luke 6 v 20-22
Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.
These are balanced out by the same number of woes in the following verses. The impression here is that we may have troubles in this life, but our reward is in Heaven.
Going back to Matthew (and this is where this series will focus), there are also seven woes, but these are at the end of the gospel.
Eight Beatitudes
Even though Jesus makes nine Beatitude statements in the Sermon on the Mount, it is usual to only consider the first eight. I think this is because the ninth stands out against the pattern.
This pattern of ‘Blessed are…’ was probably used as a memory aide. I understand in Greek there are alliterations within this text, which would also help in recalling them. The 9th Beatitude does not do this.
Number Eight
Many numbers in the Bible have a hidden meaning. In the case of the number 8, it can symbolical represent new beginnings. Think about the six days of creation, the day of rest (7th day) and then the 8th day is the start of the new week. The first day of the completely new Creation.
This gives a sense the Beatitudes are about ‘new beginnings’, the start of a fresh thing God is doing.
Upside Down
A word that many commentators use about the Beatitudes is that they are ‘revolutionary’. They turn the world upside down. After all, how can the meek inherit the Earth? Some Beatitudes seem impossible to attain, like being ‘pure of heart’.
They appear to prize poverty and distress as things to be considered a blessing. And because of this, they come across as mystical and other-worldly. As though they don’t fit into this earthly realm.
Because normally the strong inherit the Earth, the merciful will not always be shown mercy and why would peacemakers be called sons of God? But then, these Beatitudes are in the context of the Heavenly Kingdom.
A Nuanced View
This series will look at the biblical context of the Beatitudes and from this I put forward a slightly nuanced view. When we look at the context of these verses, a different aspect can be developed.
Matthew 5 v 1-2
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.
In the verse, we see Jesus climb up a mountain. He does not go to the top, but stops on the mountainside. His disciples follow Him, away from the crowds, to a private place. Jesus then teaches them. What He has to say is not for the crowds, but only for them and by extension to the Church.
When someone goes up a mountain in the Bible, we need to pay attention. Something important is about to happen. In this case, Jesus tells the Disciples about how He wants them to live as His followers.
Mount Sinai Moment
This feels like a Mount Sinai moment, where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. Jesus (God) is now on another mountain, and revealing something similar.
Matthew seems to be comparing the Beatitudes with the Ten Commandments. So effectively saying, these are the rules for living in the God’s Kingdom. They do not replace the Exodus Commandments, as Jesus points out later, by saying:
Matthew 5 v 17
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.
So it looks like they build upon them.
Christ’s Covenant
The Beatitudes are part of Jesus’ Covenant with the Church.
After the Beatitudes, there are further chapters which lay out how they should act as Christians. Much like after the Ten Commandments, there are chapters about the application of the Law.
The common view that the Bestitudes are about the relationships between Christians within the Kingdom, or people more generally, might be slightly off. It is more likely, in my opinion, the Beatitudes are about a covenant between God and the Church.
The Structure of the Beatitudes
The 8 Beatitudes are split into two sections. The first four are about ‘being low’. The second four are about ‘aiming high’.
When I think of this, I can imagine Jesus pointing down the mountain while saying the first four Beatitudes and then changing His gaze and pointing upwards, to the mountain peak, for the last four.
The Beatitude Formula
A Beatitude seems to say that if you act or are in a certain way, then you will receive a blessing. They differ from the Ten Commandments, as they do not give the blessings until the end of Deuteronomy. And they don’t link certain Commandments with particular blessings, except ‘Honour your father and mother, so you may live long in the land’.
Mount of Blessings
The blessings from the Beatitudes map onto a mountain too. It almost like the blessings ascend.
When we humble ourselves and choose to follow Christ, we come to the mountain. We are welcomed and begin to live on the mountainside, and in the Kingdom of Heaven.
We are comforted and ‘inherit the earth’ (this is a complex phrase which I will unpack in a later post).
We are filled, shown mercy, we see God and become ‘sons of God’ (another complex phrase).
The peak of the mountain is the Kingdom of Heaven, so wherever we go on the mountain, we remain within the Kingdom. Wherever we go, we receive these Kingdom blessings.
Over the next few weeks, I will unpack what these Beatitudes, or Blessings of the Kingdom, mean.
Poverty and Comfort
Matthew 5 v 3-4
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Poor in Spirit
The word ‘poor’ used in the Greek here derives from the another word which means to crouch and cower like a beggar.
Beggars are completely reliant on the generosity of others. They have nothing to sell. They produce nothing or provide a service. They are completely dependent on other people in order to live.
This is how Christ describes the pathway for people to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. The first part of the Beatitudes is to realise how spiritually poor we are. Not just poor of spirit, but beggars before the presence of God. We need to be in a position where we spiritually rely completely on God’s generosity, grace and mercy.
This Beatitude looks like it draws from the Book of Isaiah.
Isaiah 66 v 2
Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the LORD. “These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.
God gives favour to those who recognise their spiritual need of Him.
Some commentators have suggested that physical riches can exclude people from the Kingdom of God. But I disagree, though it is harder, as physical comfort can distract us from the need to rely on God. Being wealthy does not stop someone entering the Kingdom.
The blessing connected with this Beatitude is the Kingdom of Heaven. But what is this?
In simple terms, the Kingdom of Heaven is where people have submitted to the rule of Christ. Though it is far more than this and I will have to leave this topic for a later series.
Those Who Mourn
Isaiah 57 v 18
I have seen what they do, but I will heal them anyway! I will lead them. I will comfort those who mourn,
The common view is the mourner is someone who recognises their sins and their inadequacy to live up to God’s righteousness. They mourn over the mistakes they’ve made, the rash words they’ve spoken to others and the hurts they have caused.
This is spiritual mourning, not just showing grief over the death of a loved one.
The Greek word translated as comfort can mean ‘to come closely alongside’ or ‘to encourage’.
As part of living in the Kingdom of Heaven, God will bless us by coming alongside and encouraging us.
He comforts us as a Loving Father.
He comforts us as our Saviour.
He comforts us as He is the Holy Spirit.
The Trinity comes closely alongside, bringing encouragement, holding us close and drying the tears we weep.
This doesn’t mean we stay mourning and thereby reject God’s comfort. We must focus our attention on Him, not ourselves.
We recognise our sin, but we more so recognise His salvation and humbly accept the blessings of living in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Meek and Thirsty
Matthew 5 v 5-6
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the Earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
The Meek and the Earth
I would say this is one of the most difficult verses in the Bible. The common understanding of this, is that if we remain meek, God will give us the Earth.
Psalm 36 v 11 (Sept)
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Here, the Psalmist writes about the meek inheriting the earth. The strong will eventually be destroyed, leaving the land to the gentle.
You could argue the same about this Beatitude. As eventually only the Christian meek will be left after the Judgement and they will inherit the New Earth.
Jordan Peterson’s View
I listened to a Bible lecture from Dr Jordan Peterson, the famous psychologist. He said he was troubled by this verse and it took him a long time to arrive at an interpretation which aligned with his worldview. He suggested that the meek are those who have the capability to use the sword, but restrain themselves.
A Third Theory
My concern is that I’m not sure how the two ideas above relate to the Kingdom of Heaven of which Christ preaches. I mean, why would the meek want to inherit this Earth? After all, Christians should be looking forward to the New Heavens and New Earth, not desiring to own this current one.
And also if this Beatitude is about the future New Earth, why does Christ say:
Matthew 4 v 17
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
As we saw in my previous posts, I believe the Beatitudes are the rules of the Kingdom of Heaven. So when we come in humility and make ourselves meek in God’s presence, then he will bless us.
Inheriting the Earth
Whereas Peterson struggles with the word ‘meek’, I have difficulty with the phrase, ‘inherit the earth’.
The idea of inheriting in the ancient Near-East sometimes depended on drawing lots. This was a way to understand the will of the gods or even God’s will. We see this in the Book of Numbers, where lots were used to decide which areas of the land the Children of Israel would inherit.
Numbers 26 v 52-56
Then the LORD said to Moses, “The land is to be divided among the tribes as an inheritance, according to the number of names. Increase the inheritance for a large tribe and decrease it for a small one; each tribe is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those registered.
Indeed, the land must be divided by lot; they shall receive their inheritance according to the names of the tribes of their fathers. Each inheritance is to be divided by lot among the larger and smaller tribes.”
These verses from the Book of Numbers, talks about inheriting the Promised Land. I believe this Beatitude, for Christians, it’s about inheriting a ‘lot’ in the Kingdom of Heaven.
So the idea of ‘inheriting the earth’ in the Beatitudes may have more to do with the spiritual land we receive by being subjects of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Spiritual Land
This land we inherit provides all we need to maintain our spiritual lives. Think about what the Garden of Eden offered Adam and Eve, but in a spiritual sense. I believe this is a helpful analogy.
The interaction between the spiritual realm and the earthly realm is not something I will cover here, but I believe the Heavens and Earth are an ‘integrated reality’. They are separate but together. Even though they are the Heavens and the Earth, they remain one whole Creation.
And what happens in one, influences the other.
Matthew 18 v 18
“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
So when we receive land in the Kingdom of Heaven, it provides for all our spiritual needs. This then overflows into the physical realm. As Jesus said:
Matthew 6 v 33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
‘All these things’ are what we need to live on this Earth. And as we seek His Kingdom, by walking in the Beatitudes, He blesses us with all we need.
Hunger and Thirst
The fourth Beatitude tells the subjects of the Kingdom of Heaven, that if they hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness, they will be filled.
We see this in Proverbs:
Proverbs 10 v 3
The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
This proverb tells us that God will always satisfy the righteous. This is primarily spiritual hunger, but as I said previously, the Kingdom of Heaven overflows into the physical.
Practically, how does this overflowing work? When we have a community of faith whose focus is on God, we see love flow through the church. Jesus then uses His Body to meet the physical needs of those in and around the community.
By all means, He can perform miracles in our lives without the action of the Church. I know I have experienced a few in my life.
I have also experienced the love and care of the Kingdom of Heaven through my local church.
Bread and Wine
The ultimate expression of meeting the needs of those who thirst and hunger for righteousness is in the Eucharist. The Bread and Wine or ‘Body and Blood’, satisfy those who thirst (wine) and hunger (bread) for righteousness. The Lord’s Supper does indeed meet our needs, both spiritually, and by extension, physically.
Mercy and Purity
atthew 7 v 7-9
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
This is the first Beatitude which is calling the Christian to aim higher in their lives. As subjects of the Kingdom of Heaven, we are expected to act mercifully.
Mercy for Mercy
The common interpretation of this Beatitude is that if you show others mercy, they will show you mercy.
This really doesn’t ring true for me. So maybe, this means when we show mercy to others, and in general, mercy will be shown back to us.
God’s Perspective
Remember the Sermon on the Mount is God speaking to His people. And I believe, the Beatitudes are His rules for the Kingdom of Heaven.
So from this perspective, when we are merciful to others, God says He will bless us by showing mercy. Others, may not show mercy back, but we will receive mercy from God anyway.
Compassion and Mercy
The word for ‘mercy’ here can be translated ‘compassion’. This may help us to further understand the verse. So if we show compassion, God will have compassion on us.
Pure of Heart
Purity is an important concept in the Old Testament. The Law had many rules on how to remain pure. It was achieved through the observance of sacrifices and rituals. An unclean person would struggle to maintain their connections within the community without the appropriate commitment to purity.
Mixed and Unmixed
The Old Testament also paid attention to mixed and unmixed things.
Leviticus 19 v 19
You are to keep My statutes. You shall not crossbreed two different kinds of livestock; you shall not sow your fields with two kinds of seed; and you shall not wear clothing made of two kinds of material.
Unmixed was consider more pure than mixed. So, biblically speaking, for our hearts to be pure, we need to have an ‘unmixed heart’.
Seeing God
This Beatitude tells us that if we aim to be pure in heart, we will see God. But surely God says in Exodus:
Exodus 33 v 20
But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”
So how do we ‘see’ God?
The Orthodox church developed a theological concept in the 13th Century called the Essence-Energies Distinction.
The idea is that we can’t experience God’s essence, but we can His energies.
A good example is that we can’t encounter the Sun as a ball of burning gas, but we can experience its warmth and light.
We cannot engage with the essence of a friend, but we can encounter their energies; their particular manner and idiosyncrasies.
With God, we cannot know His Essence. It is too holy and awesome for us to comprehend. We can however experience the Trinity’s energies; the love of the Father, the life giving words of the Son and the breath of the Holy Spirit.
Perceiving God
I believe this Beatitude is telling us that if we aim to be pure in heart, be clean in our intentions and be unmixed in our thoughts, we will see or ‘perceive’ God.
The more we focus our attention on God and fill our hearts with thoughts of Him, our eyes will be opened and we will perceive His energies as they act upon Creation.
We will perceive Him moving through our lives, both in the past and the present. And then ‘see’ Him as He leads us into the future.
Blessed Peacemakers
Matthew 5 v 9-10
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the Sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Peacemakers and the Sons of God
The common view on this Beatitude is those who bring about peace between two communities in dispute will be called ‘sons of God’.
I struggle with this verse, as I don’t see it. I can’t recall anyone ever saying this about someone who helped negotiate peace or a reconciliation.
Who is a Son of God?
Through antiquity, there have been quite a few people who have been given the title Son of God. These include Alexander the Great, many pharaohs of Egypt and even the Roman Caesars.
At the time of Jesus, there were two Sons of God in the Roman Empire; Himself and Tiberius. Mark sets this out in the first chapter and verse of the Gospel.
Mark 1 v 1
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.
By Jesus having this title, He was in direct opposition to the leader of the Empire. And then He also made Christians ‘sons of God’ too.
Though I don’t recall this was as much an issue with the Roman authorities, as they were more concerned that Christians were not sacrificing to the Emperor.
Who are the Sons of God?
Sometimes, translators turn the phrase ‘sons of God’ into ‘children of God’, but I believe this misses the point.
To the Judeans in 1st Century Palestine, they would have understood ‘sons of God’ as a high ranking angel, like an archangel.
So, in this Beatitude, Jesus is saying that peacemakers will be given the Heavenly title, sons of God. Meaning, they will be ranked just below God in the hierarchy of the Kingdom of Heaven and above the angels.
My final point on this, is that as there is no gender in Heaven, ‘sons of God’ is not restricted to men only, but include the women too. Yes, women can be ‘sons of God’.
Who are the Peacemakers?
As I said previously, the common understanding is that the peacemakers act between different human groups, bringing reconciliation. But when I reflect that God (Jesus) is saying this about the Kingdom of Heaven, then I assume He is talking about peace between God and people.
This would mean that if we share the Gospel of Peace to those around us, He will give us the title ‘sons of God’. As subjects in the Kingdom of Heaven, our role is to be His heralds in this World, proclaiming the Gospel.
Persecuted for Righteousness
The final Beatitude tells us that if we are persecuted for righteousness, then we will receive the Kingdom of Heaven.
This does not mean that if we get persecuted for acting outside of God’s will, we will receive the Kingdom. Only if we are acting in a righteous way.
Also who does the persecuting? The mind naturally thinks Jesus is referring to the Roman authorities and the martyrs. But I think it also includes spiritual principalities and demonic powers.
The following verse expands on the Beatitude,
Matthew 5 v 11-12
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.
Jesus says that if we get persecuted, our reward is in Heaven. Does this mean we obtain our reward once we get to Heaven? Or does it mean that as we are part of the Kingdom of Heaven, we receive a spiritual reward now?
I think it’s both. We receive a reward both in the Kingdom of Heaven (on Earth) and after death.
What does this look like practically on Earth? I think that as the persecuted Christian relies on God more, they seek His will and enjoy the spiritual blessings which naturally follow from spending time in His presence.
Persecution is part of the Christian walk, whether it comes from earthly or spiritual oppression. If we are persecuted for doing the right thing, God will bless us and also refine us, drawing us closer to Him.
Where is the Kingdom of Heaven?
In the first and last Beatitude, Jesus talks about the Kingdom of Heaven. It is linked to being ‘poor in spirit’ and being ‘persecuted for righteousness’.
Jesus also mentions the Kingdom in numerous places throughout the Gospels. And He describes the Kingdom through parables and analogies.
But where is this Kingdom? Jesus tells us in the Gospel according to Luke.
Luke 17 v 20-21
Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
Some translations say among you or within you. The Kingdom of Heaven is in a believer’s heart.
The Principality of Heaven
The Kingdom is also amongst the principalities. Where Christians come together in worship, the Kingdom of Heaven is in their midst. If we look at the early part of the Book of Revelation, the letters are written to the Angel of each church.
Revelation 2 v 1
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:”
This means that wherever the people of God assembly, the Kingdom of Heaven is present.
In Heaven
Finally, the Kingdom of Heaven is (unsurprisingly) also in Heaven. It is the Kingdom which Christ is bringing from Heaven to Earth.
The Kingdom of Heaven is the only kingdom where, when a subject dies, they still are part of it.
The typical understanding of death in the Ancient World was when you died, you descended into the grave. Your body would decay and your spirit would live out the rest of days as a shadow in the Underworld.
The Christian, as part of the Kingdom of Heaven, sees the decay of their body, but their spirit remains hidden and alive in Christ.
Colossians 3 v 3
For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Death cannot remove the Christian from the Kingdom of Heaven, as they are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8 v 38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
As part of Christ’s resurrection, those in the Kingdom of Heaven, both on Earth and ‘hidden in Christ’ in Heaven, remain in one single Body.
The Kingdom of Heaven transverses Heaven and Earth. Death has no power to restrict the boundary of this Kingdom. Death is powerless.
All those Christians who have ‘fallen asleep’ in Christ are still the brothers and sisters of those on Earth.
And they rejoice! Not just in worship of God, but also when someone repents and joins the Kingdom of Heaven.
Luke 15 v 7
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents