Beatitudes: Introduction Part 1
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. This will be explored in the next part of the series.
In the meantime, have a read of Pope Francis’s Beatitudes. In 2016, he wrote six "modern Beatitudes". I’m not sure why he did this.