We’ve studied peace and how to get it or lose it in Genesis. Now we’re jumping several hundred years forward. For the last 30 years, Jesus has been growing up in the little village of Nazareth, working with his dad making things from wood and stone. (One term in Greek is technikon, and we learned during a trip to Israel that it’s likely both Joseph and Jesus worked in stone as much as they did in wood because Israel has unlimited amounts of stone but fewer trees.) Now John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, has baptized him in the Jordan River, anointing him for ministry, and Jesus is moving out of the carpenter shop and into the final ministry phase of his life.
As a small-town guy, Jesus knows all about his audience. At this point, most of Israel is rural, so the people coming to hear Jesus teach are small town merchants, farmers, housewives, tax collectors, Roman soldiers, and itinerant peddlers moving from town to town. Much of Jesus’ teaching takes place on or near the Sea of Galilee, so fishermen are a big part of his audience and eventually make up a large part of his disciples. There’s a reason for that. Like farmers, fishermen must be perpetually hopeful or they will never survive a bad night with few fish. Fishermen must be tough and strong, able to withstand hardship and willing to patiently continue to work toward a goal, even when things appear hopeless. And fishermen must be realists willing to face changes in the weather and their effect on fish and people.
For thirty years, Jesus has been growing up in Nazareth, playing with other boys, picking wildflowers on the hills for his mother, and attending synagogue with his father. While working with Joseph, Jesus has learned the secrets of creating furniture and other simple wooden items and shaping stone. The Romans are building a new town about 4 miles from Nazareth, and it’s possible that both Joseph and Jesus have helped work on that town. Jesus has watched the local farmers as they sow crops and tend them; perhaps he has even helped with the harvests. And Jesus has also spent time in the synagogue watching the teachers, listening to them, and absorbing everything that takes place there. Jesus knows the lifestyles of the poor and meek from the inside out.
In the beginning, Jesus is simply trying to teach his disciples; however, the word gets out, and people begin flocking to hear him. True, there are teachers in the synagogues, but those men always behave as if they think they’re better than everybody else. Sometimes those reading the scriptures do it in such a sing song fashion that it’s obvious they are only going through the motions. Centuries later, a young French philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal, will say that everyone has a God-sized hole in their hearts. These people, including the Roman soldiers, have God-sized holes in their hearts, and nobody has yet succeeded in filling those holes. Besides, there’s really nothing going on in town today, so why not come out and listen to Jesus?
MATTHEW 5:1-12 The Sermon on the Mount Part 1- The Beatitudes (Psalm 1:1-6; Luke 6:20-23)
“When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them, saying: “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.”
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Many of us may have heard of the Beatitudes; some of us may even have memorized them at some point. But we miss a lot if we fail to realize how revolutionary this teaching actually is. Generally speaking, most people likely believe that wealth is an indication of God’s favor while poverty means that God is rejecting you. And what does it mean to be “poor in spirit?” When Matthew and Luke are recording these teachings, they go for the main points without including the illustrations that Jesus is likely throwing in. Jesus is undoubtedly a gifted mimic and might be striding back and forth in front of his audience in an uncanny imitation of the wealthy local men parading into the synagogue.
Proverbs 3:7 tells us, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil.” Later on, Proverbs 3:34 says, “Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.” Jesus’ audience certainly knows these verses quite well. Jesus may even quote these teachings in passing. But this is the first time that these folks have heard such teaching. Most of the teaching in the synagogue consists of reading scriptures, reciting formalized prayers, and watching the rich members of the congregation lord it over everybody else.
Face it, all of us are debtors before God. It is God who has given us life and the intellect and talents we possess. It is God who continues to sustain us. While we must feed and clothe ourselves, God is the One who maintains our health. If we are honest with ourselves, all of us should be poor in spirit rather than being proud. As long as we believe we are sufficient unto ourselves, we have our hands closed spiritually; however, we can only receive things from God if our spiritual hands are empty and open. This is part of the reason that Jesus later told his disciples that it was easier for a camel to pass through the narrow gate in Jerusalem referred to as the “needle’s eye” than to enter the kingdom of heaven. Wealth and social position can blind us to our true spiritual poverty. May God help us to remain humble and willing to receive everything God wants to give us!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to remain humble and receptive, no matter what happens. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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