Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.”
Is Jesus impressed with these early results? No. Jesus fully realizes that in a culture with little entertainment, these miracles and healings have become the biggest thing around. Matthew 5:1-2 tells us, “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…”
Jesus knows enough to realize that God the Father has blessed his early ministry. But now it’s time to begin teaching his followers and anyone else who shows up. The teachings Jesus shares on that hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee are now known as the Sermon on the Mount. In that discourse, Jesus covers several important points.
Jesus begins by teaching the Beatitudes, those qualities that God calls blessed. These foundational truths are necessary for the disciples because Jesus isn’t worried about turning them into a bunch of miracle workers but rather into citizens of the Kingdom of God.
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus first teaches that his followers are not to “get uppity,” that is to become proud of themselves in any fashion. While disciples are to value themselves as people whom God loves, they must realize that this does not make them more special than anybody else. George Whitefield and John Wesley were both at the forefront of revival in England in the 1700’s; however, they had strong theological differences. Whitefield was one of the most successful preachers of his day, preaching to as many as 20,000 people at a time in open fields. Tony Cooke tells us, “One of Whitfield’s followers (who obviously still held great animosity against Wesley) said to Whitfield, “We won’t see John Wesley in the heaven, will we?” Whitfield humbly replied “Yes, you’re right, we won’t see him in heaven. He will be so close to the Throne of God and we will be so far away, that we won’t be able to see him!” https://tonycooke.org/articles-by-tony-cooke/wesley-whitfield
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Jesus already knows that his followers are going to suffer for their faith in him and wants to assure them that they can withstand any sorrow, knowing that God will comfort them.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Followers of Jesus must not be push-overs; however, they also must continue to look to God for approval, not flaunting themselves as do the professional religious people. God can’t use someone with a bad attitude.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” No ministry can last if its proponents do not strive for righteousness, and Jesus’ followers must long for righteousness as much as they do for food and water to sustain their bodies.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Jesus wants his followers to be known for their mercy. Why? Because the professional religious people are some of the most intolerant, unmerciful, and judgmental people in existence. Later, Jesus will tell a story of a Pharisee who goes to the temple to pray and spends all his time praising himself. The Pharisee begins his prayer by saying, “God, I thank You that I am not as other men!” Those listening enjoy the story particularly because they have all witnessed something similar.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Jesus knows those who are listening and realizes that many of them are anything but pure in heart. At the same time, many of those same people are longing to become pure in heart and have no idea how to go about it. Here Jesus is not proposing an unreachable standard but is encouraging those who truly desire purity that indeed, purity is achievable and that God wants to help them.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” Jesus wants his followers to be peacemakers and to be known for their ability to bring peace into conflict situations. Being a peacemaker is no easy task, for sometimes the two factions to whom you are trying to bring reconciliation choose to unite in their anger at you. Once you are eliminated, the two factions resume their fight. Peacemakers are sons of God because the mark of the Holy Spirit is peace, not conflict or confusion. We must ensure that we are bringing God’s peace to a situation and not simply imposing our ideas on others.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Here Jesus is warning all listening that following him may result in persecution or even death. Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian pastor who was tortured for his faith, suffered such beatings on the soles of his feet that later when speaking with friendly audiences, he generally sat down because standing was too painful. Korean friends have described North Korean authorities plowing over Christians with bull dozers to discourage others from following Jesus.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.” During one high school shooting in Colorado, the shooter queried a young woman as to whether she was a Christian. The young woman knew that to admit to following Christ would mean instant death; yet, she said so anyway and was shot immediately. Through the years, many Christians have endured slander and ridicule without breaking down. Jesus is warning his followers that being a disciple will be anything but a walk in the park.
12 “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.” Jesus is saying these things to Jews who remember the horrible fate of people like the prophet Isaiah who was murdered by wicked King Manasseh. Isaiah foretold more about the Messiah than any other prophet; yet, he suffered terribly. Jeremiah nearly died several times, once being thrown into a well full of muck from which he was rescued just before suffocating.
Anybody who has assumed that following Jesus is going to be lots of fun should be re-thinking that assumption by this point. Now Jesus is starting the process of turning a mixed group of men into a cohesive ministry unit. More than that, Jesus also wants to teach all those around him about the Kingdom as well.
What’s fascinating is that the crowd on the hillside listens raptly, and Jesus’ teaching stirs many hearts. These people have been spiritually hungry and the weekly recitations in the synagogues have failed to satisfy that hunger. Why are these words so compelling?
Many people choose to ignore the Holy Spirit, failing to realize that the third member of the Trinity is just as active as the other two. While Jesus is speaking, the Holy Spirit is convicting hearts. Those recording Jesus’ teachings are also being led by the Holy Spirit to record them precisely. Anyone coming to Jesus spiritually hungry is leaving satisfied, for the Holy Spirit never does anything half-way.
Those of us reading these words are hampered by never having witnessed Jesus speaking them. The film series The Chosen is remarkable for its truthful portrayal of Jesus; yet, even that series, well done as it is, simply falls short because it is only a video imagining what it must have been like to be with Jesus. But we can ask God to reveal Himself to us as we read His Word, and He will do so.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, please open the eyes of our hearts so that we may truly see You and understand Your calling for us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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