Jesus starts his famous Sermon on the Mount with what we today refer to as “the Beatitudes”, a series of teachings of who the truly blessed people are and what they, in their dedication to God the Father, will receive in the end.
In the Beatitudes, Jesus challenges well-established worldviews and principles. By addressing these worldviews and principles from the perspective of the Father’s heart,
“Jesus shows his listeners that their way of seeing life is not necessarily how God sees it. ”
For example, the listeners likely thought that powerful warriors or cunning politicians would inherit the land promised to Abraham, which, at this time, was occupied by the Romans. To their surprise, Jesus tells them that the meek will receive this inheritance.
In the Beatitudes, our Lord Jesus builds upon scripture to highlight God’s perspective and invites his listeners to trust their God and Savior for everything they need.
The Beatitudes can be found in Matthew 5 and Luke 6.
In Greek (and Hebrew), there are two words translated as "blessed".
Eulogeo (beraka), used in the context of "O Lord, bless the sick" etc.
Makarios (asir), used not as a wish for blessing but rather to recognize the "bless-ed" state already at hand.
The meaning of makarios
The latter (makarios) is what is used in the Sermon on the Mount. Hence, we shall not understand the passage as "Blessed are the people who do X because they will inherit Y". Instead, we should read the passage as "Look at the authentic spirituality and joy of these people who have or will be given X".
It is similar to knowing you will receive an inheritance. You will not (only) be happy once you receive it but are already "bless-ed" because
“you are rooted into a loving community and your life is secure”
because you know that you will receive the inheritance one day.
The poor in spirit
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God (Matthew 5:3).
"Poor" or "Poor in spirit"?
In this regard, Matthew and Luke differ as the first adds the expression "... in spirit", while Luke 6 only records "the poor".
Understanding that Jesus, in his teaching, built upon the concepts already in people's minds, which were brought forth by the Scriptures, eases this difference.
But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor [humble] and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word (Isaiah 66:2).
The reader of the Beatitudes is likely already influenced by texts such as this one. Hence, they don't require the additional phrase in spirit.
In any case, building on Isaiah 66, someone who is poor in spirit is someone who "trembles at his word", knowing that they need God at every step of the way.
Divine passive: blessed mourners are comforted
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4).
Suffering might teach us that life itself -- and particularly the eternal one - is what matters most (Ecclesiastes 7:2-4).
Those who mourn endure suffering.
“But not all mourners experience divine comfort.”
The blessed ones of God, however, are promised the comfort of God.
The meek inherit the earth
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).
Who are the meek?
The Greek word prays ("the meek") refers to the relationship between people. Aristotle describes meek as "the virtue of acting halfway between recklessness on one side and cowardice on the other".
“By humbly seeking God the meek also seek God’s righteous justice.”
When someone does injustice (i.e., their own justice, e.g., Habakkuk 1:7), the meek can and do become angry (like Jesus in the temple; Matthew 21:12-17, John 2:13-22).
And because the meek use God's divine standard for justice, they are the ones who inherit the land/earth.
The land
Regarding the land as promise of this Beatitude, Jesus likely refers to Psalm 37, where it reads:
The evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. …
But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. ...
The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. (Psalm 37:9, 11, 29 ESV)
Inheriting the land
The people listening to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount would have understood that he is hinting at inheriting the Land of Promise. And it is significant to recall the order of the first 3 Beatitudes:
The Kingdom of Heaven is promised to the Poor in spirit, not the arrogant and aggressive.
The blessed are those who mourn -- a powerful statement resonating deeply with the powerless in war-torn first century Israel.
Those who will inherit the land are not the powerful who will engage in battle for political and military control, nor those who claim to be Abraham's descendants. Instead it will be the meek.
The peacemakers
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God (Matthew 5:9).
When Jesus came to this earth, He didn’t come as the “warlord” the Pharisees and scribes expected Him to be. He never led a revolution against the Roman Empire oppressing the Jews and other peoples at that time,
“but pointed to the forces of evil that are our true enemies.”
So, the Lord Himself is the greatest example of how to live in peace with one’s neighbours. Being peacemakers also includes loving and praying for our enemies.
Those who are persecuted
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10).
Persecution can happen in various ways: Apart from open persecution it can include social isolation, being mocked or harassed, having to end worldly relationships or even facing fierce opposition within one's own family or workplace. However, in midst all that turmoil God in Luke 21:16-19 makes a strong promise to us. In the verse it says:
You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives (Luke 21:16-19).
Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times! (Psalm 106:3)
When talking about righteousness it is important to point out that
“there is an absolute, objective definition of righteous and unrighteous, of good and evil.”
The Scriptures in Isaiah 33:15-17 give practical examples of what righteous behaviour looks like and the respective promises God makes to righteous people:
He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil, he will dwell on the heights; his place of defense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be given him; his water will be sure. Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty; they will see a land that stretches afar (Isaiah 33:15-17).
When others revile you
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account (Matthew 5:11).
Whenever we face opposition or even persecution, it is important to also reflect or ask the Lord why exactly the respective people are showing that kind of behaviour. Once we know these reasons, we can pray for them more earnestly, being aware of the problem’s actual root.
Having at least a bit of knowledge about personal backgrounds helps us to understand the logic behind Jesus’ call in Matthew 5:44 to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.
First and foremost,
“these people are putting themselves in an utterly dangerous position, rejecting God himself”
and thereby juggling with their souls, putting their eternal life at risk. Having this awareness helps us to love them and pray more earnestly for their salvation and inner healing.
Your reward is great in heaven
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:12).
In this context, I would like to quote Revelation 22:12:
Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done (Revelation 22:12).
This verse is an encouragement for all who do good and live according to God’s will, but it is also a warning to those who don’t – the persecutors for example – to repent and start living a godly life.
“It is by far the most important thing in life to live according to God’s will,”
as all who don’t and never ever repent of their sin, who are never ever sorry for their mistakes, eventually will be forever separated from God, which is by far the most terrible thing that can happen to a person.
The good news is that the Lord is a merciful and gracious God, and he is allowing such an amount of persecution and evil in the world because He really doesn’t want anyone to go to hell, giving each and every person abundant chances to come to Him.
