Matthew 5:1-16
The Beatitudes (Sermon on the Mount)
I would like to answer these questions:
• What are the beatitudes?
• Do they spell out conditions we must meet in order to inherit eternal life?
(v.1-2) Who is Jesus preaching to?
• His disciples
• Crowds (7:28)
- So it is clear that the crowds were listening and that Jesus wanted them to listen even though the sermon is primarily addressed to professing disciples.
- Let me mention that this is the way our Sunday services are structured here at Indian Rocks. Primarily the word is prepared to feed, strengthen, and inspire the worship and life of God’s people. But we pray that that there will be curious onlookers, skeptics, searchers, and doubters will come as well just as the crowds did at the Sermon on the Mount. (Power of the authoritative word of God)
- I want to give a brief overview of the beatitudes as a whole and then we will look at each one individually.
- Each beatitude has a promise attached to the end.
- Notice that the 1st(v.3) and the 8th(v.10) have a similar promise.
- Notice that the ones sandwiched in between all have different promises. Also notice that they all are promises for the future. “They shall be comforted…They shall inherit the earth…They shall be satisfied” and so on.
- But the promise of the 1st and the last seem to relate to the present: The disciples are assured that “theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”
- What do you think the meaning of this pattern is?
- From the fat that the first and the last are present tense, but the middle six are future tense, the implication is that the kingdom of Heaven is present with the disciples now, but that the full blessings of the kingdom will have to wait for the age to come.
- Another way to put it is that Jesus brought the kingdom of Heaven to earth and we can enjoy foretastes of it now, but the full experience of the kingdom will have to wait for the age to come.
- This is a big deal for then and now.
- Then: The disciples and the people were looking for a physical deliverance from the Roman Empire, but Jesus was saying that there was a future deliverance.
- Now: Many times people get say a prayer to get saved, but their life never changes. They are only looking forward to the future promise. They have their ticket into heaven (or at least think they do) and we should be looking forward to the future promise, but Jesus also gives us present promises and purpose.
- For example: v.7 promises, “They shall obtain mercy” (future tense). But in the parable in 18:23-35 the king says to the servant, “And should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?”
- In other words, Jesus teaches us that we do not merely wait for the age to come to receive mercy. It has come in Jesus. We taste it now in forgiveness of sins and so on.
- Consider v.9. It promises, “They shall be called the sons of God.” But look at v.16, “Let your line shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in Heaven.” God is already our Father. We are already sons and daughters. We have a foretaste of what is still to come.
Disciple / Crowd
- The disciples are at Jesus’ feet and hear these words as congratulations. The disciples are able to hear these beatitudes, celebrate, and rejoice about the work of God in their lives.
- But, what about the crowds? How do they hear these words?
- If you see people being welcomed into a feast with a certain garment on, don’t the words of welcome stir you up to go get a garment like that? If you see people being promised the blessings of eternal life because they are poor in spirit and meek, and pure, peaceable, and so on, doesn’t this make you want to become this type of person?
- So the beatitudes are words of celebration for the disciples. And the beatitudes are words of invitation for the crowds, the people who come to worship out of tradition, curiosity, or skepticism. What are they for you?
(v.3-4) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Christianity as a crutch
- Some time ago when I was debating with my brother (big skeptic), he asked me the question, “Isn’t Christianity a crutch for people who can’t make it on their own?”
- He was extremely surprised at my simple answer…Yes.
- Why is the thought of Christianity being a crutch considered to be a valid criticism of Christianity?
- People don’t generally think that crutches are a bad thing. People don’t usually look at a crutch and say, “That’s bad…it’s a crutch.”
- I think the answer that most critics would give is this: If Christianity is a crutch than it is only good for cripples. See, we don’t like to see ourselves as cripples. So it is offensive to our self-sufficiency to label Christianity as a crutch.
- Jesus says, “Those who are well have no need for a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17).
- In other words, the only people that will ever come to get what Jesus has to offer are sick people, people who know that they are spiritually and morally and very often physically crippled.
What does it mean to be “poor in spirit?”
- Let’s look at a few references to get a good picture:
- ABRAHAM: In dealing with the Lord about Sodom and Gomorrah he said, “Behold, I have taken upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes” (Gen. 18:27).
- JACOB: When Jacob returned to the promised land after spending 20 years in exile, he wrestled with God in prayer and said, “I am not worthy of the least of all the steadfast love and all the faithfulness you have shown to thy servant…” (32:10).
- MOSES: When God came to him with a mission to lead His people out of Egypt, he said, “Who am I that I should go to Pharoah, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt…My Lord, I am not eloquent…I am slow of speech” (Exodus 3-4)
- The reason God gets mad at Moses is not because of Moses humble assessment of his own abilities, but of his lack of faith in God’s ability.
- What is the biblical solution when a person is paralyzed by a sense of unworthiness, or uselessness?
- I believe with all my heart that it is NOT self-esteem.
- God did not say to Moses, “Stop putting yourself down. You are somebody. You are eloquent.” That is not the biblical way.
- What God said was, “Stop looking at your own unworthiness and uselessness and look at Me. I made the mouth. I will be with you. I will help you. I will teach you what to say.”
- So, what would we say “poor in spirit” is?
- It is a sense of powerlessness in ourselves.
- It’s a sense of spiritual bankruptcy
- It’s a sense of moral uncleanness before God
- It’s a sense of personal unworthiness before God
- It’s a sense that if there is going to be any usefulness or joy in this life it will have to be none of us, al of God, and all of grace.
(v.5) “Blessed are the gentle (humble or meek), for they shall inherit the earth.”
- We shouldn’t feel the need to brag about things. Would I feel the need to brag if my house is bigger than your house if I knew that my father owned the city and I was the beneficiary of his will?
- In Proverbs Solomon teaches that “pride come before destruction” (Prov. 16:18).
- “Everone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord…” (Prov. 16:5).
Drinking throw up
(v.6) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
- Restlessness and longing are universal traits of the human heart.
- God has put eternity into our hearts and we have an inconsolable longing.
- We try to satisfy it with scenic vacations, accomplishments, funny movies, sexual exploits, sports, drugs, and etc., but the longing remains.
- Throw up illustration…
- Isaiah put it like this, “Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Hearken diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance” (Isaiah 55:2-3).
- Many of you are like this, this morning. Your soul is hungry and your heart is thirsty. You feel an inconsolable longing for something.
- Almost everywhere you turn the grass is greener than where you stand.
- The biggest tragedy is that even though God is beckoning us to Himself we turn away again and again, to temporary, backfiring pleasures.
- The thrill of lust leaves us with a sense of guilt and loneliness. The drugs and alcohol can’t seem to keep you from waking up in the real world again and again. The tan looks so artificial and fades so quickly. And the new toy is boring within a few weeks.
- C.S Lewis, “If I find myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”
(v.7) “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”
- Mercy only comes from mercy.
- Our mercy to each other comes from knowing God’s mercy to us.
- If we don’t understand God’s mercy for us, we will not be merciful to others.
- So, what is mercy?
- I think that sometimes it helps to understand something more clearly if we look at the exact opposite.
- I’ve tried to find a passage where mercy is contrasted with its opposite.
- Matt 9:10-13, “Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and the sinners?” But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: I desire compassion (mercy), and not sacrifice, for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
- The opposite of mercy in this passage is sacrifice. Also a quote from Hosea 6:6.
- The point is that God wants His people to have feelings and affection toward Him and mercy toward one another.
- He does not want people who do their religious duties in a merely formal way.
- Jesus saw sinners as sick and miserable people in need of a physician, even though they were rich money movers of the day. They were sick and He had the medicine.
- All that the Pharisees saw was a ceremonial problem with becoming contaminated by eating with sinners. Their life seemed to be a mechanical implementation of rules.
- Something big was at stake here. They were enslaved in the trivial issues of ceremonial uncleanness when eternal sickness was about to be healed.
- This beatitude says, “Blessed are the merciful.” Therefore, if you want to be blessed, you must make war against the bondage of religious and secular trifles, and devote your life to weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith (Matt. 23:23-24).
(v.8) “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
- The first thing that we learn from reading this beatitude is that Jesus is concerned with our heart.
- It is not enough for us to just clean up our act on the outside.
- Jesus says, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of robbery and self indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate, so that the outside of it may become clean also” (Matt.23:25-26).
- The aim of Jesus is not to reform the manners of society, but to change the hearts of sinners like me and you.
- For example: Jesus would not be pleased with a society in which there was no adultery.
- In Matt. 5:27-28 Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
- The heart is what you are. In the secrecy or your thought and feeling, when nobody knows but God.
- What you are at the invisible matters as much to God as what you are visibly.
- “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).
- “For what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart…For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man” (Matt. 15:18-19).
- Many people will ask the same thing Solomon asked, “Who can say, “I have made my heart clean; I am pure from my sin?”
- The answer is, “With men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
- In other words, God creates the purity in us.
- By His grace, we must seek that gift by praying the same prayer as David, “Create in me a clean heart Oh God” (Psalm 51:10).
- God is the One who purifies the heart.
(v.9) “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
- What does it mean to be a peacemaker?
- The promise of sonship in the second half of 5:9 points us to Matt. 5:43-45 for a good insight.
- “You have heard it was said, “You shall love you neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your father who is in Heaven.”
- Notice in v.45, “…so that…” This is the same thought as 5:9. We must be peacemakers to be called sons of God. We must love our neighbors and pray for those who persecute you.”
- Peacemaking tries to build bridges to people.
- It doesn’t want animosity to remain.
- It wants reconciliation.
- It wants harmony.
(v.10-12) “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in Heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
- Is teaching on persecution still relevant for today?
- World perspective…
- Also to me and you. Paul says, “Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).
- Paul was so convinced of the complete counter cultural lifestyle of a Christian that conflict would be inevitable.
- Sooner or later, if not already, every Christian will be mistreated for what they believe or the way they live.
- If you cherish chastity, your life will be an attack on people’s love for free sex.
- If you embrace temperance, your life will be a statement against the love of alcohol.
- If you live simply and happily, you will show the folly of luxury.
- If you are earnest, you will make the flippant look flippant instead of clever.
- If you are spiritually minded you will expose the worldly-mindedness of those around you.
- When you desire to be godly in all of your affairs and relationships, there are two possible responses that the people can have around you.
- This is not a fallacious argument either.
- The two options are persecution or conversion.
- Many will think this is a fallacious argument and say, “Well what about the unbelievers in my life who are neither converted nor persecuting, who are civil and polite.
- I would say that your light is under a bushel.
