Opening illustration: How good are you at making enemies? No, I didn’t ask how good you are at making friends. That’s easy. Just be a good Joe, an easy spender, a tolerant sort of fellow who never offends anybody.
But how good are you at making enemies? If you are a child of God and you can move among wicked, ungodly, cursing men and women today, and not be different enough to incur their disfavor or reviling words, you certainly are not much of a testimony. Do you avoid discussing spiritual issues because you’re afraid of criticism for your faith in Christ? Are you ashamed to talk to others about Him for fear of losing friends?
In fact James 4:4 says, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” The Word of God is like a two-edged sword that cuts both ways. For believers it offers instructions on how to live a godly life (2 Timothy 3:16), and it brings conviction to the minds of unbelievers (Hebrews 4:12). [Our Daily Bread, M. R. De Haan]
Jesus’ words seem to contradict each other. But God’s way of living usually contradicts the worlds. If you want to live for Christ, you must be ready to say and do what seems strange to the world. You must be willing to give when others take, to love when others hate, to help when others abuse. By giving up your own rights in order to serve others, you will one day receive everything God has in store for you.
Let us turn to Matthew 5 and catch up with what Jesus was telling the listeners – things that were strange then as they are now, things that contradicted the world view then as much as is today. He raised more enemies for Himself than friends. In fact the ones that He had deserted or betrayed Him.
Introduction: The word “Blessed” is a grace word that expresses the special joys and sanctification granted the person who experiences salvation. It is more than happiness. It implies the fortunate state of those who are in God’s kingdom. The Beatitudes don’t promise laughter, pleasure or earthly prosperity. To Jesus “Blessed” means the experience of hope and joy, independent of outward circumstances. To find hope and joy, the deepest form of happiness, follow Jesus no matter what the cost.
Jesus said God’s Kingdom is organized differently from worldly kingdoms. In the kingdom of heaven, wealth and power and authority are unimportant. Kingdom people seek different blessings and benefits, and they have different attitudes. Are your attitudes a carbon copy of the world’s selfishness, pride and lust for power, or do they reflect the humility and self-sacrifice of Jesus, your King?
The first set of four beatitudes focus on our vertical relationship to God, the second set of four on our horizontal relationship to people. Each of the eight builds upon the other so that there is an amazingly beautiful and compelling progression.
Who are the blessed ones?
1. The Humble (vs. 3-5)
(a) Poor in Spirit - Humble; Recognize Sin (Luke 18:9-14 speaks of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector; Isaiah 66:2 trembling at the Word). To be “poor in spirit” refers to being a “spiritual beggar.” It means being completely destitute in the realm of the spirit, being totally dependent on the goodness of God. This is the type of person that God esteems (Isaiah 57:15; 66:2b). Martin Luther (1438–1546), once said, “God created out of nothing. Therefore until a man is nothing, God can make nothing out of him.” One of the most freeing experiences of my life is acknowledging my wretched state. I freely tell others that I am spiritually bankrupt apart from God.
(b) Mourn - Comfort and Strength will come. 2 Corinthians 7:10 tells us that godly sorrow works repentance. The word “mourn” in this context refers to mourning over sin. We should mourn the lack of righteousness in ourselves, our churches, and our society (in that order). We should also long for God to eradicate sin and usher in His perfect justice. To mourn, then, is to lament that the kingdom has not come and God’s will is not yet done. True Christianity manifests itself in what we cry over and what we laugh about. So often, we laugh at the things that we should weep over and weep over the things we should laugh at. In our heart of hearts, what do we weep about? What do we laugh about? If we are characterized by mourning, we shall be comforted by God now and in the eternal state.
© Gentle / Meek / Not Cowardly (Notice they inherit the earth which is synonymous with the kingdom of heaven mentioned prior in verse 3.) Jesus didn’t mean “blessed are the weak and deficient in courage.” “Meek” originally meant to bridle wild horses, to put strength and power under control. The word means “the ability to submit to God’s will.” The strongest man is not the one who forces his will upon others but the man who has power and willingly surrenders it. Moses was called “the meekest man on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). Even though he murdered a man and was a strong leader, he learned to be gentle and meek before God and man. When attacked or criticized he would do nothing but fall on his face and pray. Our Lord Jesus also referred to Himself as meek (Matthew 11:29; cf. 21:5).
• Same word used of Messiah coming, riding upon a donkey in Matthew 21:5.
• Also used of the meek and quiet spirit of godly women in 1 Peter 3:4.
• This has a lot to do with humility and servant hood, as does the prior two qualities.
(d) Poor in Spirit = Humble / Mourner = Humble / Gentle = Humble
(e) Blessedness comes with this type of person – James 4:6 says, “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."
Illustration: On a visit to the Beethoven museum in Bonn, a young American student became fascinated by the piano on which Beethoven had composed some of his greatest works. She asked the museum guard if she could play a few bars on it; she accompanied the request with a lavish tip, and the guard agreed. The girl went to the piano and tinkled out the opening of the Moonlight Sonata. As she was leaving she said to the guard, "I suppose all the great pianist who come here want to play on that piano." The guard shook his head. "Padarewski [the famed Polish pianist] was here a few years ago and he said he wasn't worthy to touch it."
2. The Pure (vs. 6-8)
(a) “Hunger and thirst for righteousness” - This beatitude is particularly interesting. Jesus does not say that He is looking for people who possess righteousness, but for people who want it desperately but don’t yet have it. Matthew most commonly uses the word “righteousness” to describe right–living before God. To “hunger and thirst for righteousness” is to desire to be Christ–like above all else. Think about the last time you were really hungry or thirsty. You were distracted from whatever else you were attempting to do, right? A person who is hungry or thirsty tends to push other things aside. They are desperate and their top priority is satisfying their hunger or thirst. Similarly, “those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” put becoming like Jesus Christ first. The result is they will be satisfied by God in this life and the next.
(b) “The merciful” - Do you have any enemies? Is there someone in your life who drives you crazy? Grant them mercy. When others hurt you, will you pray God’s blessing over that person? If God wants to discipline him or her, He will, but you and I can pray blessing. You won’t be merciful to others unless in the core of your being you appreciate the mercy that God has shown you. You will want your rights. You won’t fully understand that you deserve nothing. James 2:13 states “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” I want God’s mercy!
© “Pure in heart” - In the Word of God, the heart describes the inner person - who a man or woman really is. This is where purity begins. If one has internal integrity, it will manifest itself in external integrity. Jesus took the Pharisees to task on many points (see Matthew 23), all of which centered on the inconsistency between the external and internal parts of their lives. The outside parts of their lives were exceptionally clean, but on the inside their hearts were unclean. They wanted the world to see their clean hands while trying to hide their unclean hearts. It’s easier to avoid unclean hands (murder, stealing, and gluttony) than an unclean heart (envy, pride, bitterness). But in time, the hand manifests the heart. So ultimately, the way to have pure hands is to have a pure heart. And pure hearts are only possible by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. If you desire a clean life, start with a pure heart. Where the heart leads, the hands will follow.
3. The Persecuted yet Peacemaker (vs. 9-12)
The magazine Christianity Today once quoted an Amish church leader who noted, “Prosperity has often been fatal to Christianity, but persecution never.” Jesus also urged His disciples to consider persecution a blessing. It is important to note, however, that He had a particular kind of suffering in mind. It was persecution “because of righteousness.” Another kind of suffering may look like persecution, but it springs from a different source. This kind of suffering comes as a result of doing wrong (1 Peter 2:19–20).
If others call us obnoxious or unpleasant, we should not automatically assume that we are suffering for the sake of righteousness. It may be that we actually are obnoxious or unpleasant. The kind of suffering that Jesus characterized as “blessed” in the Sermon on the Mount does not come to us because of our personalities. This persecution comes as a result of our association with Jesus Christ.
This raises an important question for us: if persecution results in blessing, should we actively seek it? Jesus does not command us to seek persecution, but He does tell us to rejoice when it comes. If our lives genuinely reflect the righteousness of Christ and we are fulfilling our role as salt and light in the world, we will encounter opposition. Jesus warned that faithfully following Him may strain our most cherished personal relationships (Matthew 10:34-36). Likewise, the apostle Paul noted that those who live a godly life through Christ will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12).
Jesus said to rejoice when we are persecuted. Persecution can be good because –
• It takes our eyes off earthly rewards
• It strips away superficial belief
• It strengthens the faith of those who endure
• And our attitude through it serves as an example to others who follow
We can be comforted to know that God’s greatest prophets were persecuted (Elijah, Jeremiah, Daniel etc.). The fact that we are persecuted and falsely accused proves that we have been faithful; faithless people would go unnoticed. In the future God will reward the faithful by receiving them into his eternal kingdom where there is no more persecution.
Illustration: The world says,
Blessed are the strong, for they shall rule the earth.
Blessed are the mighty, for they shall rise to power.
Blessed are the rich, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are the influential, for they shall be favored.
Blessed are the popular, for they shall be loved.
Blessed are the gifted, for they shall be followed.
Blessed are the beautiful, for they shall be admired.
Result: Jesus says that we are following in the footsteps of the Old Testament prophets. These men were the godliest men of their day and they were the most powerfully used by God. They stood by God’s Word and preached it no matter what opposition came to them. We can rejoice because we’re in great company. Don’t get depressed or resentful or bitter if you are persecuted for Jesus’ sake. Don’t weep or say, “How can this be happening to me? Why is God allowing this?” God is watching you. He is putting your tears in a bottle. He is storing them all up and will one day bless you and reward you in a way that will make up for every distress. You are in the noble succession of the great men and women of God down the ages.
Application: You’ve heard it said, “Nice guys finish last?” Well, the truth is Godly guys (and gals) finish first. Maybe not from earth’s perspective but from heaven’s perspective, there is great reward when God approves of your life. Godly guys (and gals) finish first.
If you’re willing to make enemies for Jesus’ sake, rejoice, “for great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:12). If you live for God, you can expect trouble from the world.
