REMARKABLE INSIGHTS ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT FROM THE GREEK LANGUAGE
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THE BEATITUDES : Matthew 5:3-9
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
2. Blessed are those who mourn,for they will be comforted.
3. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
5. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
6. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
INTRODUCTION
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The GREEK word for BLESSED is Makarios which means blessed , to be fully satisfied . In the New testament it indicates the state of the beleiver in Christ. He is indwelt by God because of Christ and as a result is fully satisfied. In the biblical sense , a blessed person is one whom God makes fully satisfied , not because of favourable circumstances , but because He indwells the beleiver through Christ . Makarios is the one who is in the world yet independent of the world: his satisfaction comes from God and not from favourable cirumstances.
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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The GREEK word for POOR is Ptochos which means poor and helpless ; one who in his abjectness needs lifting . One who has fallen from a better estate.His state is worse than the poor who can earn his bread by daily labour and who has the barest necessities. Ptochos is one who has nothing at all .
The GREEK word for SPIRIT is Pneuma which means the element in man by which he perceives , reflects , feels and desires.
The GREEK word for KINGDOM is Basileia which means King , Royal dominion .
Therefore when we realise our utter helplessness to have the right perception , right thoughts , right feelings and right desires in our own strength , we will become totally dependent on God and then God will rule over our lives and as a result we will experience total satisfaction and fulfillment in our lives . This is the blessing that Jesus wants us to experience.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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1 Corinthians 1:26-31
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,
so that no one may boast before him.
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."
John 15:4-5
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Luke 16:19-31
"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores
and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
In hell,where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
So he called to him, ’Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
"But Abraham replied, ’Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
"He answered, ’Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house,
for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
"Abraham replied, ’They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
" ’No, father Abraham,’ he said, ’but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
"He said to him, ’If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ "
2. Blessed are those who mourn,for they will be comforted.
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The GREEK word for MOURN is Pentheo which means mourning , to mourn , grieve , upon the death of a friend .
Therefore when we lose someone whom we really love , we have a promise that the Lord Himself would comfort us and then we would be in a position to comfort others with the same comfort that we have received from God.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Isaiah 66:13
" As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you;and you will be comforted over Jerusalem."
II Corinthians 1:3-4
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."
Psalm 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
3. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
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The GREEK word for MEEK is Praus which means meek and the GREEK word for MEEKNESS is Prautes which means meekness , expressed not in a man’s outward behaviour nor in his relations to his fellowman or his mere natural disposition , but expressed rather as an inwrought grace of the soul , first and chiefly directed toward God . That attitude of spirit in which we accept God’s dealings with us as good and do not dispute or resist. It is the middle course in being angry , standing between two extremes, getting angry without reason and not getting angry at all . Therefore it is getting angry at the right time , in the right measure and for the right reason. It is a condition of mind and heart which demonstrates gentleness not in weakness but power . It is a virtue born in strength of character.
Therefore when we allow God to work in a hearts , we would develop a divine meekness which would enable us to accept the will of God in our lives cheerfully without resistance or murmuring. And we would also control our anger so that we get angry only at the right time , for the right reason and to the right extent. And we would also be gentle towards others , because of our great inner strength which helps us to endure many things without reacting violently.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Romans 9:18-24
Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
One of you will say to me: "Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?"
But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ’Why did you make me like this?’ "
Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?
What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory—
even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?
Jeremiah 18:1-6
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD :
"Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message."
So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel.
But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
Then the word of the LORD came to me:
"O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.
Matthew 11:29
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek,for they will inherit the earth.
James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
I Peter 5:6
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
Mattthew 18:4
Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 23:12
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Mark 10:43-44
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
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The GREEK word for RIGHTEOUSNESS is Diakaiosune : It is the fulfillment of God’s claims .Righteousness is the state commanded by God and standing the test of His Judgement . It is conformity to all that He commands or appoints. Since God Himself is the standard of the beleiver , the righteousness of God means the righteousness which belongs to God or a God-like righteousness. The righteousness of God is the right which God has upon man. In order for man to recognise and fully submit to the right of God upon his life, he must receive God who offers Himself or His righteousness to man as a gift . Man in his natural , fallen , condition tends rather to accept his own set of standards , creating his own righteousness. Such behaviour , however , is not really righteousness and does not satisfy God .
God’s righteousness is imputed and imparted as a gift to man but cannot be earned. It results in God’s act of justification of man by his faith through Christ. Man only needs to accept the claims of God upon his life and repent of his sin , receiving Christ as his saviour by faith, thus becoming a child of God. The result is the realization of God’s claims upon him by the miraculous regenerating action of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore we can receive God’s righteousness when we repent of our sins and receive God’s forgiveness and His Justification . The Lord gives us His robe of righteousness and we can rest assured that it would satisfy every requirement of God.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Romans 5:17-21
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,
so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Philippians 3:9
and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
Luke 18:9-14
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:
"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ’God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ’God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
5. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
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The GREEK word for MERCIFUL is Eleemon which means Compassionate, benevolently merciful, involving thought and action .It gives expression to the love which is inherent in an individual and which finds its emphasis in the expression and power of that love , not merely being inspired by a need . It is not merely those who express acts of mercifulness, but who have this attribute as a result of the indwelling of God within them , being blessed because of Christ.
Therefore when we have a genuine love and compassion in our hearts , we will express it towards those who need mercy and as a result we will experience mercy in our lives whenever we need it.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Psalm 41:1-3
Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.
The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.
The LORD will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.
Proverbs 14:31
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
Luke 6:27-36
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.
Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ do that.
And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ lend to ’sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full.
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Matthew 6:1-4
"Be careful not to do your ’acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
I Corinthians 13:3
" If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
6. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
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The GREEK word for PURE is Katharos which means in a spiritual sense, clean or pure , from the pollution or guilt of sin. Something that has been cleansed by shaking to and fro as in a seive or winnowing . It describes the purity contemplated under the aspect of that which is free from soil or stain.
The GREEK word for HEART is Kardia which comprises heart , thoughts , reasonings , understanding , will , judgement , designs, affections , love , hatred, fear ,joy , sorrow , anger , mind , intention , conscience.
Therefore when every area of our heart such as our thoughts , motives , decisions , plans , desires , conscience etc have been purified and all impurities and stains have been removed , we are in a position to receive a deep revelation of God.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Psalm 139:23-24
" Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
1 Thessalonians 5:23
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
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The GREEK word for PEACE MAKERS is Eirenopolos which means the one who makes peace in others having first received the peace of God in his own heart , not simply one who makes peace between two parties .
The GREEK word for SONS is Hulos which primarily signifies the relation of offspring to parent and not simply the birth. It refers to those who show maturity acting as sons. It is used of Jesus as a manifestation of His relationship with the Father or the expression of His character.
Therefore when we have peace with God and are in a right relationship with Him, we are in a position to help others receive that divine peace , then we would called the sons of God , the sons who are in close relationship with the Father and who have become like the Father in their character and nature . Thus all those who see us , can see the nature of the Father reflected in our lives.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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Romans 5:1
" Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ "
John 14:27
" Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
John 14: 8-9
"Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
Jesus answered: "Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ’Show us the Father’? "
Ephesians 4:2-4
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—
Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
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