BIBLE TOPICS

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path". Ps 119:105

Subjects

THE BEATITUDES

Following his departure from Peter's house, with the four disciples, Jesus continued to travel throughout the area. Matthew, Mark and Luke provide many details regarding this period. Jesus continued to gather disciples, and his fame spread throughout the region.

Matthew's fourth chapter provides a general description of this preaching. His teaching and miracles of healing attracted great multitudes from areas in the north of Galilee and Decapolis, and from as far away as Jerusalem, Judea and beyond Jordan. (Matthew 4:23-25)

In our studies for the moment, we are going to jump forward in time to a period at the height of this activity, following the selection of Jesus' 12 Apostles from among the disciples. (Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16)

Both Matthew and Luke describe Jesus' teaching immediately following this selection. Luke does so in chapter 6 beginning at verse 17, but it is Matthew who provides the most complete detail.

Referring to his description regarding the crowds who now followed Christ, Matthew says:

"And when he saw the multitudes, he went up on the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. And opening his mouth he began to teach them, saying," Matthew 5:1,2

He then proceeds to deliver to them what are generally known as the eight Beatitudes. Jesus outlined the moral qualities of those he would approve as worthy of being in his Father's kingdom.

In this we see an echo of another servant of God, Moses, who was a type or example of Christ. Both Jesus and Moses ascended mountains and delivered God's law to His people. Both delivered what we could call "a Sermon on the Mount". Moses stood as Israel's representative to receive instruction:

"…stand here by Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I give them to possess". Deut. 5: 31

The ultimate aim and intention, on both occasions was the same:

"So you shall observe to do just as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left". Deut. 5:32

Moses was a mediator, who "received the law by the dispensation of Angels". (Gal. 3:19; Acts 7:38, 53)

God's communication through Jesus was direct. Jesus "opened his mouth" and God's words came forth. (Hebrews 1:1-4; Acts 3:22, 23)

This fulfilled a prophecy provided through Moses regarding the Messiah who would be eventually provided by God, and who would be a greater Prophet than Moses himself:

"I will raise up a Prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him". Deut. 18:18, 19

Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, echoed the sermon of Moses, while fulfilling the prophecy of the Greater Prophet. Moses' law listed blessings for the obedient, and offerings for the disobedient. (Deut. 28) Jesus however spoke of blessings only. Whereas the disobedient lived under curse in the Mosaic constitution, this class will be eliminated by Christ. They are not contemplated in his discourse of blessing. The disobedient will be banished at the commencement of his reign:

"And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness" Matthew 7:23

Although this teaching was intended primarily for his close disciples, it is evident that a considerable number of others were also present:

"… When Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were amazed at his teaching;" Matthew 7:28

Although John does not record this early presentation to the disciples in public, he records, in great detail, the long private talk of Jesus with the 12 Apostles at the end of his ministry. (John chapters 13-16)

Jesus, provides these eight introductory Beatitudes in a very positive manner, but he subsequently provides a grim counterpart in the 8 woes which he finally pronounced upon the "Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites". (Matthew 23: 13-29)

The opposition of these evil men was already evident, so that it became necessary eventually for Jesus to include in his teaching explicit warnings against their corrupted philosophy and practices, which had strayed far from God's word.

The list of blessings provided in the sermon on the Mount presents a picture of the type of character that should be developed in those who follow Christ.

Throughout his ministry, Jesus used examples of this blessing, such as:

"blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear;"
"blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me;"
"blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he comes, shall find so doing" etc.

If we watch for them in our reading of the Gospel, we will find many lessons that we should be applying to ourselves in our life before Christ. This is vital  if we are to be "happy in Him" and included with those whom Jesus welcomes into his Father's kingdom.

The Beatitudes

"Beatitude", is not a word found in the Bible. It comes from the Latin word for "blessed". It is applied to this discourse because it refers to the blessings of those who endeavour to develop the character described by Christ. The word which begins each of the 8 statements in the original Greek means blessed in the sense of being happy. Jesus is describing a heavenly happiness, the happiness of being in favour with God, or "walking with God", a happiness of the highest kind. (Compare Psalm 1:1,2; Deut. 33:29)

The personality that Jesus describes is essentially his own and he anticipates that his followers will try to emulate his character and dedication. The discourse bears no relationship to those outside the hope of salvation through Christ, in the promises of God. It portrays the moral qualities of people already in a relationship of commitment with God.

There are eight Beatitudes, and in the Scriptures, the number 8 is associated with a new beginning, and with circumcision, symbolic of the cutting off of the natural or fleshly instincts. (Genesis 17:9-14; Lev. 12:3; Luke 1:59; Luke 2:21)

In each one of the eight Beatitudes, the person of whom Jesus speaks is pronounced "blessed", or happy. This is not only because of the prospect set before that person regarding the Kingdom of God, noted in the first and last Beatitudes, but also because of the continuing tranquility of mind of those who know and do their Lord's will:

"If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them". John 13:17

1. Poor in Spirit - (Matthew 5:3)

We compare this with:

"…But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at my word." Isaiah 66:2

Such a mind has chosen the way of God over being consumed by the attractions in the nature of the flesh. One cannot begin to accept the gifts of God while being absorbed with achieving the prizes of the world. Human wisdom gives way to "trembling at the Word of God". At the end of such "poverty", there is great riches - an eternal abiding place in God's Kingdom.

2. They that Mourn- Matthew 5:4

Such people are committed to the truth of God's Word. They view the world from God's position, and they lament a society that either has no interest in, or actively opposes, the things of God. Jesus' words are an echo of Isaiah 61, where, in verse 3, there is a reference to "mourn in Zion". They mourn the absence of their Lord, (Matthew 9:15), and they await "the times of refreshing", referred to in Acts 3:19-21, when Jesus will be once again sent to this earth.

3. The Meek - Matthew 5:5

Such individuals are teachable. Jesus provides us with two very significant ‘Bible echoes' here.  The first can be found in Psalm 25: 9-14. Quoting only from verse 9:

"The meek will He guide in judgment; and the meek will He teach His way".

He ties this in with a similar promise made in another Psalm:

"But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace". Psalm 37:11

Meekness and gentleness are quite often looked upon as weaknesses in our world. But in fact, the true meaning of this quality is to be found only in the strongest of characters. Example:

"Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth". Numbers 12:3

This is a quality which requires courage and self-control. It consists of not putting our confidence in the way of the flesh, but rather of rejoicing in God's words and trying to follow His ways:

"…Who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh," Philippians 3:3

4. Hungering and Thirsting after Righteousness - Matthew 5:6

Once again, Jesus provides us with an echo from Isaiah:

"Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost". Isaiah 55:1

The true disciple of Christ is emptied of the ingredients that give satisfaction to the carnal mind. But life cannot remain empty. A person who is satisfied by the world has no interest in spiritual food.

The poor in spirit, the meek, etc., are blessed for qualities they already possess. But those Jesus is describing here have an ongoing longing for righteousness. This longing can only be satisfied in God, in His Word, and in Jesus. Peter came to understand this longing:

"Like new born babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation," 1 Peter 2:2

Jesus himself said:

"…I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst". John 6:35

5. The Merciful - Matthew 5:7

Self-discipline, if we are not careful, can produce a harsh attitude toward the failings of others. We must balance this with "goodness" or "kindness or mercy" as it is shown in God Himself:

"Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off". Romans 11:22

The motive for our mercy comes from the love of God. Once we come to know and realize His loving grace and generosity, and the way in which His mercy flows to us through His Son, it creates within us a responsive love. Love of God finds expression in love of others. We cannot give like God, but we can and must learn to forgive like Him and be merciful.

"If someone says, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar…" 1 John 4:20

Someone asked Jesus, "which is the great commandment in the law?" We are all encouraged to read and commit to our hearts the response that he gave. It is recorded in Matthew 22:37, 38.

6. Pure in Heart - Matthew 5:8

A reference providing an echo back to Psalm 24 gives us a further insight into the nature of those who will see God:

"…Who may stand in His Holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Thy face…" Psalm 24:3-6

Unless our hearts are pure, our lives cannot be, no matter how much our actions and our words might seem to suggest that it is:

"To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. They confess to know God but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed". Titus 1:15, 16

Pure means "unmixed". Gold is only pure when there are no alloys present. In order to purify our hearts, our efforts should be directed towards seeking God's way rather than pursuing the inclination toward sin in the nature of man. The intention is that we endeavour to reject all forms of evil in our lives, not just some.

Our Heavenly Father knows that this is difficult. If we are to follow Jesus' instruction, we should be searching our own hearts for evils that we might be harbouring, just as God searches them:

"The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give to each man always according to his ways, according to the results of his deeds". Jeremiah 17:9,10,

We can best work toward this by a prayerful and sincere concentration on Jesus who is pure and holy, remembering the love that both Jesus and his Father have extended towards us. Even as we try to make ourselves morally and spiritually like Jesus, we do so with hope in the knowledge that when he returns, we can be perfected in him and made like him:

"…We know that, when he appears, we shall be like him, … And everyone who has this hope fixed on him purifies himself, just as he is pure". 1 John 3:2,3

7. Peacemakers - Matthew 5:9

A study of God's Word on the subject of peace, quickly reveals that peace-makers in God's sight are not simply those who run around trying to make truces providing peace among other parties. The wisdom book in God's word gives us an insight into this direction that Jesus is providing:

"He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city". Proverbs 16:32
"Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit". Proverbs 25:28

Before the follower of Christ can make peace within and among others, he must quieten his own restless spirit. Peace is a fruit of the spirit provided to those who truly follow Jesus:

"…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; … those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires". Galatians 5:22-24

James, in his Epistle, says "wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits". (James 3:17)

The opposite is true of those who are controlled by natural fleshly wisdom, who have "jealousy and selfish ambition in their hearts". (James 3:14)

Peace is difficult to maintain and must be pursued or diligently preserved:

"Being diligent to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace". Ephesians 4:3
"Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it". Psalm 34:14

Those who are peacemakers, in this manner, says Jesus, are the sons, or the children of God. They are at peace with the Father:

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" Romans 5:1

8. Persecuted for Righteousness' Sake - Matthew 5:10-12

Jesus has been describing the characteristics of a saint, a "called out one" or "separated one" who endeavours to follow or emulate Him as much as possible. The character of such individuals is not attractive to the world in general. Those who reject a true understanding of God and His Son will sometimes reject those who reflect the characteristics of Jesus, just as the ungodly Jews in Israel rejected Jesus himself. This has been true throughout history, and many examples are found in God's own word. At times of persecution for faith in God and His word, His hope shines through as a beacon and an ultimate haven of safety:

"Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at His word; your brothers who hate you, who exclude you for My name's sake, …will be put to shame". Isaiah 66:5

Jesus' disciples, those who actually heard his word during his day, would fellowship his sufferings, and share the impact of hatred and cruelty with him. The measure of their faith would be the measure of their persecution. Suffering would develop trust and strength of character. They, too, would be made "perfect through suffering". (Compare Hebrews 2:10; 5:8,9)

Most who live in the western nations have been blessed with the freedom to worship God and follow Jesus without fear of persecution. This has not always been true, nor is it true today, in other areas of the world. We must anticipate the possibility that it may not always be true here.

Jesus knew that such persecution would take place throughout the ages until he once again returned. His true disciples, who endured such persecution, would be rewarded with their position in the Kingdom which was to be set up at that time.

Jesus, therefore, provides further words of encouragement to be remembered during such times. Matthew records these words in verses 10 and 11 following the declaration of the Beatitudes.

Their persecutions would align them with Jesus and the prophets. This would give them incentive for they would be assured of reward in the Kingdom. Rather than be sad, they had cause to leap for joy. (Compare Acts 5:41; 1 Peter 4:13, 14; 1 Peter 3:14; Philippians 1:29)

LESSON FOR US

Thus short study has only begun to "scratch the surface" of the depth and meaning in the eight Beatitudes provided by Jesus as he preached to his disciples. Hopefully, this study has provided an insight into them and a direction toward seeking the lessons from them which can be used to guide each one of us in our daily lives.

The picture that has been presented to us should not be intimidating, causing us to give up, or feeling that it is beyond our feeble efforts to achieve. God knows and understands and forgives this. He is looking for our desire to strive for these characteristics and implant them in our daily lives. Our efforts are the seeds from which He will provide the growth, and which will be ultimately perfected at the time of Jesus' return.

In all the history of mankind, only Jesus, His own Son, has achieved the full perfection of the perfect child of God.

We are blessed if, in a time of weakness or temptation, we surrender our hearts to the refining discipline of God. We are then controlled by the character of Jesus, and are blessed, if, for only a few moments, we have felt something near to it. These are moments when all thoughts of self have gone and we are conscious only of the nearness of the Father. To Jesus this must have been an abiding possession. To us, it can be a rare and passing moment of sublime devotion, but it holds within it the promise of eternity.

Like his disciples that day on the Mount, through God's word, we have the privilege of sitting at the feet of Jesus to learn the manner of person that he would have us become. The disciple and follower of Christ can look to his words, and in these words hear the echo of our Saviour saying:

"…Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age". Matthew 28:20

In turn, we might echo the spirit of the words in the last two verses of the Bible: "Come, Lord Jesus", quickly come." (Revelation 22:20)

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