Matthew 5:1-12
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
We have devoted the last several months to the study of Biblical Doctrine. Doctrine in its simplest definition represents teaching, the teachings of the church. We have focused on what the Bible has related without dilution from sources such as tradition and reason. Some consider this to be both unessential and boring. In reality, knowing what you believe and being able to confidently and gracefully state such is at the heart of witness. You have allowed me to lead you down this path with co-operation and focus as I have read your faces from this spot. As some of you are aware, I have taught a Sunday class of mature adults at another church for 19 years now. Recently, one of the members collapsed in the floor, suggesting a sinister event. As I rushed to his side, a voice from the row behind him said, “He just fell asleep.” I am grateful that so far I have not lulled anyone into the arms of Morpheus here. Perhaps I should add, “Not yet.”
A lady from this same class recently completed a trip to the Holy Land. The trip was one of extended air travel and scurrying from one site to another. Her group saw many historic sights. As she told of the experience, her eyes brightened as she described seeing the Sea of Galilee out of her hotel window one morning. The fatigue and inconvenience were all worth it just to visualize this sea of Biblical history.
It was on a hilltop adjacent to this sea that Jesus delivered the teaching that we know as the Sermon on the Mount one spring day. The crowd numbered more than 5000 for only the men were counted. Jesus began by talking about attitude. This sermon then and now was and is rightly directed to only those reborn in His image. Unless indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the demands of the Kingdom of which Jesus is King either overwhelm and depress the hearer or promote self-righteousness by their meeting a few demands. He begins with the attitudes for Kingdom living. These are referred to as the “Beatitudes”. Simply, let your attitude be as these.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. What is Jesus saying to us? We are spiritually destitute without God. We are locked in a world of the temporary and the secular if we lack spiritual communication with God. We are bereft of hope.
Blessed are they who mourn for they will be comforted. On first blush you might reason that Jesus is speaking of the general mourning of this world at the bedside or graveside. But since Jesus is speaking of the Kingdom of God, He is speaking of the mourning of sins. It is our sinful nature and the sins that arise from our darkness that prompt such mourning. Forgiveness begins with sorrow, contrition and repentance.
Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth. In the thoughts of modern society, meek rhymes with weak but this is not Jesus’ point. On at least one occasion, Jesus fashioned a whip and purged the temple of those offering commerce. Meekness implies that one is God-controlled.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. Our hunger for fellowship with God should rival the physical appetite of a starving man.
Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy. God does for us as we are willing to do for others. Mercy is an action word extended to us as we extend the same to all comers.
Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. The eye of God peers into our souls. He is pleased if he finds both the reflection of His Son and His own character there.
Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called the sons of God. Note that Jesus blesses not the lover of peace but the ones devoted to the establishment and cultivation of peace. Inherent in this is the task of loving the unlovable.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Righteousness is a justness that is the basis for fellowship with God. The warning is that true fellowship with God predisposes to persecution. The mistreatment of Jesus underscores the likelihood of the persecution of His followers. Our souls are the object of a cosmic battle between the forces of good and evil. Eternity’s security rides on the outcome.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and say all manner of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven. The world will scorn us as it did God’s son. Attitude is obviously critical.
A few months ago it was the talk of the local sports world. His shots were not falling with any degree of regularity. Announcers and commentators analyzed the position of his feet, the lean of his body when he jumped and the extension of his arm when he shot. No one questioned his attitude. Even the look on his coach’s face showed a striking degree of acceptance when his shots didn’t find their mark. As the season went on, more of his shots began to fall and many ideas were offered for his improvement. After the season, the sports world was informed that the athlete in question had successfully undergone treatment for testicular cancer including radiation therapy. To say “radiation therapy” unites a brotherhood and sisterhood of those who have undergone such treatment. The idea is to kill cells, hopefully killing all cancerous cells and leaving the normal able to recover. The situation brings to mind the old saying of “rode hard and put away wet.”
So, we had a very young man in his early 20’s who was struck by a life-threatening disease while playing the fast-paced sport of college basketball. He continued to practice, play and compete despite the physical and emotional stress. He told no one but his roommate and his coach. He offered no alibis and sought no sympathetic ear.
His attitude was exceptional. Most of us recognize him as Chris Lofton, the UT basketball sharp shooter. Chris’ father told a UT recruiter perhaps the most important piece of information concerning his son. Rejected by the major universities of his home state, Mr. Lofton said, “You should take my son, he is special.”
The same can be said for God’s Son. Jesus of Nazareth is the Way and the means into the Kingdom of God. His special nature is eternal. It is His actions on the cross that provide for our salvation. His teachings fortified by the direction of the indwelling Holy Spirit guide us on the pathway of obedience and sanctification.