Blessed Attitudes
(No 23, 1-17)
November 9, 2015
By C. H. James
To
reveal the unseen spiritual depth of this well-known portion of the “Sermon on
the Mount.”
Text:
Matthew 5:1-10
Matthew 5:1-10
1 And seeing the multitudes,
he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2 And he opened his mouth,
and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in
spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that
mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for
they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do
hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful:
for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in
heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the
peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are
persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Somewhere
between the age of six and nine, my Sunday school teacher encouraged our class
to memorize one or more of the “beatitudes.” At that young age, I had no idea
of the incredible spiritual revelation contained in these ten little verses and
neither did my teachers. You see, it was generally believed that these were
pretty little sayings suitable for children. I confess, memorizing anything was
not among things I liked to do, but to avoid the consequences for refusal, I
wisely complied.
The
“beatitudes” remained a childhood memory until I had occasion to visit a church
where my friend, Ralph was preaching. Ralph was a young pastor and teacher of a
local New England church and was going to present a series of teachings based
on the beatitudes. As I sat and listened, I couldn’t help being impressed by
his knowledge of Greek, a knowledge that reflected the degree of research and
preparation he’d done to bring a deeper and more discernable understanding to
this, here-to-fore portion of scripture usually relegated to children; a
portion which held only a superficial interest for me. I am happy to say, that
the Holy Spirit used Ralph to open my eyes to an understanding of the “beatitudes”
that in over forty plus years, I’ve never forgotten.
These
ten verses were certainly more, much more than mere pretty, little verses for
children. The “Sermon on the Mount” is considered by many to be the centerpiece
of Christ’s teachings. If this is so, then we might consider “the beatitudes”
to be the very heart of that centerpiece. Though this teaching was given
through Jesus, it didn’t originate there. It came directly from God, our
heavenly Father, to us through Jesus.
John 7:16
16 Jesus answered them, and
said, My doctrine is not mine, but his
that sent me.
John 8:26-29
26 I have many things to say
and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.
27 They understood not that
he spake to them of the Father.
28 Then said Jesus unto them,
When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and
that I do nothing of myself; but as my
Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
29 And he that sent me is
with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
John 12:50
50 And I know that his
commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.
For
Disciples Only
In
the fifth chapter of Matthew, in the very first verse, we learn that when Jesus
saw the multitudes gathering, he left them and retreated to a mountain where,
after sitting down, he began to teach his disciples. This was not a teaching
designed for a spontaneous congregation. This teaching was meant for the ears
of his chosen apprentices only, those disciples who, together with him, would
form the spiritual foundation of the church. Not a church built of wood, hay or
stubble, nor one adorned with the wealth of men, for God would not abide in any
temple made with hands. The only temple acceptable as a habitation for God
would be a creation of his own making, his creation of man. Not just any man,
but only those washed clean in the blood of the Lamb, those whose “body
temples” had been prepared and sanctified. These alone, were chosen to be the
dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 3:11-13
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is
Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon
this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be
made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by
fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
Acts 7:47-50
47 But Solomon built him an
house.
48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith
the prophet,
49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye
build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
1 Corinthians 3:16
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the
Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
The
doctrine these disciples were about to receive was given to them as a formal
teaching. In those times, when a teacher (rabbi) sat down, it meant school was
now in session.
The
next verse (Matthew 5:2), at first glance, appears to be unnecessarily obvious.
After all, how is one to speak unless they, “open their mouth?” however, this
comes as an alert, informing us that something of great spiritual consequence
or relevance is about to be uttered by that mouth. It tells us that what is
about to be spoken is noteworthy and meant to be retained. The phrase, “he
opened his mouth” is also used in another text, found in the book of Revelation
(Revelation 13:6). In this text, we discover the beast, Satan’s appointed agent
is blaspheming God’s name, his dwelling place and all those who dwell with him;
I’m sure you’ll agree this has great spiritual significance, though evil. It
may also be noted, that the word, “taught” also used in this verse, indicates
that this teaching, i.e. the beatitudes was meant to be repeated by those who
received it (ref. Strong’s Gk #1321). The importance of this teaching cannot be
overstated.
The
Beatitudes
It
is the accepted belief that the word, “beatitude” is a composite of two words,
“blessed” and “attitudes.” Like the word, “trinity” commonly used in
theological circles, this word, i.e. “beatitude”(s) is not to be found in
scripture. However, this word has no negative effect on any presently held
doctrine that I’m aware of. The teaching stands on its own.
It
is important to note at this point, that each verse from Matthew 5:3 to 5:10 is
given in a special designated order. Each verse is built on the previous verse like
a set of stairs, stairs that form a spiritual staircase leading to the door of
God’s kingdom. We cannot build step two until step one is securely in place.
The first four steps are already in place, constructed by Christ, so that we
can begin our accent upward. Though he completed the first four for us, it is
encumbered upon us to discover the reason behind their order and understand the
true meaning of each. It will however,
take an additional four to reach our goal, four additional steps that we must
construct with the Holy Spirit guiding us.
Step One
Matthew 5:3
Blessed
are the poor in spirit: for theirs
is the kingdom of heaven.
The
first word given in this verse is, “Blessed” and it’s repeated in each of the
beatitudes that follow. What does this word mean? What message does it convey?
My pastor friend, Ralph, after doing the necessary research, discovered to his
surprise, that this word was taken from Greek mythology; a rather strange place
for Jesus to borrow a word. In common terms, the word means “joy,” but this
does not convey the complete message that Jesus intended. It’s the kind of joy
expressed by this word that allows us to see deeper into the message being
taught.
You
see, the word “blessed” expressed in Greek is “Makarias” meant joy, but not the
joy of men, but a joy only available to the gods; a divine joy. Let’s examine
the first beatitude using this additional knowledge and see if it becomes any
clearer.
In
this context, given in paraphrase (Matthew 5:3), now says, “Oh, the divine joy
of those whose spirit is depressed, for they shall receive the kingdom of
heaven.” This makes no sense at all therefore, we have more to learn. Neither
we nor the world in which we live consider us blessed when living in the grip
of depression. We’re more likely to be seen as cursed, but hold on, our
understanding will get even darker before it’s illuminated by the light of
truth. However, it will be illuminated.
The
word used in this first beatitude to describe our depressed condition is
“poor,” this word is rendered in Greek as “ptochos.” There are two words in
Greek that mean “poor.” The word “penes” (Strong’s Gk #3993) meaning barely
enough to survive, but this is not the word used. The word “ptochos” (Strong’s
Gk #4434) is used here. It would apply to the beggar called Lazarus found in
Luke’s gospel (Luke 16:20, 21).
Luke 16:20, 21
And there was a certain
beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed
with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came
and licked his sores.
In
Jesus’ day, the word “ptochos” was rarely used. It was considered an insult or
a profanity, nevertheless, this is the word Jesus chose to use to describe our
pitiful condition before receiving him.
He
used it also in the above text to describe the desperate condition of Lazarus
the beggar. He fed on the scraps left over from the rich man’s table. Lazarus
waited for the garbage he tossed into the street each day so he could feed
himself. There he sat, baking under the
hot, desert sun, with the weeping sores of leprosy, abandoned by all who feared
his disease except for the dogs who came to like his wounds. Lazarus didn’t
have “barely enough to live;” he had “not enough to live.” He would be a little
more dead today than yesterday because he was in the process of dying a slow,
miserable death.
This
then is the meaning of the word “poor” given in this third verse. Let’s see now
if we understand this simple child’s memory verse. Let’s paraphrase it again
using what we’ve just learned.
(Matthew
5:3) “Oh, the divine joy of those who are so totally wretchedly broken and
abandoned for they shall receive the kingdom of heaven.” How does their
pathetic condition contribute to their gaining the kingdom of heaven? Think
about it for a minute, mediate on it and give the Holy Spirit opportunity to
teach you.
If
you do, the Holy Spirit might reveal this beatitude in this way, “Oh the divine
joy of those who have been so totally, wretchedly broken and abandoned that
they have nowhere to turn, but to God for in so doing, they shall become God’s children
and as such, they shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.” We should not forget,
that the desired goal of the beatitudes is to guide us to the kingdom of heaven.
Now
that we understand this first step (Matthew 5:3); we can go on to the next
step, right? Not yet; not until we give ourselves the opportunity to reflect on
this for another few moments.
When
the Lord entered our tangled lives, we were lost and wandering about in
spiritual darkness; we were helpless and hopelessly sinking in our own sinful
filth and corruption. From a heart filled with desperation, we silently cried
out for help, from a God whose existence we had denied, both by word and deed.
Inflicted with guilt and made prisoner by sin, we reached out, hoping to find a
straw to hold on to, but instead, we found a nail pierced hand outstretched and
waiting for us. God extended his hand compassionately, offering it to lift us
from the dark, horrible, miry pit of death, that held us captive.
Psalms 40:1-3
1 I waited patiently for the
Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard
my cry.
2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and
set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many
shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.
The
Lord didn’t mind getting his hands dirty by reaching into the world’s gutter to
pull us out. He paid no attention when our filth stained his spotless body. He
did it all, because his God and ours, his Father and ours, loved us that much.
John 20:17
17 Jesus saith unto her,
Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren,
and say unto them, I ascend unto my
Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
Romans 5:8
8 But God commendeth his love
toward us, in that, while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.
New,
redeemed and reborn, we walk in the newness of life. The old life now behind,
its filth cleansed; its evil deeds forgotten, he has made all things new.
Hebrews 8:12
12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I
remember no more.
2 Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore if any man be in
Christ, he is a new creature: old things
are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Philippians 3:13, 14
13 Brethren, I count not
myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto
those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark
for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Step Two
Matthew 5:4
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
We
already know what “blessed” means, so let’s focus now on the word “mourn” which
in Greek is “pentheo.” Most often, this word brings to mind the sadness brought
about by the death of a loved one. This however, is not the reason given here
for mourning. Having now been rescued from our ultimate destruction, we find
ourselves looking into the face of the spotless Lamb of God. Our guilt calls to
mind all the times we took his name in vain, the times we denied his existence
and sinned, wounding him over and over again. How do we feel now? Yes, sorry,
so we begin to mourn the pain we’ve caused him to suffer on our behalf, the
pain he had to suffer at Calvary to free us from our pain.
His Response
How
does the Lord respond to our grief? Consumed with compassion, he consoles us in
our grief, comforting us in our time of mourning. The word for “comforted” in
Greek here is “parakaleo” from which we derive the Greek word, “parecletos”
meaning Comforter, i.e. the Holy Spirit. We discover here that our God has chosen,
through the Holy Spirit, to comfort us personally, one on one. Beyond the
shadow of doubt, our God is truly a God of love.
Re-cap
1.
We
were drowning in our own sin and despair when Christ lifted us from the pit of
death and destruction.
2.
We
realized, for the first time, the pain we had caused him and felt ashamed,
mourning the damage we had caused and so, we repented. He restored our soul and
comforted our grief stricken heart. What an amazing God we serve.
Step Three
Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Let
us now turn our attention to this word, “meek.” It sounds like the word,
“weak,” but in reality, they’re opposites. It takes great strength to be meek,
i.e. humble. In Greek, the word for meek is “praus.” Those who walk in the
peace of God, walk in meekness, trusting him to go before them.
Exodus 14:14
14 The LORD shall fight for
you, and ye shall hold your peace.
Isaiah 26:3
3 Thou wilt keep him in
perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on
thee: because he trusteth in thee.
The
“meek,” those under God’s control, have the strength to replace their anger
with compassion and turn the chaos in others to peace and order. The ministry
of reconciliation is given to all believers, but only the meek among them are
able to accomplish this ministry. In all the bible, there are only two men who
were called “meek.” These two men are Moses and Jesus. I don’t think any true
believer would call either of these two men weak. When they were assaulted,
they offered compassion. From a position of power, they chose to humble
themselves rather than seek vengeance.
When
Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, his older brother, spoke against Moses,
God struck Miriam with leprosy. If it were not for the meekness of Moses, she
would have perished before their eyes (Numbers, chapter twelve).
Romans 5:10
10 For if, when we were
enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by
his life.
Colossians 1:21
21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by
wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
Certainly,
we can’t forget what Jesus said to his Father while in agony upon the cross;
“Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” As the “Prince of Peace,”
Jesus gave his life to restore peace between man and God. Now, he has given
this ministry to those who follow him, de we have the meekness to carry out
this mission?
Matthew 5:39
But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall
smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to
him the other also.
Matthew 5:44
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse
you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use
you, and persecute you;
Only
those under God’s control are meek enough to turn the other cheek. Only those
with great compassion, will be able to love their enemies, as Jesus did.
2 Corinthians 5:18-21
18 And all things are of God,
who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto
himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us
the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are
ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in
Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be
sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in
him.
Romans 14:19
19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for
peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
Meekness
reflects great strength, not the outward physical strength of Sampson, but the
internal spiritual strength demonstrated by the Apostles (Acts 5:32-42, 2
Corinthians 11:23-31).
The
Apostle Paul leaves us with a final message concerning the peace made possible
by meekness.
2 Corinthians 13:11
11 Finally, brethren,
farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
God
promised the meek that the earth would one day be theirs.
Step Four
Matthew
5:6
6
Blessed are they which do hunger and
thirst after righteousness: for they
shall be filled.
Let’s
review.
1.
We
were drowning to death in our own sin and Jesus came to our rescue, granting us
mercy.
2.
We
grieved over the pain we caused him and he forgave us, cleansed us and
comforted us.
3.
We
recognized that we were out of control and headed for destruction; self-control
was not enough so we placed our life under God’s control and found peace in
him.
4.
Now,
we find an appetite for all we can learn or experience in him. We pray, we
study his word, we share this new, wonderful experience with others, and we
seek fellowship with other Christians who can help us to grow closer to our
Savior and King. What is God’s response to all this? He responds with a promise
that those walking this narrow path of righteousness, will be filled; he will
satisfy their hunger and their thirst.
John 6:32-35
32 Then Jesus said unto them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from
heaven.
33 For the bread of God is he
which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
34 Then said they unto him,
Lord, evermore give us this bread.
35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to
me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Up
till now, Jesus has carried us up the stairs that he constructed, but there are
yet four more steps to take before we reach our intended destination which, is
the door to the kingdom of God. These final stairs we must build if we are to
reach our goal. The means, the way and the example he left behind are all
before us. All we need do is imitate Jesus.
Step Five
In
verse one, he showed us mercy, now it is up to us to follow his example.
Matthew 5:7
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Show
mercy to others.
Step Six
We
mourned our sins, grieved over our failure, confessed our transgressions and
accepted the comfort of his Spirit; therefore, he has cleansed us and made us
whiter than snow (1 John 1:9). He has made us pure once more.
Matthew 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God
Continue
to confess your sins to God!
Step Seven
We
have now placed our lives in the hands of God. We’ve dedicated (given) the
remainder of our lives to him. We no longer choose to determine the direction
of our life; we’ve turned this over to him. We have been given peace, his
peace, a peace that exceeds our understanding, a peace that conquers all fear.
John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world
giveth, give I unto you. Let not your
heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
We
have taken upon ourselves his ministry of reconciliation which has the power to
instill peace in the hearts of all who choose to believe the gospel message. By
this, we have become children of God. Now, we must bring the message of peace
to those who have no peace.
Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers:
for they shall be called the children of God.
2 Timothy 3:12
12 Yea, and all that will
live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Love
your enemies and be prepared to suffer for your faith.
Step Eight
Finally,
we come to the last step we must take to arrive at the door of God’s kingdom.
By this time, you’ve had the opportunity to see that God has kept his promise
to satisfy our hunger and thirst for righteousness, but it has come with a
resulting consequence.
Yes,
we’ve been filled and satisfied again and again; truly our cup of blessing is
running over. We’ve experienced the wonders of God’s word, his forgiveness and
cleansing, his wisdom, power, love and righteousness. All these things have
sustained us and will continue, if we continue to yield to his will, but his
righteousness comes with a cost. His gift of salvation, i.e. his rescue was
free, paid for at the cross, but this is just the entrance to the narrow road
that leads to his kingdom. We must now walk that road and climb the steps to
gain entrance to our eternal home. This road is a narrow, difficult path and
it’s filled with dangers. There is a cost to be paid for those who dare to make
this journey.
The
cross of Christ, gave us free access and he accomplished the first four steps
in our ascent, but we, assisted by the Holy Spirit, must complete the next
four. We must now take up our cross and follow the path of Jesus.
Luke 9:23
23 And he said to them all,
If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross
daily, and follow me.
Luke 14:33
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not
all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
Let’s Review
One Final Time
Step
#1. In the first beatitude (Matthew 5:3), when we were drowning in our own
sinful corruption, Jesus extended his mercy and rescued us from certain,
spiritual death.
Step
#5. In the fifth beatitude (Matthew 5:7), Jesus taught us that those who show mercy
to others receive mercy.
Step
#2. In the second beatitude (Matthew 5:4), because we’ve become aware of the
damage our sin has caused and we’ve mourned (grieved) as we’ve confessed and
repented (1 John 1:9), our confession has gained his complete forgiveness and
cleansing (Isaiah 1:18).
Step
#6. In the sixth beatitude (Matthew 5:8), because we’ve confessed and repented
in our grief while mourning, our hearts have been made pure, enabling us to see
God.
Step
#3. In the third beatitude (Matthew 5:5), we surrendered our will and humbled
ourselves before God by giving ourselves over to him. Now, under his guidance,
we have found spiritual peace.
Step
#7. In the seventh beatitude (Matthew 5:9), we were blessed with the peace of
God, we become his children and, by sharing this peace with others through the
ministry of reconciliation, we have become peacemakers.
Step
#4. In the fourth beatitude (Matthew 5:6), those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness are blessed, because the Lord has promised to satisfy their
craving for more of him.
Step
#8. In the eighth beatitude (Matthew 5:10-12), the Lord teaches us that those
blessed with righteousness will also be blessed with persecution, just as he
was.
John 15:20
20 Remember the word that I
said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they
have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
2 Corinthians 4:6-10
For God, who commanded the
light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of
the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure
in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of
us.
8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast
down, but not destroyed;
10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that
the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
How
is it possible to rejoice while enduring persecution? The Apostles Paul tells
us.
Romans 8:18
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy
to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Brethren,
don’t be surprised if the world hates you, it hated our Lord first.
1 Peter 4:12-14
12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the
fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto
you:
13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that,
when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the
spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil
spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
The
word, “Christian” first used in Antioch, meant “follower of Christ.”
(Acts
11:26)
Are we?
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