Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes

Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

¹ Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴ Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,  for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 ¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

 ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

So...we begin the Sermon on the Mount...a lot to think about.

The first thing that leaps out at me is the comparison of the beatitudes with Psalm 1.

Blessed is the one  who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take  or sit in the company of mockers,  but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,  and who meditates on his law day and night.

And...how does one become "blessed" under the Old Covenant? By doing the right things.

Now,  look at the beatitudes (states of "blissfulness")...

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 children 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.

What a remarkable contrast. Blessing under the New Covenant are offered to the person whose heart is properly set...who has the right attitude. All the distinctions between old and New Testament can be distilled down to these to passages. In the one its actions...in the other its attitude.

We’d like to think this gets us off the hook when it comes to being so picky about our actions. As long as we have a good heart, we should be OK. Right?  Well, Jesus makes it clear this isn’t multiple choice (one or the other) but it’s “both and”. In fact…the words of Jesus are pretty demanding.

Salt of the earth: If the salt loses its saltiness, it is no longer good for anything.

Light of the world: Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven

The Fulfillment of the Law:  Until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Murders: Anyone who is angry with a brother or sister^] will be subject to judgment.

Adultery: Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Divorce: Anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Oaths: All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Eye For an Eye: Do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek

Love your enemies: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you

I once heard somebody say “action without attitude is legalism and attitude without action is immaturity”. It’s probably a pretty good way to boil down the words of Jesus. It means I have to look at the demand of the Old Covenant and ask myself what those actions look like in the context of a transformed mind.

One think I know for sure…doing the right things with the right attitude isn’t as easy as it looks. I doubt it looks like legalism and I doubt it appears immature either.

Live boldly out there today…