Beatitudes

Day 15 of 49

The Beatitudes

Jesus traveled the country, healing people, calling them to repent and sharing the good news about the Kingdom of Heaven. The prophets foretold of a coming kingdom in which the Lord reigned supreme. Israel would no longer be in bondage to another nation. All nations would acknowledge the Lord God.

The Sermon on the Mount provides us with Jesus’ idea of what the Kingdom of Heaven should be. He described the citizen’s character and expectations for behavior. He spoke of motivation as a component of our actions. He set lofty goals. He identified two ways in which to live and the consequences of each. 

His style is typical of rabbinic teaching of the day. He spoke in such a way that those listening could remember and repeat the teaching. He told stories with the standard Hebrew literature characteristics.

He used parallelism as a basic form…think rhyming ideas, not rhyming words. He used metaphor, simile, plays on words, exaggeration, and parables to get people to think outside the religious box. 

He listed the desired character qualities in the Kingdom of Heaven. As a child, I learned them as the “BE” attitudes. Jesus exemplified each of these qualities as he walked on earth. 

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

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 

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

Mt 5:3–12.

We don’t generally see people who are poor in spirit, meek, persecuted, or in mourning as being blessed, in fact we see them as the opposite. While we appreciate those who are merciful and peacemakers, we don’t see them as blessed but as ones who bless others. And the pure in heart and those who seek after righteousness…they are the most at risk for ridicule.

Luke also records some beatitudes, and he added woes. Power and wealth on earth will not transfer to heaven. Through Jesus Christ we can look to a better hope, our suffering here is just for a season.

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: 

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. 

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. 

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 

Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets. 

“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 

“Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. 

“Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. 

“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets. 

Lk 6:20–26.

Instead of giving you my thoughts on what each beatitude means, I thought I’d just list some of the scripture that explains it. You can decide for yourself what each one means in your life.

Poor in Spirit

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; 

a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 

Ps 51:17.

For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, 

who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 

“I dwell in the high and holy place, 

and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, 

to revive the spirit of the lowly, 

and to revive the heart of the contrite. 

Is 57:15.

Those who mourn:

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, 

because the Lord has anointed me 

to bring good news to the poor; 

he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, 

to proclaim liberty to the captives, 

and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, 

and the day of vengeance of our God; 

to comfort all who mourn; 

to grant to those who mourn in Zion— 

to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, 

the oil of gladness instead of mourning, 

the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; 

that they may be called oaks of righteousness, 

the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. 

Is 61:1–3.

Meek:

  But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

Ps 37:11.

The meek shall obtain fresh joy in the Lord, and the poor among mankind shall exult in the Holy One of Israel. 

Is 29:19.

Hunger and thirst for righteousness:

As a deer pants for flowing streams, 

so pants my soul for you, O God. 

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. 

When shall I come and appear before God? 

Ps 42:1–2.

“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; 

and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! 

Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 

Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? 

Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. 

Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David. 

Is 55:1–3.

Merciful:

Blessed is the one who considers the poor! 

In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him; 

the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; 

he is called blessed in the land; 

Ps 41:1–2.

A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself. 

Pr 11:17.

Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor. 

Pr 14:21.

Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed. 

Pr 19:17.

Pure in Heart:

O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? 

Who shall dwell on your holy hill? 

He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; 

who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, 

nor takes up a reproach against his friend; 

in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; 

who swears to his own hurt and does not change; who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. 

He who does these things shall never be moved. 

Ps 15:1–5.

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? 

He who has clean hands and a pure heart, 

who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. 

He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 

Ps 24:3–5.

Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 

Ps 73:1.

Peacemaker:

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! 

“May they be secure who love you! 

Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!” 

For my brothers and companions’ sake I will say, “Peace be within you!” 

For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good. 

Ps 122:6–9.

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. 

Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 

Ps 34:13–14.

Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. 

Ps 37:37.

Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy

Pr 12:20.

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, 

who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, 

who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” 

Is 52:7.

Persecuted:

The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. 

But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy. 

2 Ch 36:15–16.

“Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. 

 Ne 9:26.

“Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; 

fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings. 

For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm will eat them like wool, 

but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations.” 

Is 51:7–8.

Lord, you know our hearts. You desire that we become imitators of you, humbly extending your mercy and grace to all we meet, holding out a hope for peace and reconciliation at all times. Continue to do your work in our lives.

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 

2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 

4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 

7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 

10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 

11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Php 2:1–11.