The Beatitudes – The Path to True Happiness

Introduction

Open your Bible to Matthew 5 …let's read the text from the Holy Scriptures -…

Initial illustration (Scene): Imagine a digital influencer showing a "perfect" life – trips, cars, money, clothes and jewelry, enviable success…

The life of a digital influencer, despite appearing glamorous on social media, can be very different from the image that is transmitted. - Behind the camera is often the reality: It involves a lot of dedication, hard work and, often, loneliness, anxiety and emptiness.

Influencers constantly need to create content, interact with the public, manage their platforms and deal with the pressure of comparison and the search for likes and followers. Challenges for mental health.

Question: Where is true happiness?

In the text we will read today, The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus breaks our paradigms.

He challenges the logic of the world, showing that true happiness is not in power, wealth or success or having everything under control, but in a life aligned with the values ​​of the Kingdom.

Let’s see what this means for us today living in a world that pressures us to have everything under control.

Matthew 5 …

“The Beatitudes – The Path to True Happiness”

Let’s start by reading Matthew chapter 5, verse 1. And it speaks of the Lord Jesus and says,.

Matthew 5:1–2 NIV

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. He said:

The Setting (v.1-2)

Jesus goes up on the mountain to teach. His disciples came to him. This shows: An invitation to intimacy: He does not speak to the distant masses, but to those who are willing to go up (like the disciples).

2 and he began to teach them. He said:

Matthew 5:3 NIV

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

From verse 3 to 12 he says 9 x Blessed are!

The meaning of the word “Blessed” - GK: makarios

It is a word that is almost difficult to translate.

It can be translated as

Happy

“to be filled with joy

“to be congratulated”

Happy, very happy to the point of being envied - Geriel.

makarios - means:

“to be self-sufficient, to have what you need within yourself”.

I’ll. Makarios Monastery - Sirca 3rd Century, Egypt

If the Lord allows, in the coming weeks, we will reflect on the other Beatitudes.

And the first Beatitude is in verse 3:

Matthew 5:3 NIV

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

Jesus is saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit”…

He said “makarios” are the poor in spirit…

Jesus’ is saying “Happy, so happy to the point of being envied are the poor in spirit…”

In essence he is saying that: The Path to True Happiness is to be poor in spirit.

Now, this is a challenge the logic of the world. It is an Inversion of values…

Today and always, we live in a world that places emphasis mainly on what you have.

The world preaches the culture of self-sufficiency, saying the following:

“Blessed are those who have wealth.”

“… strength.”

“… power.”

“… education.”

“Blessed are those who have everything under control.”

“… popularity.” (Followers)

Blessed are those who have money, intelligence, beauty, strength—

These are the things that people believe bring happiness.

In the world there are many people who have these things, but they do not have joy; they do not have makarios—bliss.

Jesus challenges the logic of the world, showing that true happiness is not found in power, wealth, or success, but in a life aligned with the values ​​of the Kingdom.

Jesus here emphasizes not what a man has, but what a man is.

“Blessed are those who are…”—and then He describes qualities of character.

And the first of these qualities of character is a quality called the poor in spirit.

Matthew 5:3 ““Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

What does this mean for us in a world that pressures us to have things…?

Did Jesus really say that “The Way to True Happiness” is to be “poor in spirit”?

What is he talking about? What does it mean to be poor in spirit?

Well, there are several words in the Bible to describe “being poor.”

Do you remember the story of the widow’s offering? (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4)

The text says that she was poor, yet she sacrificially offered two small copper coins to the temple treasury. She was a person of limited means, she was poor, but she had something to offer.

That is a word for poverty that is found in the NT.

But that is not the word that is here. The word that is here does not speak of that kind of poverty. It is another word. It is a word that means “a beggar, a man who has absolutely nothing.”

It’s a word that was used in Luke chapter 16.

Luke 16:20 “20 And there was left at his gate a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores.”

Do you remember the story of the beggar who was at the rich man’s gate, named Lazarus, and the dogs came and licked his sores, and he ate the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table? In other words, he was absolutely, totally, completely destitute.

That’s the word that’s used here: a beggar—not just a poor man, but a person who is absolutely, totally reduced to begging.

And Jesus called such a person “blessed.” #Happy! …

“Blessed are the poor in spirit.” “Blessed are the beggars—in spirit.”

“Happy” What is he saying?

The world wouldn’t say that this is the path to true happiness—not at all!

Come on, let’s look at two basic things in this passage of Scripture.

I. Understanding the Poor in Spirit

And first of all, understand what Jesus is talking about.

He says, “Blessed are the poor/beggars in spirit”?

…what does that mean?

Well, let me say right away that Jesus is not talking about financial poverty.

Jesus never said that it is a blessing to be financially poor.

Don’t ever get that into your head.

The Bible never makes much of financial poverty.

Now, the Bible teaches that we should have compassion for the poor.

The Bible teaches that we should help the poor.

The Bible teaches that we should give to the poor.

The Bible teaches that poor people are often rich in faith. (The widow was poor financially, but she was rich in faith…)

But nowhere does the Bible teach that material poverty, as such, is a blessing.

If Jesus Christ is talking about the blessedness of financial failure, then it is our responsibility to make everyone in this world poor and to become poor ourselves.

I mean, that would be our responsibility: to immediately get rid of any wealth and help everyone else do the same, and just have a world of poor people, so that everyone could be blessed—happy, so happy that they would be envied…

Does that make sense to you? Do you think that’s what Jesus Christ was teaching? Absolutely not!

Jesus Christ had many friends who had material blessings.

So He’s not talking about financial poverty here.

He’s also not talking about a person being poor in spirit.

He said:

Matthew 5:3

NIV

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,”

does not say, “Blessed are the poor of spirit”

— that is, a person who is always discouraged, negative, pessimistic, mean, a person who is weak-willed, has no character, “poor attitude,” always discouraged… looking like the conductor of the Titanic… looking sad all the time.

That is not what He is saying either.

In fact, Jesus Christ said, “When you fast, wash your face and anoint your head, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting”: (Matthew 6:16–18)

… “I am fasting.” That’s not how it’s done. He’s not talking about that. He’s not talking about a person being poor in spirit.

What is He talking about? “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

Our human nature is composed of body, soul, and spirit.

With your body, you have physical life/relationship with the world around you/physical.

With your soul, you have psychological/emotional/sentimental life, the world of emotions and decisions.

And with your spirit, you have spiritual life. You relate to the world above you, the spiritual world, the world of eternal things.

John 4:24 “24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

Man can only be fully happy when he relates to his Creator.

Matthew 5:3 “3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

For a person to inherit - enter the Kingdom of Heaven, he must admit/acknowledge that in his spirit, in the realm of the spirit, he is bankrupt and a poor beggar before God.

No matter how much he may have in the physical-material realm, no matter how much he may have in the psychological or soul realm, in the spiritual realm, we are absolutely, utterly bankrupt and poor beggars before God.

If a person does not realize this, he will never have a relationship with his Creator - he will not enter the kingdom of Heaven.

Not just because he is spiritually poor, but because he is spiritually a beggar; he is bankrupt.

When you approach Jesus Christ, do not approach His presence with arrogance.

The very word for “poor” comes from a root that means “to cower, to shrink back.”

There are no peacocks in Heaven. He is talking here about a person who is totally, completely, devastatingly bankrupt, to the point of being reduced to a beggar.

And when he presents himself to God, he must say: “In my hands I bring nothing… I simply cling to Your cross.”

True happiness begins through this door.

Now you will see some people sitting in the congregation or standing on a platform like this saying:

Yes, Pastor, that is true. I am not perfect. But I am not as bad as some other people… If you are one of those who keeps pointing the finger at the mistakes of others… and talking to the four winds of the earth about the lives of others, you have not yet realized that you are spiritually bankrupt.

You have not yet understood what the Bible says in Isaiah 64:6 “6 We are like an unclean thing—all of us! All our righteous acts are like filthy rags. We fade like leaves, and like the wind our iniquities carry us away.”

Later in this Sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ said: Matthew 5:20 “20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and scribes, you will never be righteous again.

will enter the kingdom of heaven.”

The Pharisees and teachers of the law were better outwardly than any of us here today…

True happiness begins with the realization that we are truly spiritually bankrupt and unworthy of the kingdom of heaven.

II. The Behavior of a Poor in Spirit

What is the behavior of a bankrupt in Spirit? Broken and Contrite - Psalm 51:17 “17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

I would say that for most, the greatest need is to realize their need.

A. The Most Important Discovery of Life - to discover and admit who they really are.

Most people have never really seen this. For most, the greatest need is to realize their need.

Many people go to church on Sundays, dressed in their best clothes,… but with a proud, arrogant, and pretentious heart, thinking they are doing God a great favor by being in church.

Most people—they are egomaniacs—they take one dose of religion a week, and they show off their way to hell, thinking they have become too good to be damned.

So what they need most is a good dose of reality.

And do you know how that discovery happens?

That discovery happens when the Holy Spirit reveals to us who God is, and then we understand who we are.

For example, Simon Peter. Simon Peter was naturally an impulsive man. Simon Peter was a take-charge, opinionated man. But one day, Simon Peter got a glimpse of the majesty, the glory of Jesus Christ. And then, do you know what he said? He said, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man” (Luke 5:8). He finally saw his bankruptcy.

Isaiah the prophet—what a great man Isaiah the prophet was! And if you read the book of Isaiah, chapter 5, he is proclaiming woe against this sin, woe against that country, and woe against this people: “Woe to you!” “Woe to you!” “Woe to you!” (Isaiah 5:18–23)

Then you come to Isaiah chapter 6, where he said, “I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and exalted,” and then you know what he said:

Isaiah 6:5 “5 Then I cried out, ‘Woe is me! I am undone! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty!’”

I remember reading in the Bible about a woman who was a Syrophoenician. That is, she was a pagan woman; she was from Phoenicia. And Jesus was there in that place, and this Syrophoenician woman approached Jesus Christ. She had a daughter who was demon-possessed, and she wanted Jesus Christ to heal her demon-possessed daughter. And Jesus Christ, in order to bring her to a point of brokenness of spirit, said something that sounds extremely cruel to her.

She said, “Lord, have mercy on me.” And Jesus said, “I was not sent to you. I came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Jesus said, “Is it right that we should take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs?” (Matthew 15:22–26) And in fact, He was calling her a dog. And that doesn’t sound very good coming from Jesus. And here He used the word for “dog” which meant “pet.” “You don’t take food off the table and give it to the dog; you give it to the children.” Jesus said, “I came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” And that Syrophoenician woman, you would think she would have walked away angry, saying, “I’ve never been treated like this in all my life. What a religious leader He is! I thought He was a man of compassion.” She didn’t say that. You know what she said? She said, “You’re absolutely right.” She said, “That’s the truth, Lord. But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table.” And when she used the word dogs this time, she didn’t use the same word that Jesus used. She used the word that meant “a mangy dog, a street stray; a naked dog; a hungry street dog.” That’s how she described herself. Jesus’ heart was broken. He said, “Woman, your reward is great. You will have exactly what you asked for.” (Matthew 15:27–28) What happened to this woman? The same thing that happened to Simon Peter when he saw the Lord; the same thing that happened to Isaiah when he saw the Lord; the same thing that happens to anyone who has seen the Lord: she became poor in spirit. She became a beggar before a righteous and holy God. And these beggars before a righteous and holy God got exactly what they wanted. The Apostle Paul—if ever there was a man who had a hard time seeing himself as broke, it was the Apostle Paul. First of all, he was of the right birth. He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. Second, he was in the right society. He was a Pharisee. Third, he had the added bonus of being a Roman citizen. On top of that, he had the best education money could buy. He was educated at the feet of Gamaliel. And today, he would have the equivalent of a triple doctorate. He was fluent in several languages. He was a world traveler. He had kept the Jewish laws with astonishing accuracy.

But one day, he had a glimpse of Jesus Christ. And he said, “All the things I counted as gain, I now count as loss. I have taken them out of the

I took them off the assets side of the balance sheet and put them on the liabilities side. All these things that I depended on,” he said, “I consider”—are you listening?—“as dung,”—excrement: that’s how I consider them—“that I may win Christ.” (Philippians 3:8) Spiritually bankrupt—a beggar in God’s eyes.

What does it mean to be “poor in spirit”?

It’s not about lack of money, but acknowledging poverty of soul:

“I don’t have it all together.”

“I need God like a beggar needs bread.”

Illustration: Like a cell phone with no battery—no matter how many apps it has, it’s useless without a power source.

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

Conclusion

Why does this bring happiness?

Freedom from pressure: We don’t have to pretend to be perfect.

Access to the Kingdom: God reveals Himself to those who depend on Him (Isaiah 57:15).

(Application)

Question: Where have you been trying to be “rich in spirit” (self-sufficient) in: career, relationships, spirituality?

Challenge: Admit one area where you need God today.

Illustration:

Story: A successful young executive, after a burnout, realizes that his life was like a “castle made of sand”—impressive but fragile. He finds peace in realizing that he doesn’t have to carry the world on his shoulders.

(Link to text)

The Kingdom is for those who lift their hands and say, “God, I can’t do it alone.”

When a man sees what he is—bankrupt in God’s eyes—then he stops depending on all these other things that can’t help him or do him any good.

See here in Matthew chapter 5, verse 20: “For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)

Well, how much should it exceed? I’m glad you asked. Look at verse 48: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)

This is how much it should exceed: “Be ye therefore perfect.” Is there anyone here who would have the courage to say, “I am as perfect as God”? Absolutely not! But that is the standard that God demands. And the standard that God demands can only be met through the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ, as the righteousness of God is imputed to you. Do you understand that? But you will never know that righteousness; you will never have that perfection that is given through the Lord Jesus Christ, until you first understand exactly what you are in the eyes of a righteous and holy God. Jesus does not promise easy happiness, but deep joy to those who let go of pride. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “Because you say that you have no sin, your sin remains.” (John 9:41) Lay before the Lord a concern that you need to turn over to God. “True freedom begins when we admit, ‘Without Christ, I am poor. But in Him, I have everything.’"

Until a man gives up his pride, he cannot be saved. Not even God can fill that which is already full.

We will never live spiritually until we admit that we are spiritually dead.