Blessed Are

English Standard Version Chapter 5

5:1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to 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 those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

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

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

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

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

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

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

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

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

A Different World

Truman Show

Jesus announcing a new world - His new covenant

Like in Deuteronomy when Israel is about to enter the promised land - listing blessings and curses

In Matthew, the book of the King, Jesus has:

Come out of Egypt (2:15)

Come through the water and the wilderness (3 & 4)

Into the land of promise (4:12-25)

Now, in chapter 5 he goes up on the mountain and declares the conditions of the New Covenant.

“Blessed” = happy, satisfied, content, privileged, joyful

Blessed are...

Matthew 5:3 ESV

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

Jesus:

Jn 5:19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

Jn 8:28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me

Phil 2:5-7 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Us:

Posture of humility

Not worm theology

Most comforting verse in the Bible. Our only qualification for entering the Kingdom of Heaven is to acknowledge that we are not qualified.

Matthew 5:4 ESV

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

Happy are the unhappy?

Mourn = strongest Greek word for lamenting the dead - the one whom you loved

Recognition that things are not right

Jesus:

Mt 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

Gesthemene?

Us:

Our sin, Ja 4:8-10 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Others sin, 2 Cor 12:21 I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.

For they shall be comforted

Is 61 - 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;

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor,

and the day of vengeance of our God;

to comfort all who mourn;

3 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;

One of the descriptions of heaven, is that it’s the place/time where God wipes away every tear. Rev 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Matthew 5:5 ESV

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

Meek = bridled strength

Example: Aslan in the movie of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Jesus:

Mt 26:53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? (Being taken at Gesthemene)

Us:

Manifests during conflict. Do we:

Hold our strength (often in our tongues)

Exercise our power to destroy

We need to realise that we have nothing to prove

Matthew 5:6 ESV

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

Jesus:

Jesus driving out the money changers in the temple

Us:

We hunger for many things: money, sex, power, fame, comfort, happiness

But they don’t ultimately satisfy

This is what Solomon discovered (Ecclesiastes)

Whilst Jesus can righteously see the behaviour in the temple and do something radical about it, with us it really needs to begin at home.

Do we seek righteousness in our own temples (bodies & minds)

Are we behaving rightly in our homes and churches

His promise is that if we seek after it, we will be satisfied

Matthew 5:7 ESV

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Jesus:

Simple example: Woman caught in adultery, “neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more”

More than this though. In Mt 9:36, it says that “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Mercy is compassion in action

When Jesus saw the people the word for compassion means that he was “moved deep inside”. His heart felt for them, and he was stirred into action to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom, healing their sick and casting out their demons.

Us:

See a need. Help.

Acts?

Matthew 5:8 ESV

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

No so much moral purity as an undivided heart. (From Ps 24)

Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?

And who shall stand in his holy place?

4 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.

5 He will receive blessing from the LORD

and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,

who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

The first and great commandment: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Jesus:

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.

Us:

It can be like when you are buying a car and you decide on a certain make and model. Then all of a sudden, you see that type of car everywhere.

When we make God our focus, we’ll see him at work around us, in our lives, in nature.

If our heart is pursuing something else, we won’t see Him, because we’re not looking!

Also, who are we when no-one’s looking. Do we have the same “heart” at home as we do at church on Sunday mornings?

Matthew 5:9 ESV

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

Jesus:

Jesus is the ultimate peacemaker: Col 1:19-20 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Us:

Rom 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all, and Heb 12:14 Strive for peace with everyone

Sometimes we are called to be peacemakers between warring parties

Not often appreciated by the world - God sees, and he calls you his son

Matthew 5:10 ESV

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

If you live this way, the world is not likely to see it and like you for it

Jesus is recognising here that although he is announcing his Kingdom, the time is not yet for it to be fully manifested. The already & not yet Kingdom.

Jesus:

Obviously

Us:

Jn 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world.

Jn 15:18-20 If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

Jesus’ Invitation

What did you hear when we walked through the Beatitudes?

A set of rules that say how we should live in God’s Kingdom?

A measuring rod that tells you how you’re doing?

Some truth to both of these, but it’s much more that Jesus is declaring to the people and the powers that a new world order is beginning.

A world order that operates differently to how it’s been

Do you hear how counter-cultural the beatitudes are?

Might is no longer right

Injustice has no place in the Kingdom of God

Mercy rules

You can’t buy, earn or work your way in - your way in is to acknowledge that you don’t deserve it

Joy, happiness, blessing are its hallmarks

It sounds idealistic, but it’s not just for the future

It is for the future, for the time when Heaven comes down and is joined forever with the Earth, the time when God will wipe away every tear.

But just a short way on, in the same sermon, Jesus tells us to pray that God’s Kingdom would come, that His will would be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

In other words… it’s for now as well.

NT Wright said this about the beatitudes:

Matthew for Everyone, Part 1: Chapters 1–15 The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1–12)

The life of heaven—the life of the realm where God is already king—is to become the life of the world, transforming the present ‘earth’ into the place of beauty and delight that God always intended. And those who follow Jesus are to begin to live by this rule here and now. That’s the point of the Sermon on the Mount, and these ‘beatitudes’ in particular. They are a summons to live in the present in the way that will make sense in God’s promised future; because that future has arrived in the present in Jesus of Nazareth. It may seem upside down, but we are called to believe, with great daring, that it is in fact the right way up.

What Do You Hear?

BRING WORSHIP TEAM UP

INVITATION TO CLOSE EYES

Do you hear the summons?

What is Jesus saying to you this morning?

Do you hear Jesus calling you into a life of blessing?

As we sing this last song, ask Jesus if there’s an area where you could be experiencing more of his Kingdom here on Earth. Perhaps...

SING SONG

CLOSE AND INVITATION FOR MORE MINISTRY IF DESIRED