The Blessedness of the Kingdom

Matthew 5:1–12 CEB

1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up a mountain. He sat down and his disciples came to him. 2 He taught them, saying: 3 “Happy are people who are hopeless, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 4 “Happy are people who grieve, because they will be made glad. 5 “Happy are people who are humble, because they will inherit the earth. 6 “Happy are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because they will be fed until they are full. 7 “Happy are people who show mercy, because they will receive mercy. 8 “Happy are people who have pure hearts, because they will see God. 9 “Happy are people who make peace, because they will be called God’s children. 10 “Happy are people whose lives are harassed because they are righteous, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 11 “Happy are you when people insult you and harass you and speak all kinds of bad and false things about you, all because of me. 12 Be full of joy and be glad, because you have a great reward in heaven. In the same way, people harassed the prophets who came before you.

The Blessedness of the Kingdom

I came across an article in the Chicago Tribune

Park rangers in Grand Canyon National Park recently had to kill off two dozen mule deer that were hooked on junk food left by visitors.

The deer had become addicted to Cheetos, Fritos and candy that tourists picked up from a nearby ranch. Once hooked, the deer lost their natural ability to digest vegetation, ranger David Haskell said. "They've become in extremely poor health, almost starving." Haskell called junk food the "crack cocaine of the deer world."

An animal rights group, the Fund for Animals, said the Park Service could have prevented the whole problem by enforcing regulations against feeding wildlife. "The deer should not have to pay with their lives" for that mistake, group member D.J. Schubert said.

The Park Service said it would increase its education programs to stop visitors from feeding animals. As for the deer, Haskell said that once they get a taste of junk food, "they can't resist it. They'll go to great lengths to get this type of food." (https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1995-01-17-9501170056-story.html)

Hospitals are supposed to be places of healing. I am at Conemaugh once a month, and the elevator I ride often stops on the 5th floor on the way up. Just outside the elevator is a soda machine and a snack machine. You might think what’s the big deal. That floor is the floor where people go for heart procedures. I guess by making junk food available is one way to keep the cardiologists gainfully employed.

One pastor put it this way:

The church is in danger from bad nutrition. Spiritual junk food, and by that I mean an intellectual life of slogans instead of serious study, of quick-fix and self-help techniques instead of deep character formation, of soothing spiritual entertainments instead of demanding spiritual disciplines, of sit-in-the-pew observation rather than costly participation in some ministry: all this junk food for the soul is killing our desire for God and weakening our churches. Short attention spans, a ‘what’s-in-it-for-me’ attitude, and the church-hopping-for-a-better-deal mentality are symptoms of the illness. Their souls have grown flabby, their brains turned to mush! They want sweet relief from Pastor Feel-Good, not the informed, sustained repentance which is the only path to spiritual growth, in my life or in theirs. No wonder their lives are out of control. No wonder the devil has such an easy time keeping them locked up in destructive habits and besetting sins. They are like jell-o that never set up, sort of runny and unstable for years on end! (Trailkill, n.d.)

If we were to write a list of being, existing, and doing in our current time and place, I would venture to say it would look vastly different from the list we find in Matthew 5. I’m sure a quick perusal of popular self-help books and podcasts oriented toward how to succeed in the twenty-first century would fill in much of this list for us. In fact, the reality that most of these lists, books, and podcasts revolve around the idea of financial affluence and individual acclaim is already a telling feature of what we value in our world.

This list might look a bit different from individual to individual, but very likely, looking at the culture as a whole, our list of Beatitudes would look more like, “Blessed are those who work hard so they can play later. “ Or, “Blessed are those who prioritize themselves and their safety over that of their neighbors.” Or maybe even something like, “Blessed are the ones who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps.”

I’m sure you can think of others, and although this is maybe a bit of a painful indictment of our own culture, the culture targeted by Matthew 5 wasn’t all that different. They too struggled with wealth inequality, with an empire that was easy to worship and obey, and with a desire for selfishness and security at the expense of others— which is precisely why these words in Matthew 5 were and are so unsettling and subversive.

Jesus was turning culture on its head. The ways of the world are not to be the ways of the people of God. Christians—those who follow after Jesus—are supposed to have completely different attitudes and look at the world in completely different ways. Instead of seeking to get ahead, they are to be meek and humble. Instead of violence, they are to make peace.

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 24: Matthew The Disciples’ Joy: The Beatitudes

In presenting this sermon, Jesus called for a change in the thinking of the people about the kingdom of God. He rejected the more popular messianic expectations and outlined the creation of a new covenant community of God’s people, a disciples’ community. In contrast to the revolutionary zealots preparing persons for guerrilla war, He prepared disciples in grace and sent them out in missions of healing.

What we have in the Sermon on the Mount is not so much an ought and a moral obligation but an is and a new opportunity. Our world is wrong side up, and in Jesus and his kingdom teaching we see the world flipped back over; in him we get a preview of what’s ahead when the prayer Thy kingdom come is finally answered. Jesus offers us the map of a new world in which we who are his followers are called to live; we live by new loyalties.

This sermon of Jesus is one that still unsettles us because our world is not so different. So in this season of Lent, we once again take time to allow ourselves to be unsettled by these words, that we might be transformed to look more like Christ.

Blessed Are . . .

When we think of blessing, we often think of material prosperity. The Greek word makarios that is interpreted as “blessed” here often meant a form of prosperity, which is in line with what we think of today when we hear the word “blessed” or “blessing.”

A quick search of the hashtag #blessed on any social media platform will net results of what we think of as blessing in our culture. It usually has to do with prosperity, health, and sometimes family.

However, Jesus is interpreting “blessed” in a new way in the Beatitudes.

Makarios can be interpreted as either “blessed” or “happy.” Some translations of Scripture interpret makarios as “happy,” as a way of denoting that this passage isn’t talking about material wealth and prosperity. The idea of happy might feel odd at first but is helpful in understanding what Matthew is trying to say here.

Those listening to Jesus would be shocked to hear “blessed” followed by “the poor in spirit.”

They would expect to hear Jesus talk favorably about the powerful. Instead, they are witness to a reinterpretation by Jesus of the word “blessed”—as a description of those who embody meekness and humility.

The Qualities of the Blessed

This list of those who are blessed doesn’t fit the normal description of people we would consider blessed. If we were to make a list of those who are blessed in our society, what might the list include?

Blessed are those who have a high-paying job.

Blessed are those who have a lot of social media followers.

Blessed are those who have power and influence.

Our list of those we believe to be blessed often lines up with what our culture views as blessing. The list in Matthew, however, is completely different. This list of those who are blessed is a stark contrast to the power and wealth-hungry bravado of our world: poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, those who are persecuted because of righteousness, and those who are insulted, persecuted, and lied about because of Jesus.

It is not the wealthy who are blessed but those who are poor in spirit.

We often make a distinction here between poor in spirit and actual poverty. While there is some merit to that, it’s important to note that in Luke 6, the blessing of the kingdom of God is for the materially poor as well (v. 20). It could be that Matthew is making the category broader than Luke, or Matthew could be recognizing that those who are materially impoverished have needs that expand beyond financial concerns.

This sermon may have been delivered on a high mountain of revelation, but the first four declarations of who is and is not to be congratulated are not a call to ascend the heights but to descend into a valley of emptiness, to move down the ladder rung by rung into the low places of spiritual honesty before God and humility before people.

Beatitudes one through four are a stripping process that empties us of much of what our world so values, things like self-sufficiency and independence, good feelings, the power to make things happen with a can-do attitude. It ends by reducing us to appetites and cravings nothing but God can satisfy. It is downward mobility and ultimate vulnerability. Look where we end up! Spiritually impoverished, weeping and mourning, unable to make things happen on our own, hungry for the bread of heaven and thirsty for living water. (Trailkill, n.d.)

It is also important to note that, just like our culture elevates and believes that the wealthy are blessed, so did the culture in Matthew’s day. The language isn’t intended to be veiled but to reinterpret blessing for the people who are listening.

It is not those who sit in comfort now who are blessed but those who are in mourning.

It is not bravado and arrogance that are blessed but meekness.

It is not power and violence that are blessed but mercy, a pursuit of righteousness, and peacemaking.

It isn’t those who live a life in freedom who are blessed but those who are persecuted for living the life Christ has called them to live.

This is where we often err. We sometimes desire this blessing over the others. We claim persecution when there are consequences for our actions, or we claim persecution in North America because we lose some of our power and influence. This blessing is not to be isolated from the others. Persecution has context here—those who are blessed are persecuted for the sake of righteousness (doing right and good things for the right reasons).

It is good to remember this blessing in context with the others because the other blessings help us to see what righteousness is.

Meekness, peacemaking, poor in spirit, a hunger and thirst for righteousness (the right things for the right reasons)

Being like Christ, in the ways Christ laid down his rights and became a servant, loving others well—these things that lead to persecution are blessed

What Those Who Are Blessed, Are Blessed With

Not only are those who are blessed a contrast to culture, but the blessings themselves are a contrast. The expectation would be that those who are blessed would be given material wealth, land, health, etc. But that is not what they are blessed with.

Those who are poor in spirit are blessed with the kingdom of heaven. Already this is a departure.

It’s not the kingdoms of this world, the systems of power in place around them—but something completely different, bigger, and better.

Those who mourn are blessed with comfort.

Those who are meek will inherit the earth—a contrast from whom we believe the earth belongs to, even in our time.

Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled. Those who are merciful will receive mercy. Those who are pure in heart will see God. Those who are peacemakers are called the children of God.

Those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness will be blessed with the kingdom of heaven. Note that both those who are poor in spirit and those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness are blessed with the kingdom of heaven. Again this emphasizes the poetic form of the Beatitudes. These are not meant to be separated and isolated from one another but are supposed to be taken together. It might even be alluding to the fact that, if you are poor in spirit, there’s a good chance you are also being persecuted for the sake of righteousness.

These blessings are not the blessings of the world that claim to give us power, control, and wealth. These are blessings of the kingdom of God.

What Jesus gave was different; it was life learning that changed people from the inside out. Before he delivered the kingdom agenda in the Sermon on the Mount he immersed his first followers in the disruptive powers of the kingdom, as if he said, “Stick with me, guys, and hold on tight! You’re in for a ride.”

Imagine what the first weeks were like: leaving home, explaining to your wife and children what has happened, showing up in villages unbidden, speaking to the elders, hearing Jesus announce the kingdom, watching him heal the sick and deal with demons, trusting God for supper and a place to sleep, watching the will of the Father and the powers of the Spirit display the kingdom through Jesus, seeing people changed by the power of love getting close enough to touch their very flesh. And in the process they were changed as well. It was like living in a dream world; they never imagined such things were possible. Maybe with Elijah and Elisha of old, maybe with Moses, but not in our town! This was the curriculum of the kingdom: travel with Jesus, listen to him, watch him do the stuff, spend all night asking questions and waking up the next day wondering what’s next. They were blessedly out of control. (Trailkill, n.d.)

The Beatitudes Are a Way of Being in the World

This section of Scripture is often called “the Beatitudes” because it is about a way of being in the world.

These calls to the kingdom of God are not just about a someday kingdom of God, although it’s important to note that much of this passage alludes to a day when all will be made right and the kingdom of God will be fully realized.

These calls to the kingdom of God are a way of being in the world now. As followers of Jesus, we are called to live as though we are citizens of this kingdom of God even now. We are to exhibit the traits listed in Matthew 5 now.

Matthew is filled with illustrations of the kingdom of heaven here and now. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), which is kicked off with the Beatitudes, elaborates on how those who follow Christ are to live in the world, as citizens of the kingdom of God. We also see the language of the kingdom of God coming to earth as it is in heaven in the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6—a prayer that the kingdom of God not just be a place in the distant future but something that is experienced now.

People around us see the kingdom of God here and now, when we live as citizens of the kingdom of God by embodying the Beatitudes of the kingdom.

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 24: Matthew The Disciples’ Joy: The Beatitudes

Dr. Richard C. Halverson says, that “the way of the Kingdom of God is antithetical to the way of our contemporary culture.”12 God says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” but we say blessed are the achievers. God says, “Blessed are those who mourn,” but we say blessed are the self-fulfilled. Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek,” but we say blessed are the powerful. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness,” but we say blessed are the unrestrained. Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful,” but we say blessed are the manipulators. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart,” but we say blessed are the uninhibited. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” but we say blessed are the strong. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteous-ness’ sake,” but we say blessed are the expedient. Jesus said we are blessed when persecuted for His sake, but we say blessed are the aggressors. Jesus challenges the very selfishness that determines so much of our social behavior.

Conclusion

The world has its own beatitudes—ways of living and existing. They usually encompass power, money, violence, and control, but the people of God are first and foremost to live as citizens of the kingdom of God. Even now, we are to live in this already/not-yet kingdom, and that way of being, doing, and existing looks different from the world. It’s not about power and control but meekness and righteousness. It’s not about violence and money but poverty of spirit and peacemaking. Living in this way may very well cause us hardship in this world—it certainly did for Jesus—but we know from these words that those who live as citizens of the kingdom of God are truly blessed.

How’s your appetite for God? Is it keen, or has it grown dull, satisfied by other things and perhaps by spiritual junk food. This is the good stuff, where the blessing is, now and later on. In God’s presence we discover a few things: that we have nothing to offer but vulnerability, that the tears we often stifle are an indicator of truth, that pushy people miss God’s best gifts, and that our greatest friend is that gnawing in our soul that nothing but God can touch. This is not the way the world operates or what it values, and that is why it continues under the curse. Only where the kingdom goes is the blessing bestowed. God will have a people who follow his Son, or he will have none at all.

Trailkill, P. (n.d.). Matthew 5:1-12 - The Way Up Is the Way Down. Sermons.com. Retrieved March 5, 2022, from https://www.sermons.com/sermon/the-way-up-is-the-way-down/1352309