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

 

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

 "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 filled.

 Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain 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." 

 

- Matthew 5:1–10 

 

On Saturday we read that Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

 

  And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  My study Bible tells us that in the Old Testament, only a select few were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  Here, God Incarnate speaks to the multitudes face to face.  The mountain is a place where divine action enters human history, the place where God reveals Himself to humankind (Matthew 17:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 3:1, 19:2; 1 Kings 18:20).  To be seated is the traditional Jewish position for teaching with authority.  Some early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, sat while the people stood.  

 

 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: . . .  According to my study Bible, Matthew mentioning that Jesus opened his mouth emphasizes this teaching is "one-way," that Jesus has come to speak with authority (Matthew 7:29), and the disciples are there not to discuss or debate, but to listen.

 

 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  To be blessed in this context is meant to indicate heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  My study Bible notes that in Hebrew, "poor" means both the materially poor and also the faithful among God's people.  The poor in spirit therefore are those who have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and are totally dependent upon God.  

 

 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  My study Bible tells us that those who mourn sorrow over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).   All of these, it says, are comforted by the power of God both in this world and in the age to come.  What is understood as holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and it is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  This is to be distinguished from ungodly sorrow, which is a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).  

 

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."  My study Bible explains that meekness is an attitude of being content with both honor and dishonor.  This is in imitation of Christ, who said, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).  It says that the meek are God-controlled and have mastery over their passions, especially anger.  Additionally, we are to understand that meekness is not passive weakness, but strength directed and under control.  The earth that the meek will inherit is not power or possession in this world, but the new earth, which is everlasting (Revelation 21:1).

 

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."  Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness see the presence God and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  My study Bible describes this as a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's craving for food (see Matthew 6:33, also Psalm 42:1).

 

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  What is mercy?  My study Bible describes mercy as love set in motion, expressed in action.  It explains that God's mercy in taking our sufferings on Himself in order to grant us His Kingdom sets us free from captivity to the evil one.  In view of God's mercy to all, we are in turn meant to be merciful to all.  

 

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."  In this context, my study Bible tells us, "pure" means to be unmixed with anything else, unadulterated.  The pure in heart are completely devoted to the worship and service of God and accept no compromises.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, those who achieve purity are described as practicing all virtue, having no conscious evil in themselves, and living in temperance.  This is a level of spirituality which is attained by few, but all people may strive for it.  When the soul's only desire is for God, my study Bible says, and a person's will holds this desire, then that person will truly see God everywhere.  

 

 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."  As He is the source of peace, my study Bible explains that Christ found no price sufficient for peace other than shedding His own blood.  In so doing, Christ reveals Himself to us as the Reconciler, the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6; Ephesians 2:14-16).  The Holy Spirit gives peace to those who imitate Christ.  So, peacemakers share God's peace with those around them, imitating Christ's sacrificial love and participating in Christ's work.  By God's grace, my study Bible tells us, peacemakers become sons of God themselves.  

 

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and they give themselves to no other (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Like Jesus, my study Bible says, these will be persecuted for righteousness' sake (see John 15:18-20).  Christ's kingdom is the crown awaiting the righteous.  

 

 In today's reading we begin what is known as the Sermon on the Mount, which is perhaps the most significant single Scripture passage in which we receive the gospel message of Jesus in "one place," so to speak.  That is, in a single sermon.  The Sermon on the Plain, found in St. Luke's Gospel (Luke 6:17-49), is perhaps the other passage of Scripture in which we find a similar grouping of lessons and teachings on Christ's gospel.  But the Sermon on the Mount is perhaps what we'd call a landmark in New Testament Scripture.  It is the place where Jesus addresses the multitudes and presents His gospel in a fullness not found in a record of a single sermon elsewhere.  Of course, we do not take a single passage of Scripture and expect it to give us the fullness of Christ, His message, and ministry, nor the complete understanding of the Church as to what that means for us and for our spiritual lives and practice of our faith.  However, it's notable that the Sermon on the Mount is given to us so relatively soon in St. Matthew's Gospel, as Jesus has just begun His public ministry, and He's become famous in a rather short period of time.  It's also "early" in St. Matthew's Gospel as a whole.  Here in today's passage we begin with the Beatitudes.  It's possible that these are among the most famous and most quoted teachings of Jesus that we know.  As my study Bible points out, it's important to understand that He's setting out for us what are the blessings of the Kingdom, and what is that "blessed" life He's speaking about.  So often we think about blessings in material terms, but that is not at all the message of these Beatitudes, these blessings that Jesus is teaching us about.  Like so much of the whole of the Bible, and possibly in particular the Old Testament that has come before the New, Jesus' blessings stand the worldly sense of life on its head.  What's exalted on worldly terms is humbled in Christ's terms of blessings, and what is humble in the world's terms is exalted in Christ's teaching.  Jesus teaches that those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who are meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who are merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those persecuted for righteousness' sake are all blessed in His sight, and He gives us the reasons why all of this is true.  We notice how these beatitudes begin and end with the reward of the kingdom of heaven.  As my study Bible puts it, citizenship and belonging in this Kingdom is the crown for those who enter and dwell there.  Lest we misperceive this message, the kingdom of heaven isn't simply an afterlife or a world we might experience after we live our worldly lives.  The kingdom of heaven is one which dwells within us (Luke 17:21).  It's one that grows and expands, and with surprising results and capabilities (Matthew 13:31-32).  It is one that pervades all things and changes their quality (Matthew 13:33).  Additionally, it's a tremendous treasure that's worth the price of everything, and surpasses everything else in quality and preciousness (Matthew 13:44-46).  Moreover, it's one of ultimate discernment, and judgment -- casting all things into their proper places, separating the bad from the good (Matthew 13:47-50).  And, ultimately, the kingdom of heaven is the greatest collection of treasure of all time (Matthew 13:52).  How do we reach and and dwell within this kingdom?  By practicing all the things He says, cultivating all of these qualities He names in today's reading.  We live in a world with tremendous emphasis on the material.  Perhaps in our age we face a great deal more of this emphasis than ever in the past.  Social media tends to amplify the emphasis placed on image, and especially our image within the socially desirable qualities or achievements that are most valued or correspond to social rank.  But Jesus stands all of this on its head, elevating what it is to be poor in spirit, to be meek, to be a peacemaker, to be humble, pure in heart, to deeply desire righteousness before all else, even to be persecuted for one's righteousness.  Those things are a high price to pay within a culture that values material image, status, and social power to the extent that ours does.  But in Christ's words and teachings, the pearl of greatest price -- of highest value -- is life in this kingdom.  And so we find what is worthy of our sacrifice of what's needed in the social order in order to gain what the heart's desire would claim as exaltation and joy that cannot be found otherwise.  This is our choice, and it's the wisdom of life, even our greatest prize.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

"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 filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain 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." 

 

- Matthew 5:1–10 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. 

 

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: . . . My study Bible states that in the Old Testament, only a select few were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  Here, it is God Incarnate who is speaking to the multitudes face to face.  The mountain is a place where divine action enters into human history; this is the place where God reveals Himself to human beings (Matthew 17:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 3:1, 19:2; 1 Kings 18:20).  Additionally, to be seated is the traditional Jewish position for teaching with authority.  Some early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, sat while the people stood.  My study Bible tells us that St. Matthew using the expression that Jesus opened His mouth emphasizes that this teaching is "one way," that in fact He has come to speak with authority (Matthew 7:29), and the disciples are not there to discuss or to debate, but to listen.

 

 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  To be blessed in the sense that Jesus uses it here in the Beatitudes indicates heavenly, spiritual exaltation, rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  My study Bible explains that in Hebrew, "poor" means both the materially poor, and the faithful among God's people.  Those who are poor in spirit are those who have the heart of the poor; that is, the same attitude as the poor, and complete dependence upon God.

 

 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  Those who mourn, my study Bible explains, sorrow over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  All of these are comforted by the power of God both in this world and in the age to come.  My study Bible adds that holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  This is distinguished from ungodly sorrow, a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).

 

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."  Meekness is an attitude of being content with both honor and dishonor.  This is an imitation of Christ, my study Bible says, who is the one who told us, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).  My study Bible further explains that the meek are those who are God-controlled and have mastery over their passions, especially anger.  It notes that meekness is not passive weakness, but rather strength directed and under control.  The earth that will be is to be inherited by the meek is not power or possession in this world, but it is the new earth, which is everlasting (Revelation 21:1).  

 

 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."  My study Bible tells us that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness see the presence of God and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  It says that they have a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's craving for food (see Matthew 6:33).  

 

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  What does it mean to be merciful?  Mercy is love set in motion, according to my study Bible; that is, love expressed in action.   It says that God's mercy in taking our sufferings on Himself in order to grant us God's Kingdom sets us free from captivity to the evil one.  In view of God's mercy to all, we in turn are to be merciful to all.

 

 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."   According to my study Bible, to be pure is to be unmixed with anything else, unadulterated.  The pure in heart are those therefore who are completely devoted to the worship and service of God and accept no compromises.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, those who achieve purity practice all virtue, have no conscious evil in themselves, and live in temperance.  This level of spirituality, it says, is attained by few, but all may strive for it.  When the soul's only desire is God, and a person's will holds to this desire, then that person will truly see God everywhere.  

 

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."  As Christ is the source of peace, He found no price sufficient for peace other than to shed His own blood.  In this sense He is our sacrifice shared in communion, and reveals Himself as the Reconciler, the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6; Ephesians 2:14-16).  According to my study Bible, the Holy Spirit gives peace to those who imitate Christ.  Therefore, peacemakers share God's peace with those around them, imitating Christ's sacrificial love and participating in His work.  By God's grace, peacemakers become sons of God themselves.  

 

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  My study Bible declares that children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and give themselves to no other (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Like Jesus, these will be persecuted for righteousness' sake (see John 15:18-20).  Christ's kingdom is the crown which awaits the righteous. 

 

My study Bible tells us that the sense of blessedness conveyed in the Beatitudes indicates a heavenly, spiritual exaltation, rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  In our every day lives, we think of our blessings as all the things we might possess, or perhaps our talents, or health.  But these are the blessings of the Kingdom that Jesus is telling us about, and the Kingdom does not necessarily operate as does the world and our material lives.  In fact, it is these blessings of the Kingdom that may color and add light, or illumine, our experiences of the world.  The things we might think of or experience as loss might not feel as loss according to the Beatitudes of the Kingdom, the blessings we may very well experience, that don't necessarily make worldly sense.  This is akin to the "peace that passes understanding" found in Philippians 4:6-7.  That's a peace that doesn't necessarily correspond to worldly understanding of peace, and may even be found in the midst of tribulation and difficult circumstances.  It is a sense in which these beatitudes, or blessings of the Kingdom, transcend not only circumstances but even time, for they come from Christ's eternal kingdom.  These blessings are not simply transcendent, but they are also transformational.  Like Christ's presence, they transfigure whatever they touch.  A sad circumstance, like the illness of a parent, or the struggles of a child, can be transfigured through our perception of such blessings. When we practice mercy, we find an added dimension to life, another meaning layered over whatever we are experiencing, a giftedness of blessing even in a sad or difficult circumstance.  When we learn meekness, or perhaps we should say the particular kind of "meekness" implied here, we grow in learning both humility, and to perceive capabilities inherent in a perhaps limited circumstance that we didn't see before.  We give up manipulation when we are not able to change something, but in exchange find some grace that allows us to change and accept God's plans wherever we are.  To be poor in spirit is to accept God's kingdom and dominion, authority and power, as the fullest expression of authority we know, reaching into the places of grace and transcending everything else.  We are meant to live for this kind of life, this kind of blessedness as our experience, for this is what it is to "walk with God," and to know Christ in our lives.  Let us consider what it is to be poor in this sense, to exchange our fullest dependence upon the riches of the world, and accept instead the great grace of the blessedness of God, which remains even when all else is gone (Matthew 5:19-20).  There are many wealthy people who can tell us how hollow and empty such a life can be in and of itself; but with God all things are blessed.  

 

 

 

 

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

 

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

"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 filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain 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 they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

 

- Matthew 5:1-12 

 

 In our recent readings in St. Mark's Gospel, the setting has been Jesus' final week of His earthly life, iin Jerusalem.  He had made His Triumphal Entry into the city, cleansed the temple, and spent His days disputing and sparring with the religious leaders as He taught in the temple.  Most recently, after one question, Jesus told the scribe who had asked Him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."  On Saturday, we read Jesus then responded again and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?  For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:  'The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool."' Therefore David himself calls  Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"  And the common people heard Him gladly. Then He said to them in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who  desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers.  These will receive greater condemnation."  Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.  And many who were rich put in much.   Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.  So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

 

  And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: . . .  Today the lectionary takes us to the Sermon on the Mount (found in St. Matthew's Gospel), from which the readings will come for this week, no doubt in preparation for Lent which begins next week.  My study Bible comments on these verses that in the Old Testament, there were only a select few who were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  Here, God Incarnate, Jesus Christ, is speaking to the multitudes face to face.  The mountain, as my study Bible explains it, is a place where divine action enters human history; it is the place where God reveals Himself to humankind (Matthew 17:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 3:1, 19:2; 1 Samuel 18:20).  To be seated is the traditional Jewish position for teaching with authority.  There were early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, who sat while the people stood.  St. Matthew mentions that Jesus opened his mouth in order to emphasize that his teaching is "one way," my study Bible says. That is, Jesus has come to speak with authority (Matthew 7:29), and the disciples are not there to discuss or debate, but to listen. 

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with what are called the Beatitudes, after these beginning statements regarding those who are blessed.  (Beatitude comes from the Latin word meaning "blessed.")  In this context, my study Bible explains, blessed indicates heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  In Hebrew, "poor" means both the materially poor, and also the faithful among God's people.  To be poor in spirit is to have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and to be totally dependent upon God. 

 

 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  My study Bible says that those who mourn sorrow over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  All are comforted by the power of God both in this world and in the age to come.  My study Bible says that holy sorrow is part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action, and is the firstfruit of infinite joy.  This is importantly distinguished from ungodly sorrow, which is a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).  

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."  My study Bible explains that meekness is an attitude of being content with both honor and dishonor.  This is an imitation of Christ, who said, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).  The meek, it says, are God-controlled and they have mastery over their passions, especially anger.  Meekness is not passive weakness, but strength directed and under control.  The earth that the meek will inherit is not power or possession in this world, but rather the new earth, which is everlasting (Revelation 21:1).  

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."  My study Bible says that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness see the presence of God  and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  It says they have a desperate craving for what is right before God, comparable to a starving person's craving for food (see Matthew 6:33).  

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  My study Bible defines mercy as love set in motion, expressed in action.  It says that God's mercy in taking our sufferings on Himself in order to grant us His Kingdom sets us free from captivity to the evil one.  In view of God's mercy to all, we in turn are to be merciful to all. 

 

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."  "Pure," according to my study Bible, means unmixed with anything else.  The pure in heart are those completely devoted to the worship and service of God and accept no compromises.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, those who are pure in this sense practice all virtue, have no conscious evil in themselves, and live in temperance.  My study Bible says that this level of spirituality is attained by few, but all people may strive for it.  When the soul's only desire is God, it tells us, and a person's will holds to this desire, then that person will see God everywhere.  

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."  As Christ is the source of peace, He found no price sufficient for peace other than shedding His own blood.  By so doing, He revealed Himself to us as our Reconciler, the Prince of peace who brings us into communion with God (Isaiah 9:6; Ephesians 2:14-16).  The Holy Spirit gives peace to those who imitate Christ, my study Bible says.  So peacemakers share God's peace with those around them, imitating Christ's sacrificial love and participating in His work.  By God's grace, then, peacemakers become sons of God themselves.  

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  My study Bible declares that children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and give themselves to no other (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Like Jesus, it notes, these will be persecuted for righteousness' sake (see John 15:18-20).  Christ's kingdom is the crown awaiting the righteous.

 

 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."  My study Bible claims that those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  The Greek word meaning to be exceedingly glad literally means to "leap exceedingly with joy."  Sometimes this word is translated as to "exult."  See Acts 5:40-41.

Among all the other seemingly paradoxical statements we read in the Sermon on the Mount, perhaps the most strange, to our modern ears, is to hear that not only are we blessed when we're reviled and persecuted, or have evil slander directed against us -- all for Christ's sake.  We're to rejoice and be exceedingly glad because our reward in heaven is great; moreover, so the prophets before were persecuted.  Clearly this would have been meaningful to His direct audience, as for the Jews, the prophets were the greatest representatives of God sent into the world, so often to speak God's truth to power and face the consequences for doing so.   From the Gospels it is clear that Christ's first disciples were those guided to Him by John the Baptist, while John himself is considered to be the greatest of all the Old Testament type prophets.  We can see this heroic continuity in those who've been sent exemplified in Christ's parable of the Wicked Vinedressers (Mark 12:1-12), which was given in Wednesday's reading last week.  There, servant after servant is sent by God to the vinedressers, only to be killed, and finally the owner sends his beloved Son.  It is into this known continuity that Jesus' listeners are given these words, Christ speaking of the prophets as images to imitate.  But most stunning of all is His assertion that now, we are to rejoice if this persecution comes for His sake.  For there He is placing Himself as central to the narrative of salvation, if you will.  He is placing Himself firmly in the place of the beloved Son sent to us all by God the Father.  He declares Himself worthy of such suffering and sacrifice, because He can offer us that eternal life, that place where our reward is great in heaven.  Noteworthy also, is remarking upon Christ's statement, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  We frequently read in Christ's teaching a sort of reciprocal principle at work within our communion with God and with our fellow believers and neighbors.  Further along in the Sermon on the Mount, after He gives us the Our Father, or the Lord's Prayer, He teaches, "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:15).  Both Christ's teaching on the practice of mercy and on forgiveness sound similar notes of reciprocal action within our communion with God and neighbor, and they are indeed related to one another.  We need to practice mercy and forgiveness in order to realize and receive these ourselves.  Perhaps, however, we need to understand suffering for Christ's sake within this same type of context.  For to suffer for His sake is to live His teachings and to be persecuted in some way for doing so.  To be merciful, and yet be made to suffer for it, even slandered for it, is a sense in which we're to understand that Christ's repayment for such a heroic dedication to His word will be ever greater, reciprocal in the greatest degree.  Moreover, to suffer for the sake of Christ's word and teachings is to do so in imitation of Him, for it is He who will pay the highest price for doing so, and out of love for us.   The modern cynical expression, "No good deed goes unpunished" may have a lot of truth in it for those who have experienced persecution for living the Lord's words and teachings.  But to suffer for Christ's sake is also to express our love for Him in return for the love we know first (1 John 4:19).   Let us consider how the practice of Christ's love and compassion might also mean that we suffer for His sake -- and then ponder His words that we need to rejoice and be exceedingly glad in the times when this is so!

 

 

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

 

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

"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 filled.

Blessed are the merciful, 

For they shall obtain 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."

 

- Matthew 5:1–10 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. 

 

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:  My study Bible informs us that in the Old Testament, there were only a select few who were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  Here, God Incarnate speaks to the multitudes face to face.  But here, God Incarnate speaks to the multitudes face to face.  Here Jesus will give us the Sermon on the Mount, over the following two chapters of St. Matthew's Gospel.  According to my study Bible, the mountain is a place where divine action enters human history, the place where God chooses to reveal God to human beings (Matthew 17:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 3:1, 19:2; 1 Kings 18:20).  To be seated is the traditional Jewish position for teaching with authority (this tradition is still evident in the Church with the Bishop's chair).  Some early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, sat while the people stood.  That Matthew tells us Jesus opened his mouth emphasizes that this teaching is "one-way."  In other words, Christ has come to speak with authority (Matthew 7:29), and the disciples (and we, of course) are there not to discuss or to debate, but to listen.  At the Transfiguration, the Father's voice will say to the disciples present, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" (Matthew 17:5).

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  In Greek, this word translated as blessed indicates a kind of contentment.  My study Bible suggests that it indicates heavenly, spiritual exaltation rather than earthly happiness or prosperity.  It describes properties or graces extended by God in response to faithfulness.   In Hebrew, "poor" means both the materially poor, and the faithful among God's people, my study Bible says.  So the poor in spirit, it notes, are those who have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and are totally dependent upon God.  

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  My study Bible tells us that those who mourn are the ones who sorrow over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and also their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  All of those who mourn in these ways are comforted by the power of God -- both in this world and in the age to come.  Holy sorrow, we are told, is a part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action.  It is the firstfruit, my study Bible adds, of infinite joy.  This is to be distinguished from ungodly sorrow, a sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthians 7:10).   

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."  My study Bible describes meekness as used here by Jesus to mean an attitude of being content with both honor and dishonor.  It says it's an imitation of Christ, who said, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).  The meek are God-controlled and have mastery over their passions, especially anger.  This is not passive weakness, as one might imagine from a more material perspective, but rather it is strength which is directed and under control.  In the letter to the Philippians, St. Paul writes, "I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need" (Philippians 4:12).  My study Bible adds that the earth that the meek will inherit is not power or possession in this world, but the new earth, which is everlasting (Revelation 21:1).  

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."  Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are the one who see the presence of God and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life, according to my study Bible.  They have what my study Bible calls a desperate craving for what is right before God; this is compared here to a starving person's craving for food (see Matthew 6:33).  "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God" (Psalm 42:1).  

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."   My study Bible describes mercy as love set in motion, expressed in action.  God shows mercy upon us in taking our sufferings, to grant us the Kingdom; and this sets us free from captivity to the evil one.  So, therefore, in view of God's mercy to all, we are in turn expected to be, like God, merciful to all.  

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."  My study Bible explains that "pure" means unmixed with anything else.  So, the pure in heart are those completely devoted to the worship and service of God, and accept no compromises.  With the aid of the Holy Spirit, it notes, those who achieve purity practice all virtue, have no conscious evil in themselves, and they live in temperance.  This level of spirituality is attained by few, but everyone may strive for it.  When the soul's only desire is God, my study Bible explains, and a person holds to this desire, then that person will indeed see God everywhere.  

 

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."  As Christ is the source of peace, He finds no price sufficient for peace other than shedding His own blood.  In this sacrificial sense of the "food" of the Eucharist He gives us, we find Him revealed as the Reconciler, the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:5; Ephesians 2:14-16).  The Holy Spirit gives peace to those who imitate Christ, my study Bible notes.  So, therefore, peacemakers share God's peace with those who are around them, imitating Christ's sacrificial love and participating in His work.  So, through God's grace, peacemakers become sons of God themselves. 

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  My study Bible tells us that children of God uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world and they give themselves to no other (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Similarly to Jesus, it notes, these will be persecuted for righteousness' sake (see John 15:18-20).   Christ's kingdom is the crown which awaits the righteousness.  

In today's reading, we can note the various elements of sacrifice named in these Beatitudes, or blessings of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 4:17).  These blessings are qualities of life that pertain to the Kingdom and our participation in it; they are ways in which our lives are built up with the particular blessings of God, linked to God's grace for us.  (There is, by the way, another important Greek word often translated as to "bless," but it means to praise.)   If we look at these Beatitudes, we see first of all Jesus naming the poor in spirit as those who are indeed blessed.  In our modern cultural context, particularly perhaps in Western countries, we can look at the word "poor" and wonder how we can associate this with the colloquial understanding of blessing.  But this type of disconnection is exemplary, because it tells us of an adjustment necessary in our understanding.  This sense of the Kingdom is a different set of values, a different way to see things, and asks us to understand something profound and true.  My study Bible, as noted above, gives us the sense of poor within the context of Jewish spiritual history, as those who are utterly dependent upon God.  But in that kind of poverty, that sense of dependency upon God, there is a great reward:  the kingdom of heaven.  To be "poor in spirit" then, does not necessarily mean being materially impoverished, but it does indicate a great shifting of values, where treasure is something different from sheer material accumulation in life.  What becomes most precious is our communion with God, and this in turn defines how we see life.  Jesus goes on to speak of mourning, which follows a sense of loss -- so it is another kind of indication of sacrifice.  But what is mourned is a way of life, a way of being, that is so much less than the comfort of God.  It implies, similarly to the phrase "poor in spirit," that we enter into a different state of seeing; our sins don't make us happy, the suffering of others becomes something we share, and we seek a different life -- that of the kingdom of heaven, a different way to live in this world.  To be meek in a worldly sense is often to suffer or to undergo the seeming loss or sacrifice of not gaining by conquering or "lording it over" others.    But here Jesus says it is these, and the implication seems to be of endurance, who will inherit the earth.  If we hunger and thirst, it doesn't sound like something appealing.  But note that this is a hunger and a thirst for righteousness, and we will be blessed by being filled with that for which we hunger and thirst, the righteousness of reconciliation with God, walking in faithfulness.  To be merciful in some way implies we give something up, we don't exact perfect "justice" in the sense of an eye for an eye.  But we receive mercy in return, which is priceless.  To be pure in heart takes effort.  We are born into a world that surrounds us with faulty thinking, sinful behavior, imperfect understanding, with desires that tempt us and form our perspective in all kinds of ways.  But to become pure in heart is a way of following God on a journey toward something, weeding out the things that get in the way of our pursuit, casting off the things that adulterate the heart.  It is a lifetime journey, but the reward is the most tremendous sight any human being could behold.  To see God is something unthinkable in any other way, impossible otherwise.  To be a peacemaker is difficult; it may require the sacrifice not only of not getting our own way, so to speak, but of learning to reconcile, and the creative effort it takes to do so respectably and with dignity.  But to be sons of God (both male and female, as inheritors) is an honor far beyond any other.  Finally we have what is clearly a kind of sacrifice indicated:  "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Imagine being persecuted for righteousness' sake.  One is doing the right thing, and by the standards of God, no less -- and yet one is persecuted.  This is clearly indicative of the martyrs who would come, but also includes anyone who has suffered any form of persecution for righteousness' sake.  It's a sacrifice of comfort, acceptance, social standing and any possible number of things, but for righteousness' sake.  That is, for doing or supporting what is truly right and just in the sight of God, for being faithful to God.  What this leads us to believe is something Jesus affirms elsewhere, that to be a part of the kingdom of heaven is to be blessed beyond all known measure.  Jesus says of John the Baptist, "Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he" (Matthew 11:11).  This is truly a high standard indeed!  If we are to understand sacrifice properly, we have to understand its true meaning here.  No sacrifice is without benefit.  A sacrifice in the ancient world was one which was a communal meal.  In some sense, then, Jesus is teaching us that any of the potential things we forego in order to participate in this kingdom return to us blessings far beyond the value we know, and that to make these kinds of "sacrifices" as described here is to participate in the ultimate blessing, the kingdom of heaven.  Moreover, even on the individual level, none of this is lost or unknown to God, to Christ who loves us:  "And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward" (Matthew 10:12).  In each of the ways Jesus speaks of about what it is to be blessed in this way of the kingdom of heaven, whatever suffering or "doing without" which is implied here is all by way of a kind of investment.  The rewards reaped are far greater than what we cast off or forego.  In the same sense should we think of Christ's sacrifice for all:  to destroy death itself would be to have those whom He loves with Him for an eternity, to offer us the eternal life that is in Him.  May we value what He offers to us as highly as He values us.

 

 

 

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

 

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

    "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 filled.

    Blessed are the merciful,

    For they shall obtain 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."

- Matthew 5:1-10 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.   

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:. . .  In the Old Testament, my study Bible tells us, there are only a select few who were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  Here, god Incarnate speaks to the multitudes face to face.  The mountain, my study Bible explains, is a place where divine action enters human history.  It is the place in which God reveals God to man (Matthew 17:1; Genesis 22:2; Exodus 3:1, 19:2; 1 Kings 18:20).  The traditional Jewish position for teaching with authority is to do so seated.  Some early Christian preachers, such as St. John Chrysostom, sat while the people stood.  Matthew mentions that Jesus opened His mouth to emphasize that this teaching goes "one-way."  That is, that Jesus has come to speak with authority (Matthew 7:29), and the disciples are there not in order to discuss or to debate, but to listen.  

 

 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Blessed in this context is an indication of a heavenly, spiritual exaltation, rather than earthly happiness or prosperity, my study Bible explains.  The material things commonly called blessings are not what is emphasized here in Christ's teaching of the Beatitudes.  In Hebrew, the word for "poor" can mean both the materially poor, and also the faithful among God's people.  Those who are poor in spirit are those who have the heart of the poor.  That is, the same attitude as the poor, who are totally dependent upon God.  

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  Those who mourn are those who sorrow over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38).  All of these, my study Bible tells us, are comforted by the power of God both in this world and in the age to come.  Holy sorrow is also part of repentance, conversion, and virtuous action.  It is the firstfruit of the joy of God.  This kind of sorrow must be distinguished (discerned) from ungodly sorrow, which is sadness that leads to despair (see 2 Corinthains 7:10).  

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."  My study Bible comments that meekness is an attitude of being content with both honor and dishonor.  This is an imitation of Christ, who said, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).  The meek are God-controlled and they have mastery over their passions, most particularly anger.  Meekness, my study Bible continues, is not passive weakness, but it is strength which is directed and under control.  The earth that the meek will inherit is not power or possession in this world, but rather the new earth, which is everlasting (Revelation 21:1).  

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."  Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness see the presence of God and God's Kingdom as the most important thing in life.  That is, they have a desperate craving for what is right before God, which my study Bible says is comparable to a starving person's craving for food (see Matthew 6:33).  

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  What is mercy?  My study Bible describes it as love set in motion, expressed in action.  God's mercy in Christ, who took our sufferings on Himself in order to grant us His Kingdom, sets us free from captivity to the evil one. In view of God's mercy to all, we in turn are to be merciful to all.  

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."  To be "pure" means to be unmixed, unadulterated with anything else.  Those who are pure in heart, therefore, are completely devoted to the worship and service of God and accept no compromises.  With the aid of the Holy Spirit, those who achieve this type of purity practice all virtue, they have no conscious evil in themselves, and they live in temperance.  My study Bible explains that this level of spirituality is attained by few, but all people may strive for it. When the soul's only desire is God, it notes, and a person's will holds to this desire, then that person will indeed see God everywhere.  

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."   As Christ is the source of peace, He found no price sufficient for peace other than shedding His own blood.  This kind of peace means reconciliation to God.  Therefore, in so doing, Christ reveals Himself to us as the Reconciler, the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6; Ephesians 2:14-16).  My study Bible adds that the Holy Spirit gives peace to those who imitate Christ.  so, therefore, peacemakers share God's peace with those around them, imitating Christ's sacrificial love and participating in His work.  By God's grace, then, peacemakers become sons of God themselves.  

 

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Children of God are those who uphold truth, who refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and who give themselves to no other (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Like Jesus, my study Bible notes, these will be persecuted for righteousness' sake (see John 15:18-20).  Christ's kingdom is that crown which awaits the righteous.

Today's reading gives us what are called the Beatitudes.  A beatitude is defined as a "supreme blessedness" according to the Oxford English Dictionary.  That is, in this case, a kind of blessedness that passes an ordinary worldly or earthly understanding.  This is not about accumulating worldly goods, nor counting up our good fortune, even seemingly immaterial things like how many friends we have or how lucky we are to have good family members.  This kind of blessedness is a heavenly blessedness here on earth.  It is a blessedness that surpasses worldly experience and surroundings, and is conferred through the blessings of the kingdom of heaven, which is with us, among us, and within us (Luke 17:20-21).  These blessings confer a state of blessedness upon believers who participate in the kingdom of God even in this world through Christ and the blessedness He brings to us through all that He has done, through His Incarnation, the sacraments of the Church, the giving of the Holy Spirit, and all the ways in which we inherit this Kingdom which He has brought to us, and in which we may participate, even becoming sons and heirs, and more -- even to the extent that we also may become "like Him, like God."  Through this blessedness that Jesus describes, we are those who, through faith and faithful living, may fulfill our creation in that God created humankind in God's own image and likeness.  Jesus Christ is the supreme example brought into the world as Son incarnate as a human being in order to prepare the way for us.  His humanity was itself touched by divinity so that we in turn may also become "sons" -- meaning both heirs, and also to become "like God" -- through His life, suffering, death, and Resurrection.  This is what the Cross means for us, and we should consider these Beatitudes, these blessings Jesus lays out for us, as the supreme crowning blessings of Christianity.  Let us remember, even in the midst of these blessings we are to ponder in Christ's great Sermon on the Mount, that -- as we are wont to remind our readers on this blog -- "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).  What this implies is that the blessings of the kingdom of God, the Beatitudes which Christ has just named in the beginning of this great sermon, are the weapons which act against these unseen enemies as described by St. Paul.  We seek this blessedness in order to secure a Kingdom in this world which is not of this world, but which may nonetheless dwell within the world, and particularly within and among us who are faithful to it.  Many of my readers understand the persecutions that faithful Christians undergo, in particular at this time in the world, building upon those of the past.  Especially in the time of distress, we are to remember what we are to be about.  We seek this Kingdom in which we seek Christ's peace, reconciliation with God, a remembrance of our living prayer each day in our lives, our reliance upon God to give us the perspective of true peace within ourselves, so that we may see clearly where we are going and where Christ leads us in our worldly lives.  For even when our worldly life is in turmoil, it is to God's blessings we must turn at all times.  Let us count these blessings even in the midst of persecutions, and let us find His way for us now.   Note that this list of Beatitudes that Jesus gives us to start this sermon begin and end with a reminder of our belonging to the kingdom of heaven.  He starts with the poor in spirit, and finishes with those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake -- and to both He adds, "For theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Let us remember to Whom we belong at all times, no matter what comes in our lives, where we are, who we are with, for God is present to us and with us always.

 

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

 

 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

"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 filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain 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."

 

- Matthew 5:1-10 

 

On Saturday we read that Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets.  He called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.  And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.  Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him -- from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.   

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: . . .  My study Bible comments here that in the Old Testament, only a select few were chosen to hear God directly (see Exodus 19:3-13).  Here, God Incarnate speaks to the multitudes face to face.  Throughout the Bible, and therefore with Jesus in the Gospels, the mountain is a place where divine action enters human history, the place where God reveals God to human beings (Matthew 17:1, Genesis 22:2; Exodus 3:1, 19:2, 1 Kings 18:20).  To be seated is the traditional Jewish position for teaching with authority, my study Bible explains.  There are some early Christian preachers (for an example, St. John Chrysostom) who sat while the people stood.  Matthew says that Jesus opened his mouth to emphasize that this teaching is directed "one way," that Jesus is speaking with authority (Matthew 7:29), and the disciples are there not to discuss or debate, but rather to listen (see Luke 6:47-48, John 14:23-24).

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  To be blessed in this context does not indicate a conventional, worldly sense of material blessing.  My study Bible comments that the blessedness of the Beatitudes indicates heavenly, spiritual exaltation, rather than earthly happiness of prosperity.  In Hebrew, to be "poor" means both the materially poor, and also the faithful among God's people.  The poor in spirit are those who have the heart of the poor, the same attitude as the poor, and are totally dependent upon God.  

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."  Those who mourn are those who sorrow over the sufferings of this life (Matthew 9:23), the sufferings of others (John 11:35), the state of the world (Luke 19:41), and their own sins (Luke 7:36-38), my study Bible says.  All of these are comforted by the power of God, both in this world and in the age to come.  

 

 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."  My study Bible explains that meekness is an attitude of being content with both honor and dishonor.  It is an imitation of Christ, who said, "Learn from Me, for I am gentle [meek] and lowly in heart" (Matthew 11:29).  The meek, it says, are God-controlled and have mastery over their passions, particularly anger.  Meekness is not, therefore, a passive weakness, but rather strength which is directed and under control.  The earth which will be inherited by the meek is not power or possession in this world, but rather the new earth, which is everlasting (Revelation 21:1).  

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."  Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are those who see the presence of God and God's Kingdom as the most essential thing in life.  As my study Bible puts it, they have a desperate craving for what is right before God, which is comparable to a starving person's craving for food (see Matthew 6:33). 

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  Mercy is love which is set in motion and expressed in action, according to my study Bible.  This is similar to hearing and doing Christ's commandments, given in the spirit of the compassion of God.  My study Bible says that God's mercy in taking our sufferings on Himself in order to grant His Kingdom sets us free from captivity to the evil one.  In view of God's mercy to all, we are in turn to be merciful to all.  

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."  In the context of Scripture, "pure" here means to be unmixed with anything else.  Therefore, the pure in heart, my study Bible explains, are those completely devoted to the worship and service of God, and accept no compromises.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, those who achieve this kind of purity practice all virtue, have no conscious evil in themselves, and live in temperance.  To be pure in this sense is to be of one essence from inside to out, such as a natural pearl of pure nacre.  This level of spirituality is attained by few, my study Bible says, but all may strive for it.  When the soul's only desire is God, and a person's will holds to this desire, it explains, then that person will indeed see God everywhere.  (See also Romans 14:14.)

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."  As Christ is the source of peace, my study Bible explains, He found no price sufficient for peace other than shedding His own blood.  In so doing, He reveals Himself to us as the Reconciler, the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6; Ephesians 2:14-16).  Moreover, it says, the Holy Spirit gives peace to those who imitate Christ.  Therefore, peacemakers also share God's peace with others around them; they imitate Christ's sacrificial love and they participate in Christ's work.  By God's grace, peacemakers become sons of God themselves ("sons of God" meaning heirs, and therefore including all children of God, with no distinction of gender).

"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  My study Bible says that children of God are those who uphold truth, refuse to compromise with the ways of the world, and give themselves to no other (Matthew 6:24, 33; see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).  Like Christ Himself, these will be persecuted for righteousness' sake (see John 15:28-30).  Christ's kingdom is the crown which awaits the righteous.  

Today's reading begins the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7), in which Jesus introduces the kind of life those who seek the Kingdom of God must lead.  Another title for Christ's homily, as suggested by my study Bible, might be "The Righteousness of the Kingdom."  The Sermon on the Mount contains several sections; today's reading begins the first, called the Beatitudes (or "blessings").  Here in today's reading, and continuing in tomorrow's, Jesus describes the joys of true discipleship, the blessed way of life.  My study Bible comments that the people of God await the rewards Jesus promises in this section.  So who are the people of God?   In a modern world, it seems increasingly difficult to appreciate the blessedness of which Christ preaches in the Sermon on the Mount.  Our spectacle-oriented life, as succored through media, and especially through images which suggest what "real life" and "the good life" are all about, does not give us an accompanying sense of what it means to be blessed in the ways of which Christ speaks here.  If anything, what all too often accompanies the images we get as consumers of media is an associated anxiety over what we might have that others don't (and vice versa), or trying to catch up with the things we think we need.  All too often, what is left out of this picture of life that we consume daily are the intangibles, and the sense of emptiness or isolation such a focus can produce is cured only through a willingness to find His way -- a focus on something of an entirely different nature, something that is linked to our souls, and to the humility and values which Christ teaches.  So let us look at these blessings which we're taught in today's reading, and focus on them.  What does it mean to be poor in spirit, to have the mind of the poor -- or, in other words, to become totally dependent upon God for our lives and our sense of ourselves?  Suppose we were to cultivate such an aspect of the self deliberately as identity?  What is it to mourn the things that afflict the world, our own sins and those of others?  Suppose we were to see loss of this kind of blessedness, and the things that are destructive to such values, as a severe affliction to our whole world (which includes ourselves)?  To be meek is to put our desires in harness first to the love of God, to understand that we serve something with our choices, and to take a look at the world and make the choice for ourselves that it is God's love we want to serve with our lives:  this is what it is to be the meek who shall inherit the earth.  To hunger and thirst for righteousness is something more than a simple formula for what might be called "social justice," whittled down to a simple slogan that benefits someone.  To hunger and thirst for righteousness is the willingness to live God's righteousness, to seek that light which shines in the soul, to see the icon of God which we're meant to be and live that way in our relationships to sense of ourselves, our communities, and the world.  To be merciful is to learn that simple earthly justice does not satisfy the fullness of what true justice is, for true justice knows the heart, and what possible choices mean, which paths we might seek down the road, which only God's love knows for certain.  The pure in heart are those for whom this kind of devotion is everything, a lifetime study, a work that begins with humility and the willingness and discipline to cast out what makes them stumble internally, even to struggle with temptation, including things that sound good but fail to deliver that in truth.  To be a peacemaker is the capacity to rise above a simple sense of material justice, to serve a greater good than an infantile version of "good versus evil" which fails to understand complexities and depths of human life, and fails to work for that which nurtures abundant life (John 10:10).  Finally, to be persecuted for righteousness' sake is to be willing to risk the hatred or envy of others for the sake of the love of God, the ways that God calls upon us to live.  These are the intangible, beautiful, blessed things of Christ which the Beatitudes introduce to us here in this start to the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus expounds on what it is to live the life to which He calls all of us.  Let us remember His mercy and His love, for these are the things that truly make life blessed and worth living.  We have been given the tools of intelligence and creativity, as human beings we are capable of so much -- but without the blessedness of which Christ speaks those things are so frequently turned to destructive ends and means toward toil and suffering, even if seemingly well-intentioned.  Let us, then, seek first this blessedness of Christ's Kingdom to feed the deep needs which even a whole world can't fill.