Sermon on the Mount -- Chapter 5 -- Beattitudes

3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  To be poor in Spirit -- means that you have nothing to give of yourself, nothing at all but a need, a need for life, a need for righteousness, a need for Himself. 4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.  The goal is not to live a life of mourning, since "they will be" comforted. 5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.   This scripture comes from the Old Testament: "But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." (Psalm 37:11) "Meek" speaks of humility. What do humble people receive? "Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly." (Proverbs 3: 34) 6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.   This righteousness, this perfect standing before God, can only be found in Christ Jesus, through His death on the Cross, and His resurrection, which confirms our justification before Him. Too many of the Jewish people during Jesus' earthly ministry were convinced that they were righteous because they followed the rules and the teachings of the Pharisees, yet Jesus pointed out that righteousness had to exceed that of the Pharisees (Matthew 5: 20)
7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.  How can we be merciful unless we receive it? This demand should have been enough right away to drive His hearers to despair. 8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.  How do we get pure in heart? Through Jesus' death on the Cross: "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." (Hebrews 10: 22) 9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.  This verse should not be read: "I must be a peacemaker, so that I can be a  child of God." We do not become children of anyone by our own efforts, to begin with: "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8: 15-17) 10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  I had often read this passage from the perspective of  "doing righteousness". Righteousness cannot be earned, but rather, we must receive it as a gift: "For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 17) "Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." This kind of persecution would be anathema to Jesus's audience, as to anyone else. Persecution is no fun, unless we understand God's grace: "Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:" (Romans 5: 20) and "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10)
"Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." (Matthew 5: 3-12)

In Christ, we receive better than the standing of the prophets, but in fact we are made heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. Keep in mind that the prophets suffered terribly for representing God and His Word to the world. For many, the idea of suffering for God was just too much for them.

That was exactly the point of this ministry - to bring self-satisfied people to the end of themselves, so that they would "hunger and thirst after righteousness".