The Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Christians are those who recognize their spiritual bankruptcy before God, their utter lack of goodness, not simply their inability to do good, but that they are completely sinful before him. In recognizing and declaring their lack of true life, their complete lack of good, God gives them the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Christians don’t simply recognize their spiritual bankruptcy before God, it overwhelms them. Their sinfulness and the knowledge of God goodness yet their persistent rebellion against him agonizes them, their inability to submit to God, the complete failure of their lives causes them to deeply mourn for their condition, mourn because of God’s own sorrow, and mourn because of the horrid condition of mankind. But God himself comforts them. Despite the fact that created this mess for themselves, a perfect God intervenes and involves himself in the mess. He comforts them by letting them know he cares, he loves them, and offers Christ to comfort them.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
God’s compassion in Christ and in his willing involvement into man’s mess, floors the Christian. That God would die for man reveals to the Christian that he was far more sinful than he’d ever dared believe, yet at the same time magnifies the great mercy and love of the Father. Both mercy and grace humbles the Christian to the ground. This humility and awe of God’s prepares him to inherit the earth. What Adam and Eve lacked God gives to the Christian, and puts the earth once again under their care.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
The humbled and meek recognize their lack before God but find that they need something positive before him, that in their brokenness, they need to be made right before God. They hunger and thirst to be right before God, to be righteous or holy as God is holy. They cannot rest until they find their righteousness, and God gives them his rest in Christ. Their lack is completely fulfilled in the righteousness of Christ. They are here justified. Even when they recognize further sin in their own lives, that they yet lack righteousness, they know to return back to Christ, who overflows with righteousness, thus being sanctified.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
The Christian’s righteousness was given to them freely. It was an act of mercy that gave them their righteousness, it was not earned. Not merely was the Christian saved from utter spiritual poverty, he’s given the abundant wealth of Christ’s righteousness. Mercy and grace to its fullest. He knows that the mercy he’s received is far greater than any offense against him, and by response forgives any wrong against him. In reciprocating to others the mercy he’s received, God in turn blesses him with even more mercy, which causes the Christian to be all the more merciful.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
The Christian when merciful is single-minded, is pure in heart. God’s mercy, the gospel of Christ overwhelms all of his actions and his thoughts. His standard of love is no longer based off of his own sense of justice, but by the radical justice of God that is overflowing with grace towards even his enemies. The undivided heart is the same as God’s undivided heart, which is a passion for his own glory. The pure in heart see God eye to eye, face to face, because the pure in heart are those who have God’s heart. He reveals to them his plans, his purposes, his joy, because the Christian is in one heart with God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
When the Christian sees God, he sees and knows that God is most glorified by the gospel, by Christ’s work on the cross. The gospel is the good news of God making peace with man, creating a harmonious, bountiful, amazing relationship with him. Christ was the ultimate peacemaker because his life’s work was to reconcile man to God. The Christian who knows God’s heart, and sees him face to face, is also a peacemaker, actively looking to reconcile man to God by proclaiming the God’s reconciling work on the cross. In so doing the Christian exemplifies the life of Christ, and follows in his obedience, and in so doing is living in this world as Christ did, and called a child of God, a co-heir with Christ.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
As the Christian proclaims the reconciling work of Christ, it condemns the world, causing people to persecute them. They are no longer citizens of this world, their value system is completely different, they have become anomalies in the world. The world is no longer worthy of them. To the Christian persecution is joy. 1) It reveals that they are living out their Christian life is God had intended for them to. 2) They get to live in the footsteps of Christ, and share in his sufferings. 3) Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
cool! i like it!