Kingdom Living: The Beatitudes
After Jesus called the twelve disciples they travelled together throughout Galilee while he taught the crowds and healed many suffering from a variety of diseases. Word of his miraculous ministry drew onlookers along with others seeking his healing power. He made paralytics walk. He loosed those shackled by the chains of demonic tyranny. He freed others enduring unpredictable bouts with seizures. The kingdom of God was coming in abundant glory as the gospel would be taken to the nations with freedom for evangelism enhanced by the binding of Satan. What an experience it was for the disciples to see the miraculous healing wrought by Jesus, but it was bewildering as well. Here were these twelve Jews whose vocations included everything from fishermen to a tax collector, none of which seems appropriate for apostleship, yet they were chosen for kingdom work by Jesus. They abandoned all to join this man they knew little about and whose many miracles were like nothing they had seen before. Thoughts raised by Jesus’ ministry anticipate the question asked later in Matthew, “What sort of man is this?” (8:27)
At this point in Jesus’ ministry his identity as the Son of God is yet to be disclosed, the demons knew it, but he instructed them to be silent. He ascended the mountain, sat down, was joined by the disciples, and he “opened his mouth” and taught. The term “opened his mouth” is indicative of the speaker’s authority and the solemnity of what is said. God had spoken to Moses on Mt. Sinai in an intimidating and fearful situation, but Jesus, the incarnate Word, sits with his disciples, speaks to them in a caring manner, and provides comfort and reassurance as he delivers the tough teaching of the kingdom of God.
Interpretations of the beatitudes follow.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (v. 3).
The “poor in spirit” are those who recognize their spiritual condition before God. Martin Luther was greatly distressed because he recognized the pervasiveness of sin in his life, and he came to poverty of spirit by realizing his impotence to remedy his sinful condition. Luther learned no one can be justified by the works of the Law. He knew he was a beggar before God and his only hope was justification through faith in Christ. Poverty of spirit should be a way of life for Christians because they recognize their dire condition apart from the grace of the gospel. One might think “the kingdom of heaven” is a reward for achieving poverty of spirit, but instead those who enter heaven recognize their inability to please God apart from the saving grace of Christ.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted (4).
Mourning is usually associated with sadness caused by the death of someone dear, but in this case, mourning is initial and continued repentance, sorrow for sin. As poverty of spirit brings recognition of the need for grace, so mourning for sin is sorrow for its continued presence. Paul’s exasperation expressed in “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom 7:24) as he bemoans the law of sin at war with the law of his mind illustrates mourning for sin. Mourning is comforted by the assurance of the gospel. It is knowing that the sheep of the Lord’s flock are securely in his hands that brings abiding comfort.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (5).
Meek is not a word often used today. To be meek is to be a wimp, and no one wants to be a wimp. The definition of meek is “having or showing a quiet and gentle nature: not wanting to fight or argue with other people.” But Scripture says of Moses that he “was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth” (Num 12:3). This is the same man who threw down the tablets of the Commandments in anger at the sight of Israel’s idolatrous golden calf. Moses’ meekness was moderated by the duties of leading the Jewish people and the meek sometimes become righteously indignant as would Jesus as he dealt with the moneychangers in the temple. The meek will inherit the earth seems just the opposite of reality. The Greeks and Romans had great armies that conquered nations and made empires—there was nothing meek about these peoples. But Jesus instructs the twelve and Christians throughout history to be meek.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (6).
Here righteousness is the life-long process of improving Christian obedience, and it is not achieving or obtaining salvation by works. It is pursuing and growing in sanctification. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism answers question 35 with the definition of sanctification, it says, “Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.” An appetite for righteousness is a case when gluttony is a good thing. Though the satisfaction of our hunger and thirst for righteousness is not perfect or complete in this life, as we grow in grace, we see our lives improve and thus receive satisfaction as we mature in the faith.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy (7).
Just as meekness is not an attribute of character in the eyes of the contemporary world, neither is mercy. The Greek word translated “mercy” (eleos) is concerned with relieving pain, suffering, misery, and distress. As Jesus tells his followers to be merciful, he is calling them to do what he himself did in showing mercy to relieve the elect from the pain, suffering, misery, and distress of sin. Those who are merciful receive mercy in that God relieves their difficulties; that is, obedience is rewarded through God’s working all things together for good (Romans 8:28, 29).
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (8).
Purity of heart yields a single minded and spiritually motivated life. The believer can work in the church and do a variety of ministries and services, yet not be driven by proper motives. Jesus often rebuked the pharisees for looking good but with impurity of heart, there is something about the sinful nature that is more concerned about appearances than simply laboring for God out of love and a pure heart. Good comes from a pure heart and single-minded desire to please God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God (9).
In this beatitude peace is in the context of a person’s Christian living, that is, it is instruction for interpersonal relationships. It may be good that organizations like the United Nations seek world peace, but here Jesus is calling his followers to make peace among themselves. Presbyterian denominations have vows for members and officers that call for “studying the purity and peace” of the church, which is in part an application of this beatitude. At the most personal level, Christians are to be reconciled to the brethren, which is a subject Jesus expands on later in chapter 5 verses 23-24. Peacemaking shows the peacemaker to be a child of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (10).
This beatitude and the next are concerned with the subject of persecution. The first seven beatitudes are difficult enough to apply in life, but it may be that persecution is the toughest of all. Whether it is that colleague at work who always has an insulting comment about your Christianity, or a member of your family that never lets up—it is difficult to suffer persecution. However, verse 10 reminds us that as we suffer in this life, we can look forward to the ultimate glory of heaven.
Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you (11,12).
The ninth beatitude expands on the eighth. It is as if Jesus wanted to emphasize the difficulties of being persecuted. In the eighth beatitude he said, “blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness,” and then in the ninth he says that persecution means being insulted and falsely accused. Suffering persecution takes us back to beatitude seven and the instruction to be peacemakers. It is particularly clear that Jesus is not only instructing us about persecution by the world but persecution by Christians. Generally, the prophets were persecuted by the Jews, who were their fellow members of the covenant community of Israel. So, as believers are persecuted by the world and the brethren, they can take comfort in suffering like the prophets.
Conclusion—The beatitudes are so difficult to apply because each one is deeply contrary to the sinful self and in opposition to the ways of the world. Jesus sat patiently on the lovely ground with the lilies and other landscaping showing the handiwork of creation as he laid out for the twelve the challenge of living in the kingdom of heaven. The twelve had seen Jesus healing many people afflicted with diseases, that was good, it was easy to accept, but now with the beatitudes, the kingdom is impossible to accept. The brevity of these verses may blind readers to their demands, or possibly raise the thought, “They are short; they cannot be that important.” Is John 11:35 unimportant? Did the Son of Man really expect his followers to be poor in spirit, mourn for sin, be meek, be gluttons for righteousness, be merciful, have purity of heart and motives, make peace, and possibly toughest of all, recognize God’s blessings while suffering persecution? Yes, and as he enumerated the beatitudes to the twelve, he was saying the kingdom is a hard place to live, but it must not be forgotten,
Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. (John 16:32-33)
Barry Waugh (PhD, WTS) is the editor of Presbyterians of the Past. He has written for various periodicals, such as the Westminster Theological Journal and The Confessional Presbyterian. He has also contributed to Gary L. W. Johnson’s, B. B. Warfield: Essays on His Life and Thought (2007) and edited Letters from the Front: J. Gresham Machen’s Correspondence from World War I (2012).
