Blessed are the saints (8 beatitudes)

Today’s scripture:

“And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Matthew 7:28-29)

I would like to spend some time going through the Sermon on the Mount and also showing the mercy found in these passages of scripture just like we saw the mercy in each of the Ten Commandments. In this Sermon, Jesus expounds on the fundamental truths of the Kingdom of God. First, He starts His sermon with 8 steps reaching the higher altitudes of spiritual life leading into the fundamental truths of the Kingdom of God.

Starting with Matthew 5:3-12…

1. Humility: v.3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Humility is the first step for a reason (Psalm 149:4). It puts you in your rightful place and has a way of sobering you up so you can see things clearly without deception. As we start to see ourselves for who we really are in light of God, we get an acknowledgement of knowing we need Him! Being poor in spirit is a very good thing. When you are poor of something that creates a desire for something more.

2. Contrition: v.4 “Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.” The word mourn mentioned here is a sorrow over sin. God just loves those who are broken over their sin (Psalm 34:18). He is close to the broken. When He comes close to the broken, they will be comforted.

3. Gentleness: v.5 “Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.” Gentleness is meekness, which is the markings of a new spirit within. The Lord guards those who has a new spirit and that belong to Him. He protects those who are gentle in spirit (Zephaniah 2:3).

4. Spiritual Hunger: v.6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” This attribute signifies spiritual growth. First comes the humility found in step one which creates in us the spiritual hunger. As we search for God and seek His face, we will not hunger or thirst. This hunger and thirst is meant as a mercy for us so we will be filled when we turn and seek Him (2 Chronicles 7:14).

5. Mercifulness: v.7 “Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.” This is an attribute of God as well as an attribute of a follower of Jesus. It is the Heart of Christ! This verse is proof that what we sow, it is that which we will reap. In the mercy prayer found in the tab of this blog has within the prayer saying “Do for him/her, Lord, instead of me.” Meaning not to get caught up in our own needs and wants because we are promised by this verse we will be taken care of (1 Kings 3:6).

6. Purity: v.8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” This is the marking of the attainment of higher attitudes, where comes the vision God. This purity is the kind of pure heart that is the kind king David had that He was in a constant search after God’s heart (Psalm 119:9-10). When we search for God’s heart, which is the purest, He will give it freely!

7. Peacemaking: v.9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.” This is a Christ-like influence, calming the storms of life (Ephesians 2:14-18).

8. Sacrificial Suffering: v.10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Suffering for Christ, standing firm along with the prophets and martyrs. I’ve written before explaining how these trials and sufferings can be a mercy to us if we so choose to look at it the right way. Look at the verses 11 and 12. They say that if you are persecuted and peoples say all kinds of false things about you that your reward is great in the kingdom of heaven!

Can you see how Jesus is laying out in such order of what our life is like as we live be faith knowing Him to be our one and only Savior? From the very beginning with humility, there the whole christian life begins, but it is also a way of life and not just a time when you are born again. Without getting pride out of the way and seeing ourselves for who we really are in light of God, the rest of these steps wouldn’t even be thought of.

Reflection:

Each of these steps is a higher standard, as we get closer to the temple of truth. In today's scripture it says they were amazed at Jesus’ teachings and that it wasn’t like how the scribes taught. Maybe its because Jesus taught that all these attribute were filled with the loving-kindness (mercy) produced in you by the Lord rather than something that is full of legalism. God’s word says many many people followed Jesus after this teaching. That’s because while He taught with such authority He was able to show the love within the authority and that is what drew them to Jesus.

Challenge:

Are these attributes showing up in your life? If your not experiencing them, do not be discouraged. Sanctification takes time dear ones. As long as you have a genuine desire to have more of Jesus in your life, have faith that He will produce that within you. As you go through these next few days, be mindful and watch what God does in you. Pray before you start each of these reading that He opens your eyes, your ears and your heart.

-Doug McGowan