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"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
(Matthew 5:3)
This coming Saturday, on our REvangelical podcast, I will begin teaching about the Beatitudes of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew 5-7. In Matthew 5:3-11, Jesus teaches us how we can live a truly blessed life. It is very counter to what the world teaches, especially in our modern culture. To be blessed in the world's eyes always centers around the individual and what he or she can accumulate. But to be truly blessed according to Jesus is to live a life in right relation to God and to one another.
Let us look at the context of the sermon: Jesus has just healed many, according to Matthew 4:23-25. Jesus was performing miracles, and the people came from all over Israel to see Him, be healed by Him, and hear His messages that He preached. At the end of His sermon in Matthew 7:28-29, the people were astonished, for He taught them with authority. Jesus' life and teachings were congruent. He was not hypocritical, teaching one thing and living another. His powerful and authoritative sermons stemmed from a life totally dedicated in service to the Father. Jesus models perfectly for us today how we can make a difference in our world. When the character of our lives matches the content of our teaching, then we impact others and help expand the kingdom of God.
In 2008 and again in 2018, I had the privilege of seeing where Jesus taught this sermon. Here is what I wrote in my journal: "From the museum we went to the Mount of Beatitudes, and this was one of the most spiritual times of the entire trip." I could envision the multitudes surrounding Jesus as He taught them how to live as citizens of God's Kingdom while still living in this world.
Matthew 5:1-3 states, "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.'"
In verse 1, Jesus sat down, and His disciples came to Him. The message was originally intended for the disciples, but the crowds were welcomed, and though He preached directly to the disciples, He also spoke to the crowds or multitudes.
Verse 2 says He opened His mouth, and that is a significant statement. It is a Greek colloquial phrase that means that what He is about to say is very important, and the hearer needs to listen. The phrase is used "to describe solemn, grave, dignified, serious, weighty statements" (John MacArthur, p. The Beatitudes, p. 50). Early church father John Chrysostom said the phrase draws attention to the fact that Jesus is about to teach verbally, as He had already been teaching through actions (The Sermon on the Mount Through the Centuries, p. 25). Augustine said the words come from not a rabbi or prophet or venerable sage, but from the Son of God Himself (Ibid, p. 44-45).
Keep reading this week as we dive into the in-depth teaching of Jesus in His sermon. I believe it is the most famous sermon ever preached in 2,000 years of Christian history! May the Lord open your heart to receive the message Jesus preached to the multitudes. May the Blessed Life truly be yours!
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