The Beatitudes When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; - - PDF document

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The Beatitudes

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

Matthew 5:1-2

• ‘he went up the mountain’ (v1)
• “The unnamed mountain

serves as a symbol for the place

• f momentous encounter, a

place of revelation” (Long)

The Mountain

• In the East the teacher sits

and receives his disciples

• He speaks and teaches them
• The disciples nearby; the

crowds farther away

• The Beatitudes are in fact true

but run contrary to our world’s values

• The world acclaims:

wealth, power, assertiveness, self-sufficiency

• The world dismisses the

beatitudes as irrelevant

• 1. Introductory phrase – ‘Blessed

are…’

• 2. Naming of virtue – a specific

trait

• 3. Promise of a future reward

Nine Beatitudes (3 Parts)

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• Begins in the present tense

(now)

• Reward is normally in the future
• 2 frames of reference:

» Present contingencies of life » A future shalom for us and the

world

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3

• I. The First Beatitude

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;

Isaiah 61:1-2

• It is easy for us today to

dismiss the poor – be indifferent to their needs

“The poor” referred to the social and religious outcasts, the rejects

• f the rich and righteous of Jesus’

day, who out of desperation turned empty-handed to God by responding positively to Jesus’ ministry.

Robert A. Guelich

Who are the poor?

• The poor in spirit today are the

desperate ones – those who stand without pretense before God

• Those stripped of self-

sufficiency, self-security, self- righteousness

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• The Kingdom of heaven = the

Kingdom of God (Luke 6)

• The focus is on the dynamic

quality of the kingdom

• Now and not yet
• A reconciled relationship with

God through Jesus

The Kingdom of Heaven

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

• II. The Second Beatitude

to provide for those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called

• aks of righteousness, the

planting of the Lord, to display his glory.

Isaiah 61:3

• Mourning the separation we

experience from God – ourselves and our culture

• The hurt in our world
• Lamenting over the state of our

world

• The focus is on the comfort we

receive and will receive from God

• Our hope lies beyond ourselves

– ultimate Shalom in God

• 1. The Beatitudes are meant to

encourage us – we are blessed, we are not useless

• r ignored
• III. Conclusion

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• 2. We are invited to embrace

the Kingdom of heaven

» Feed on Jesus » Not give in to competition

and comparison – the world’s values

• 3. We are invited to live out our

mission as the ‘salt and light’

• f the world