Sermon on the Mount
Already on day 3 of my reading, and my blog is only on day 1! There is so much to take in when reading Matthew.
In Matthew 5, Jesus gives a teaching to his followers, which is now called the Sermon on the Mount.
The Beatitudes
The beatitudes in 5:3-12 are indeed poetic and beautiful, but it takes pulling each sentence apart to really understand the tragic truth that it contains.
Jesus saw the crowds coming to listen to him, and he went to the top of a mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him. And it says, “he opened his mouth and taught them saying…”
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called the sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake.
Rejoice and be very glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in this manner they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called the sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake.
Rejoice and be very glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in this manner they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Definition of Blessing
According to one definition from this online dictionary, "blessed," means "blissfully happy, contented..." You can find a great description of the meaning of blessing on this webpage.
Those who follow the teachings of Jesus and choose to live a godly life are not perfect, and they are promised a great deal of trouble, as well as their reward from God, in their pursuit of a righteous life.
Descriptors of the Children of God
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Their Reward from God
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Poor in spirit
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The kingdom of heaven is theirs
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Will mourn
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Will be comforted
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Meek (humbly patient, docile, under provocation from others, submissive, compliant)
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Will inherit the earth
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Will hunger and thirst for righteousness
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Will be satisfied
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Merciful, yet also in need of mercy
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Will receive mercy
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Pure in heart
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Will see God
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Peacemakers
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Will be called the sons (children) of God
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Persecuted for righteousness’ sake
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The kingdom of heaven is theirs
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Others will revile, curse, utter evil against them falsely because they follow Jesus’ teachings
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Will be rewarded greatly in heaven
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And after all this, in Matthew 5:12,
"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Application
We are not promised a life of ease, although in the end we are blessed with favor that comes from God and lasts for eternity.
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