Matthew 5

What is Christianity? Some would call it “a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament.” I would be remiss but to agree. The Christ in Jesus Christ and Christianity originates with the Greek word Xριστός (or Khristos) which literally means “anointed one.” Essentially Christ was the Gentile word for Messiah. To be a Christian by title alone our faith and our lives should be based on the life and teachings of Jesus. However… o’ where o’ where could we learn more about the life and teachings of Jesus? How about in the Gospels? This week: the Sermon on the Mount, a place that is kind of like Jesus 101, easily found in Matthew chapters 5-7.
Mat 5:1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
Mat 5:2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
Mat 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Mat 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Mat 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be
satisfied.
Mat 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Mat 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.


In Matthew 5:1, Jesus saw the crowds and went up on the mountain. The situation leading to this can be found in Matthew 4: 23-25, where Jesus was proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and “great crowds followed him…” It would seem as though only his disciples followed Jesus up the mountain. In Matthew 5:2, he opened his mouth and taught them. I find it interesting that one of the definitions of the Greek word used for teach (didaskō) is: “instill doctrine into one.” To expand upon the definition of instill would be: “to infuse slowly or gradually into the mind or feelings.” And infuse meaning: “to introduce, as if by pouring; cause to penetrate” or “to imbue or inspire” or “to steep or soak (leaves, bark, roots, etc.) in a liquid so as to extract the soluble properties or ingredients.” I love the imagery of leaves, bark or roots soaking up or extracting soluble properties of a liquid. Isn’t that how we should receive the teachings of Christ? “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk…” (1 Peter 2:2) It is absolutely imperative that we soak in the word of God and extract its light and holiness.

Verses 3-8 show us just a few of those who are truly blessed. Here we see that the poor, the mourning, the meek, those who strive for righteousness, the merciful, and the pure in heart are truly blessed. Let’s tackle the concepts of each one individually.

The Poor

First, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs in the kingdom of heaven.” This concept is paralleled in the Gospel of Luke chapter 6 verse 20 with “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” I may be going a little out of context here but bear with me. I do not believe that the Bible is against prosperity. Throughout the Bible there are examples of people being blessed with monetary gain. One such example is 3rd John, verse 2. The King James Version reads, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” In this text the Apostle John is praising Gaius for “walking in the truth” and sending missionaries on their journey “in a manner worthy of God.” John is wishing prosperity in Gaius’s health, soul, and “that all may go well.” (as the ESV reads it) Why is John wishing this man prosperity? Because Gaius is using his money for good. I once heard a preacher being interviewed on TV saying that God likes to bless people who are channels, not reservoirs. Money itself isn’t evil. But the love of money… is the root of all kinds of evil. The first letter to Timothy, sixth chapter and tenth verses backs that up when it says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” But look at verses eight, nine and eleven to properly place verse ten in its context:

“But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

So, blessed are the poor in spirit. Not that being poor is a requirement for the kingdom of God. However, we should understand that Jesus would spare us the temptations that could rot our souls. It’s important to note that a person does not have to have money to love money. The poor can be just as greedy or greedier than a rich person. Later we’ll get into chapter six of the Gospel of Matthew, but it touches this topic a little when it says, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” The poor are blessed potentially for this lack of temptation and their reward (and possibly anyone else who can resist this temptation) is the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Mourning

Secondly, it is written, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” If I really have to cite this you probably haven’t been paying attention. The Greek word for mourn here is “pantheon̄” related to the Greek word “penthos” whose root word is “penthō” (at least to the best of my researching abilities.) When defined this bundle of Greek words mean: “to be affected or have been affected, to feel, have a sensible experience, to undergo” when applied to a positive situation it means to be well off, while when applied to a negative situation it means to suffer sadly or be in a bad plight. In John Wesley’s Bible commentary he mentions “They that mourn - Either for their own sins, or for other men's, and are steadily and habitually serious. They shall be comforted - More solidly and deeply even in this world, and eternally in heaven. This verse makes me think of another verse, 1st Corinthians 7:22.

“For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ.”

Sometimes one’s perspective of Christianity comes from the origin of their Christian walk. For example a person who has a rough life and who has had to fight through life alone, when introduced to the love of God through the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus, can experience an enlightening elation with the freedom that comes from the Kingdom of God. On the other hand, a person who has had a worldly life, a life of being on top of everything, the life of the party, one who has enjoyed the lusts of the flesh, when introduced to the principles of repentance can have a feeling of being a “slave of Christ.” Sometimes having nothing and being nobody means having nothing or nobody to hold you back from the Kingdom. A perfect example of this is found in Matthew 19: 16- 26, where a rich young man asks Jesus what good must be done for him to have eternal life. After a little bit of probing it is revealed that the young man has kept the commandments of God, again he asks what it is that he lacks. Jesus says to him “If you would be perfect, go and sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” “When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” This young man would find servitude in following the Gospel and he left Jesus “sorrowful.”

However to get back on track; this passage (Matthew 5:4) can also be paralleled with Luke 6: 21. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.” It would seem that blessed are those who sacrifice for Kingdom of God while alive on Earth, for their reward awaits them and their reward is great. In fact, verse 11 of chapter 5 in the book of Matthew deals with that subject as well.

While on the subject of sacrifice for Christ in Mark 8:34-37 it says: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?” Blessed are they that mourn. Blessed are those that pick up this cross and deny themselves the flesh. It’s a hard and painful thing to do but Jesus promises that “they will be comforted.”

The Meek

Third, it says: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” A parallel to is found in Psalms 37:10-11, “In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.” Not only will the meek inherit the land but God will “beautify the meek with salvation” as the King James Version states in Psalms 149:4, “For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.” While we’re in Psalms let us take a peek at Psalms 25:9, “The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.” Zephaniah 2:3 states, “Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD’s anger.” Colossians 3:12-13 would add, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Titus 3:2 adds, “To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.” And on and on. “Meek” as defined by dictionary.com is: 1. humbly patient or docile, as under provocation from other, 2. overly submissive or compliant; spiritless; tame, 3. gentle; kind. In context meekness can easily be interpreted as gentle and humble with humble being defined as “not proud or arrogant; modest” or “courteously respectful.” Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are the meek for God will beautify them with salvation. Blessed are the meek for God will guide them in judgment. Blessed are the meek for they will teach his way. Blessed are the meek for they will be hidden in the day of the Lord’s anger. How better can meekness, gentleness and humility be expressed than in Matthew 5: 39-41:

“But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But in anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”

One of my favorite prayers of the Bible is the “Sinner’s Prayer” found in the story Luke 18: 8-14.

“He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Blessed are the meek, for they will be exalted.

In Numbers 12:3 Moses is referred as the meekest man alive when it says, “Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.” The situation surrounding this verse involves Moses’ sister and brother having an issue with Moses marrying a Cushite woman. In Number 12:2, Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ sister and brother, say “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” One can sense a little bit of pride and jealousy here, and the LORD heard it. The LORD came to the three of them and called them out and responded to Miriam’s and Aaron’s complaint.

“And he said ‘Hear my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD make myself known to him in a vision; I speak with him in a dream. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles, and he beholds the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?’ And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them, and he departed”. (Number 12:6-9)

Shortly afterwards Miriam became leprous “like snow.” Blessed are the meek, for God will stand behind them always.

The Hungry and Thirsty

Fourth, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” I find the word “are” to be interesting here. According to Hebrews 11-1, faith is describes as, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Or as the Kings James Version might say, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Blessed ARE those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness. Blessed are those who have the conviction of things not seen or had, but also have the assurance of the things they hope for. Abraham died having two sons. He died having not seen the promise in fruition, but in faith of the promise and the promise giver. It is impossible to deny in modern society the importance of the figure Abraham; consider that over half of the world’s population believe in a promise and relationship between Abraham and God. Moses died without ever setting foot in the Promised Land, but the promise lived on. Moses also had faith in the promise and the promise giver. There is probably no better example of a professional repenter than King David. Although from time to time he would “sin against God” he knew to fall down to his face and beg the Lord God for forgiveness. He hungered and thirsted for righteousness. He fell, and did wrong often, however he still hungered for God’s will. He pushed through and according to the promise of Christ, if we do, “we will be satisfied.”

The Merciful

Fifth, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” The word used here for merciful is ἐλεήμων, or eleēmōn, meaning literally merciful. Eleēmōn is related to the word ἐλεέω, or eleeō meaning; to have mercy on, to help one afflicted or seeking aid, to help the afflicted or to bring help to the wretched, and to experience mercy. It may be important to note that mercy is used here as a verb, to indicate action. If you go a little further with the word play, you’ll find the word ἔλεος, or eleos, meaning “mercy: kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Blessed are the merciful.

The Pure in Heart

Sixth, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

“Moses said to the LORD, “See, you say to me, ‘Bring up this people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”
And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.” ”(Exodus 33:12- 23)

This is a moment when a man saw God. More specifically he saw the glory of God. The result of this sight is shown in Exodus 34: 29-35.

“When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. Afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face. Whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil, until he came out. And when he came out and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.”

An example of purity can be found in children. An example of Jesus with children can be found in Luke 18:15-17,

“Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.’”

Holiness and purity should be the goal of the Christian. In 1 Peter 1: 14-16 it says, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” In this passage Peter quotes Leviticus 11:44 where it says, “For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. You shall not defile yourselves…” The word used for holy here is rooted to the word קדשׁ, or qâdash, meaning “A primitive root; to be (causatively make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally): - appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow, (be, keep) holy (-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify (-ied one, self), X wholly.” In fact mimicking, or doing to the best of our ability to mimic, Christ is our main goal. “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) And Christ was holy and pure in heart.

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