Seeds for 05/16/2023 - Matthew 5:3-12

Scripture: ² He said:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Observation: This passage is a good example of where we can be tempted to move into speculation in order to have an interpretation for each of the “beatitudes,” as the “blessed” statements are called. So let’s practice as much observation and avoidance of speculation as we can.

This opening section of the Sermon on the Mount is characterized by naming persons as “blessed” (or “happy” depending on your translation), most or all of which we wouldn’t expect in a conventional sense. After all, what is blessed about being in mourning? About being poor in spirit? About being persecuted, insulted, and falsely derided? Nothing in and of itself.

But each of these #blessed statements is coupled with a rationale, a reason why they are in fact blessed after all: “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” “for they will be comforted,” “for they will inherit the earth,” and so forth. But the thing is, those rationales only make sense in a different context, a context in which the God of the Bible and His kingdom really are true. Verse 12 sums up the logic of the whole passage when Jesus says, “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven.” Seen from an earthly perspective, this is complete nonsense. But from a heavenly horizon, the reasoning holds up.

The kingdom of heaven (“the kingdom of God” in Mark and Luke—two ways of saying the same thing) is “upside down.” Or rather, “right-side up,” huh? After all, if Christianity is true, then it’s us who are “upside down” to Divine Reality, which is to say… reality. God’s kingdom doesn’t work in the ways we would expect from an earthly point of view. The rest of the Sermon on the Mount is really built on this premise.

This teaching of Jesus is for people who are ready to live differently—according to kingdom logic, not earthly logic. It’s hard to be different, but that’s what holiness and discipleship are. Not pie-in-the-sky sanctity or self-righteousness, but rather practical difference because of dedication to Christ.

So, is it true? Is Christ who the Bible says He is? If so, we need to start practicing kingdom living. If not—if it’s all just make believe, then all of this quickly falls apart.

Application:

• What kind of step of faith is required to live as if these “blessed” statements by Jesus are true?

• What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?

Prayer: Lord, show me the difference between kingdom living and earthly living. Help me grow in faith, that I might practice kingdom living. Amen.

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“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)

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