Our Gospel lesson today from Matthew chapter 5 begins with the opening words of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” – words that have become known over the centuries as the “Beatitudes.” The word “beatitude” is one we run into every time we read or hear about these verses from the Sermon on the Mount, but I’d be willing to bet that none of you has ever looked it up in your Funk and Wagnall’s to figure what it really means. So let’s dispense with the formalities and get right to it. Our English word “beatitude” is derived from the Latin word beatus, and beatus is a translation of the Greek word μακάριοι that means, quite simply, happy … fortunate ... blessed. Or as we pronounce it when we read the Beatitudes: bless-ed.
The Beatitudes are some of the most beautiful words found in the Bible. They are words that are often quoted, even by non-Christians, because they seem to be telling us how to live our lives, not just as Christians, but as decent all-around good-natured and well-meaning human beings. And I hope what I just said set off all kinds of sirens and warning signals in your minds. Listen carefully as I say it again: the Beatitudes seem to be telling us how to live our lives, not just as Christians, but as decent all-around good-natured and well-meaning human beings.
Thousands of years ago, God gave us some other words that also tell us how to live our lives, not just as Christians, but as decent all-around good-natured and well-meaning human beings. Non-Christians don’t necessarily accept all of those words, but they know about them, too. They’re called the Ten Commandments, of course. The first three talk about God, but even if you don’t believe in God you can buy into the other seven – honor your father and mother, don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t commit adultery – you know how they go. Until a few years ago it was common to find the Ten Commandments posted in county courthouses because so many of our civil and criminal laws in the United States reflect what God tells us to do in Commandments 4 through 10.
Martin Luther taught that there are three uses of the Law – and now I’m back to talking about God’s Law rather than man-made laws. The first use is that of a curb, for the Law helps to control violent outbursts of sin and keep order in the world. Non-Christians, of course, don’t buy into the whole “sin” concept, but they will agree that the Law does help keep order in the world.
The second use of the Law that Luther identifies is that of a mirror, for the Law accuses us and shows us our sin. Once again, most people will agree with this one, too, except for that pesky “sin” reference.
Here’s what the Catechism says about the third use: “Third, the Law teaches us Christians what we should and should not do to lead a God-pleasing life.” In other words, the Law serves as a guide for how we are to live. Take out those references to a “God-pleasing life,” and non-Christians will buy into this one, too.
In summary, the Law tells us what we should do. The Law tells us what God expects us to do. If we could keep the Law perfectly for every second of our human lives, we would be totally at peace with God. But we can’t keep the Law. We can’t even come close to keeping the Law. St. Paul says it so well in chapter three of his letter to the Galatians: “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law …”
So let’s go back and look at the Beatitudes. Verse 3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus says that “blessed are the poor in spirit,” but a lot of people miss the words “in spirit” because they become fixated on the word “poor.” When you try to take this first beatitude as a guide for holy living, you make it sound like Jesus is saying that you will be blessed if you live the life of a pauper. It almost sounds like Jesus is telling you that you must be poor in order to be blessed. Well, the word “poor” here isn’t talking about people who live in poverty. It’s not talking about people who have no money, no economic resources. Instead, Jesus is talking about people who have no spiritual resources of their own. He’s talking about people who are lost, who are sinners. He’s talking about every man, woman and child who needs a Savior. He’s talking about us.
This first beatitude is not and never will be about something we have to do or some way that we have to live. When we recognize how sinful we are and repent of our sins, we understand how utterly alone and powerless we are to do something to put us in a right relationship with God. We understand that only a sinless Son of God can save us. And not only has God’s sinless Son paid the price for our sins, but He has sent His Holy Spirit to bring us to faith! What we have here is Gospel, pure and simple. In fact, this first beatitude and each beatitude that follows ends with a Gospel promise: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” For ours, my friends, is the kingdom of heaven. Not later. Now.
Ultimately, we realize that the Beatitudes beautifully and wonderfully reflect the blessings that we already have as believers in Christ. The second beatitude follows as a result of the first, for all who recognize themselves to be poor in spirit and yet are also blessed in Christ will find themselves mourning over evil and sin. The words “blessed are the meek” in the third beatitude are almost identical to “blessed are the poor in spirit” from the first, for both “meek” and “poor” in the original Greek express the idea of being powerless on our own to change our sinful condition. Those who realize and understand that they are “poor in spirit” and “meek” will – through faith – have a hunger and longing for salvation through Christ’s righteousness, for they realize that the only true righteousness come from God.
Verse seven reads: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Here Jesus makes a subtle but very real change in His Gospel proclamation. The merciful are those – are us – that have been shown God’s mercy. We have been brought to faith. And so Jesus, who is perfect mercy, empowers us His children to be merciful. This still isn’t Law – we don’t show mercy to others because we’re told to be merciful. Instead, as forgiven children of God, we simply can’t help but show mercy to others. Our mercy just naturally flows from our faith. As we read in 1 John 4:19: “We love because he first loved us.”
When Jesus says that the “pure in heart” are blessed, He is saying that when we repent and believe, our sinful hearts are washed clean and we are truly given pure hearts. In Psalm 51:10, King David wrote: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” We will repeat those same words in just a few minutes when we sing the Offertory that follows the sermon. “Create in me a clean heart, O God” we pray – and our prayer has been answered. Our hearts have been cleansed. We have been blessed. We are blessed-ed.
One of the most misunderstood of all of the Beatitudes is the next one: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Here we run the danger of focusing only on earthly peace. That wouldn’t be entirely wrong, but it’s not the real focus. The “peacemakers” are those whom God uses to bring the Gospel of Christ to unbelievers so that they, too, may have the true peace that comes only through Jesus Christ. Pastors … missionaries … evangelists, yes, they are all peacemakers in a theological sense. But if you talk about Jesus to someone, you are a peacemaker, too. Any and every believer who spreads the good news of salvation through Jesus in any way and in any manner is a peacemaker.
Unfortunately, the peace that comes only through Christ will not be welcomed by all people. Many will reject that peace … will reject Jesus … and reject us because we are Christians. Up until now Jesus has been talking about blessings that apply to all believers equally and consistently. But in these final two Beatitudes, Jesus makes it clear that this rejection and even hate will not always apply to every one of us, nor will this rejection always happen in the same way or manner. You may never experience that rejection – or you may face it every day. It may be subtle or almost imperceptible – or it may be directed towards you with screams of anger and hate. When I was trying to start a new congregation in Southern Illinois during my vicarage, some people would just refuse to talk to me. Some would claim to be interested but would never show up. And once when I started to approach a woman sitting on her front porch, she screamed at me: “Get out!”
No, you never know what kind of rejection you’re going to face when you try to talk to someone about Jesus. Sometimes there will seem be no rejection at all. But the “old evil foe” will constantly seek to defeat your efforts whenever you try to spread the good news of what Jesus has done for us. As St. Peter warned us: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
“Blessed are the poor in spirit … blessed are those who mourn … blessed are the meek … blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness … blessed are the merciful … blessed are the peacemakers … blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake … blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” Those are the Beatitudes – the blessings – that we have as forgiven children of Christ. Don’t ever think of them as a to-do list to satisfy God, because on your own you can’t do them – and you can never satisfy God.
Instead, remember that the Beatitudes are nothing less than sweet Gospel promise – promises made by the Savior who backs His promises with his own life and death. When life is hard and the power of evil is just too crushingly great, just remember these words of promise. “Blessed are the poor in spirit” – blessed are we – because the kingdom of eternal life in heaven with our loving Savior – and with our departed loved ones whom we remember on this All Saints Day – is ours.
Note: some descriptive language for the Beatitudes has been adapted from Dr. Jeffrey A. Gibbs. Concordia Commentary volume: Matthew 1:1 – 11:1.
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