Thank you Jeremy for setting this up. I am interested in learning with all of you and it is very good to reconnect with some of you.

We did a series on the Beatitudes last year in church, so it will be good to spend some more time reflecting on these versus.

I am a week behind (now 2 weeks behind, it appears) and feel compelled to make a few short comments on last week’s dialog.

I enjoyed keaner’s post. Right down to business and squarely what I take away from these versus. I don’t reflect on this enough.

I really appreciate the contextual perspective Scott gave us. As I age, I enjoy the history lessons around many of these versus – much of which was too complex in our first round of learning (grade school).

Thanks for the different translation Aggie! I’ll read versus like these in as many translations I can.

Jeremy’s wrap-up comments 5:6 are particularly compelling. Hunger & thirst. Admittedly my thirst for truth and knowledge wanes. I wish I felt this primal hunger and thirst for truth and knowledge daily. I have obsessive/compulsive traits (ask my wife). Fortunately I’ve been able to apply these traits mostly for the good: obsessing about studying and my grades got me through engineering school, obsessing about fitness program has attributed some success as a runner and triathlete. I don’t feel these same obsession, often enough, about learning God’s word. Something to reflect on and work on.

Week 2 Wrap-up

Sorry for the delayed posting.  I usually try to get this posted by Monday morning.  Our internet went down during the storm last night and we are still waiting for it to be fixed.  Thanks for the posts.  It is always great to read your thoughts.

The verses we looked at the first week focused on our relation to Christ as sinners.  Spiritual poverty, mourning for our sins, meekness in humility, and a promise from God to “fill us” as we seek Him.  This past week the focus was on our conduct, personally and towards others.  These verses describe qualities we are to exhibit in all areas of our lives.

Some questions to think about as you are reading…

1.        Does my faith affect my conduct?

2.       How do I exhibit purity, mercy and peace on a consistent basis?

3.       What does persecution look like for us today?

4.       How often do I make decisions to avoid pain or persecution?

The three qualities…

Mercy is in love helping those who are unable to help themselves.  The ultimate example is Christ’s death as the payment for our sins.  Because of our sin we could not help ourselves.  This is different than grace.  It is grace in action.

We are not capable of purity on our own.  Jer 17:9 says the heart is deceitful and beyond  cure.  How can we be pure in heart when we are impure?  In Psalms David asks God to create in him a pure heart.   God is faithful to do that from the moment of salvation.  This an ongoing process and occurs as we yield  to Him and allow Him to change us as we walk through life.

A peacemaker makes peace at home, school, work, and in relationships.  It is placing the needs of others before our own needs.  We can never be at peace if we are constantly putting ourselves first.  This makes a lot sense to me when I think about relationships, especially with my wife.  If I am always putting myself first then there are turf battles and relatively little peace.  This does not say you cannot disagree but forces you to examine your motives.

Back to the questions.  My conduct is not changed by my faith if I continue to see myself as more important than others.  Only when I yield to Christ and the nudging of the Holy Spirit will I be changed and others will see Christ through me.  He will also be faithful to reveal more of Himself to me.  My conduct is only changed when I allow Him to live through me.    Then, as a result of a changed heart, I can extend mercy, peace, and love consistently to others.  

Rom 12:1-2  “Therefore, I urge you, brothers in view of God’s mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-which is your spiritual worship.   Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

In this country we don’t generally encounter severe persecution.  Our culture is fairly tolerant of Christianity.  The bigger problem might be that we have become too tolerant of our culture and our lives do not look much different than those who don’t know God. 

If your life is reflecting the light of Christ you will experience persecution in some form.  It may be subversive and likely not life threatening but it may affect your livelihood.  You may be loyal and hardworking  but your refusal to manipulate a situation in your favor may cost you a promotion or a new contract.  You may feel pressure to choose work over family and lose favor with your employer or clients.  Your friends or co-workers may think you are judgmental for not participating in some social activities your don’t agree with.  These situations seem small when compared to threats on your life but you might have to deal with the “small” persecutions on a daily basis for years at a time.  This is not pleasant or easy .  

Notice that verse 10 is not talking about persecution because you may be annoying, judgmental, or unfriendly.  Happy are those that are persecuted because of righteousness.  Rejoice in the fact the your conduct is evidence that your are united with Christ and He is at work in you.  Our prayer should be that our conduct is a reflection of Christ and it will attract those who are being drawn toward Him or repel those who are looking for life within themselves.

The Beattitudes: God's perfect character set.

Jesus is laying out seven distinct features of character or attitudes. The complete and perfect character is depicted. Although seven distinct attitudes are described they are all varied forms spirituality, what is in the heart. As flawed people this perfect character set is unattainable, however I believe it is the foundation that we must build our faith around within our own heart. Always striving to walk in Jesus' path and follow his guidance. For when we apply these attitudes in our heart we can better accept Jesus into our heart and live for him. Ultimately God wants us to have a humble, remorseful, obedient, yearning, forgiving, and truthful heart. Each of these characteristics receives a heavenly reward.

Week 2 - Matt 5:7-12

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.

Week 1 Wrap-up

Thanks for everyone’s input this week.  I think the different perspectives are useful for all of us to consider.  Feel free to continue to comment on the verses from this week. 

A few more points to consider for the week…

What does “blessed” mean?  It is happiness.  Not happiness that we associate with worldly circumstances like money, fame, love, adventure, or power, but happiness that is independent of our circumstances.  It is a deep, spiritual joy that comes as a gift from God.  It is not something we can obtain ourselves. It is not something that can be extinguished by the sadness or sorrow that we encounter throughout our lives.  This happiness only comes from God.  Christ goes on to tell us what the life of happiness consists of in the first 12 verses of Matthew 5.

5:3  Happiness is recognizing our own spiritual poverty before God.  This is a person who sees the sin and corruption in his own heart and recognizes there is nothing he can do through his own efforts that would be pleasing to God.  It is not about trying harder to be a good person, or comparing ourselves to someone else we consider more sinful.  It is about giving up, emptying ourselves, bowing before God, and allowing Him to fill us with His perfect righteousness.    This is about salvation through faith in Jesus which results in the ultimate inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven.

5:4  The mourning in this verse is over our own sin and also, I believe, the sinfulness of this world.  What does it mean to mourn for sin?  Should we wallow in guilt over our sinfulness?  When Isaiah (6:5) saw the Lord he said, “Woe is me! I am ruined!  I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King…”   It is similar with us as we grow in our relationship with Christ we become more conscious of our own sin and unworthiness.  Thankfully we don’t have to live in defeat.  He promises to comfort us and has done so by paying our penalty for sin on the cross. 

Mourning over the sinfulness of this world is also a call to action.  Compassion for the plight of our fellow man who needs to experience the love of Christ.   I do physicals on foster children on a regular basis.  I don’t always know the details of their situation but it is obvious they are desperate for the love of a father or mother.  Sometimes all I can do is care for them by treating their immediate needs.  Ultimately they need to know the love of Christ and I need to be ready to share it when there is opportunity.  Where are you being called to action?

5:5  What does it mean to be meek?   Is their strength  in meekness?  Some may think it means we should lie down and let others run all over us.  Meekness is not weakness.  It is a spiritual attitude of trusting and serving God.  It is not something contrived by our own efforts but rather Christ working in us and through us.  It is gentleness in our behavior.  It is not rude or self seeking.  It is bowing before God and allowing Him to lift us up.  It is boldness knowing that Christ has sent us to do his work.  Psalm 37 says the meek delight themselves in the Lord, commit their ways to the Lord, trust in the Lord and rest in the Lord.   I agree with Aggie’s thoughts  that the meek are promised everything that can’t be bought, i.e. reigning with Him forever.  What does meekness look like lived out in our daily lives?

5:6   Hunger and thirst are such primal instincts for survival.  Seeking to understand more of His truth should be a “primal instinct” for a follower of Christ.  To be hungry or thirsty is to be desperate.  Are  you desperate to be filled with Christ?  We should not be seeking happiness or blessedness.  Christ is saying happiness will come to those who are seeking holiness.  In John 6 Christ says he is the bread of life.  Those who come to Him will never go hungry and those who believe in Him will never be thirsty.  He will fill us with more and more of Him.  What are you feeding on? 

A different approach to understanding his teachings

One way I found to try and answer the question, who are the poor in spirit/those who mourn/the meek is reading other biblical translations. I'm a simple person and don't read Hebrew so I need smarter men than I to help me. My bible is NKJV however, my sister turned me on to the 'The Message' translation, although I don't always fully understand/agree with it, I find the different approach helpful in understanding what God is trying to teach me.

3 You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
...This says to me that God is interested in those who are no longer obsessed with themselves but fully open to God's will.

4 You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
...I also struggle with this one however I feel it says to me that when I've lost what I think is important God will comfort me with what is really important, his love.

5 You're blessed when you're content with just who you are - no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.
...This one says to me that when I am happy with how God has made me I will realize that he made me exactly the way he wanted and will receive his grace.

The Announcement

Over the years I have heard a few different takes (all good) on the first 12 verses of the SOTM, but the one that has always captured my imagination is the idea that this is an announcement, an announcement of a new kingdom, a new covenant, and a reason for hope. This is Jesus kicking things off with the core of his message. I like the fact that this announcement is not given with trumpets and fanfare, but with Jesus sitting down and talking in a relational way with the people he is drawn to and the crowd that is drawn to him (very much like the cool morning walks between Adam and God in the Genesis story).

Being controlled by the Roman Empire and several other empires before that the people where hungry for rescue, they were hungry for the Messiah. They were looking for a new king, a human king very much like King David who was favored by God and who would defeat the Romans, unite the 12 tribes of Israel, bring peace and prosperity, and allow God to restore His earthly presence once again inside the temple (little did they know God had a much bigger plan in mind). Since Jesus had the Messiah buzz going thanks to John the Baptist these people thought he might be the one.

The message the people receive is not at all what they expect, but nonetheless exciting to hear when you are meek, full of longing, and crying out for a better way. The people most likely don’t understand what Jesus is trying to tell them, but because Jesus speaks with such care and authority they know they want to be apart of this new kingdom.

The American dream is often to be like Rome, in control, have all the answers, and be the envy of the world. Personally having failed at this dream I am excited at the announcement of another way, a better way, a way in which all (and I mean all) I have to do is trust in the God of the universe (who I got to believe has a better plan than I do).