Matt 5
The Beatitudes
1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed 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. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
(The following is based on James Boice's book on the Sermon on the Mount)
What is the sermon on the mount?
- Moral laws to be brought to bear on any society (social gospel)
- Legalistic laws to be strictly applied to the life of a Christian, (ignores the gospel)
- Impossible laws, meant only to drive us to Jesus, with no actual application (ignores the law)
- Dispensationalism view - this applies only to the future age, when Christ will rule during the Millennium.
- no Biblical clues in the text
- the worldview of the text matches our world, not a future utopian one
- all scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching
Why study the Sermon on the Mount
1) It shows us our complete dependency of the gospel
2) It points to Jesus. Jesus is the only person to have ever completely "lived" the sermon. He IS the sermon.
3) It shows us better way to live, one that leads to true happiness
4) It brings us closer to God, as we live in a way that pleases him. Not our will, but yours be done.
What does "Blessed" mean?
Happy, Bliss
Jesus was the happiest person that ever lived. His life was blessed.
If by happiness we mean serenity, confidence, contentment, peace, joy and soul satisfaction, then Jesus was the happiest person who ever lived." Billy Graham
Now on to the first beatitude.
Blessed are the poor in spirit
1) Could mean poor (no money)
2) Could mean poor spirited (down hearted)
3) Does mean spiritually poor before God - completely dependent on him
This is the gospel. Not that we can save ourselves, but that God saves us. It is a complete dependence on God.
The word "poor" is appropriate, because when we are poor, we are without a plan b. If you don't work, you don't buy food, and you don't eat. It is a very basic existence.
When we are rich, the game gets much more complicated. The bills pile up. The choices become greater. The belief that we can weather any storm that might come our way begins to grow. And then in a day it is all taken away, and we are once again left "poor."
Have you heard the stories from Boulder. One woman was at work when she got the call. She tried to get back to her house, but was not allowed into the canyon. Her house burned to the ground and she lost everything, except what she had with her at work that day.
When we surrender our lives to God, we become poor in spirit. We live each day completely dependent on God to provide meaning and purpose. We gain contentment and joy as we surrender our will and lean into God.
When we chose not to surrender, our lives become much more complex. We start to live with liabilities. We have egos to protect, and reputations to guard, and we want others to know how important we are.
----_________
ok - time for the last 75 words.
how does this hit me. I am currently finding it hard to surrender to God. I think its because I want to succeed so badly, that I am unwilling to fully leave it in God's hands. I feel the need to push harder than I should push, and I find myself getting pretty aggravated and short with those around me.
I wish I trusted God more.
Twitter quote from:
khoingo Humility is fully embracing who God made you to be and do. Nothing more and nothing less. And who He made you to be will bring Him glory.
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