Matthew 5.1-12
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
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.
Personal Reflections Some people have argued that the qualities mentioned in the Beatitudes describe our character in the future kingdom; while others posit that these qualities are for the here and now. Perhaps both are correct – they are for the here and now as well as for the future. As Michael Green puts it, “The life the Sermon indicates is meant to be lived out by citizens of the kingdom, but they cannot even begin to live it until they enter the kingdom.”[1] In other words, these qualities describe the nature of the people of the kingdom of God, yet at the same time, they cannot be fully “attained” until Christ comes again. Indeed, “The standards of the Sermon are neither readily attainable nor totally unattainable.”[2]
Likewise, the rewards that are promised span the present as well as the future. We can experience the kingdom of God in the “here and now” as well as in the “there and future”, another illustration of the “already-but-not-yet” kingdom of God. Do you find yourself resisting or exhibiting these qualities as you mature in your Christian faith?
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[1] Green, Michael, The Message of Matthew (Leicester: Inter-Varsity Press, 2000), p.111.
[2] Ibid.
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