Read aloud Matthew 5:1-12. Jesus has been traveling throughout Galilee, teaching in synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God, and healing diseases and afflictions. What it would be like to be there? Imagine a crowd that could fill a modern stadium full of people with today’s diseases.
What is the Situation?
Jesus’ fame is spreading like wildfire throughout all of Syria. The people are flooding in from everywhere, bringing him the sick. He heals them one by one. No malady can survive his tender love and care.
What looks like human tragedy becomes a massive explosion of awe and joy.
To Whom Is Jesus Speaking?
In today’s world this crowd might be called “deplorables.” But Jesus speaks to them with passionate love. He transforms each of them physically. Now he transforms them spiritually, telling them nine times that they are blessed by God, whether they realize it yet or not. He summarizes these blessings in this way:
“’Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’”
This is Command No. 4.
What Does the Command’s Verb Tense Suggest?
The combination of two imperative verbs invites both immediate and ongoing celebration. “Rejoice” in this text means “Keep on rejoicing,” and we might add, “Never stop.” The Greek word for “rejoice” means “to enjoy a state of happiness and well-being” (Louw & Nida 25.125). And the verb “be glad” is translated here as “to be extremely happy, possibly implying leaping or dancing for joy” (Louw & Nida 25.134). Jesus is saying, in effect, “Keep on rejoicing and never stop. Just be glad in every circumstance you face, both good and bad.”
Beyond the verb tense, Jesus’ nine descriptions of blessedness are rich with meaning:
- The poor in spirit. The Greek usage refers to humility. Why? Being humble leads to repentance and joy, recognizing our need for God. With this kind of humility, we are given the entire kingdom of God in perfect unity with him!
- Those who mourn. Mourning goes beyond sadness for the dead, but also grief over wickedness or oppression. In perfect unity with God, and even at this moment of listening to Jesus, people are comforted, not crushed.
- The meek. We are taught by unbelievers to either be arrogant or become doormats for anyone to step on. But in meekness of Jesus, we learn to listen much and talk little; to pray while we are listening for insight from the Lord; and to quietly offer a solution that carries the day. In return we inherit the earth.
- Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. These words refer not to food and water, but rather to having a strong, intense desire to right a wrong that currently exists. Having the desire, never giving up hope, pushing forward with calm resolve is how we are satisfied in this world.
- The merciful. To be merciful to others, all we have to do is recall our own experiences in receiving mercy – teacher; coach; bus driver who waited for you; pastor who visited you; father or mother whose rules you broke, yet the punishment sometimes melted into a hug. Jesus says that when we are merciful in perfect unity with each other and with him, we shall receive mercy, both now and when we meet the Lord face to face.
- The pure in heart. Even when we have repented and believed in Jesus, we fall victim from time to time to an unclean heart, choosing the bad fork exiting the freeway to perfect unity. Bypassing that exit and looking for the right exit to a pure heart, we find there is none. Then how do we achieve it? We don’t. Our heart is cleansed only by the grace and deep love of God, paid for by Jesus, who took the exit and died for us! “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
- The peacemakers. In Greek this is a compound word with roots including “making and doing peace.” Sowing peace is not a passive, spectator activity. It is active work. And it can involve a great deal of opposition and emotion, especially in a church struggling with disunity. So the peacemaker is an agent of practicing behaviors consistent with perfect unity. Jesus calls these saints “blessed” by God.
- The persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Persecution as used here connotes a systematic and organized program to oppress and harass. “The sake of righteousness” means to carry on the work of God regardless of the cost. According to Jesus, however, the reward could not be more special – the kingdom of God actually belongs to the peacemakers. The pursuit of perfect unity is strongly related to the pursuit of peace.
- Summary of Blessedness: Others revile you, persecute you, and utter all kinds of evil against you – falsely – because of Jesus.
At first glance, the “Beatitudes” seem to be almost a contradiction: all the human conditions listed (Matthew 5:3-11) seem negative – why does this make us blessed? But if we look deeper into the usage of these conditions in Greek, we find a treasure of behaviors of perfect unity. Only then can we understand Command No. 4 in its full context.
“’Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’”
Discussion
How do you deal with bullies?
What true saints of history come to mind in the context of serving the poor and the sick? How do you think they perceived their blessedness?
How can you work with people in your church to cover the ill and shut-ins who are often so lonely?
Does the thought of rejoicing and being glad for your reward in heaven move you to address this need so typical of many churches?