When you preach or teach, it's always good to have an introduction that’s going to grab people’s attention. Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, went with “how to be blessed.” We all want God’s blessings – what William Barclay in his little book on the Beatitudes calls "the Divine Bliss." There are many preachers today that make this their one and only sermon topic; how to receive the blessing of God. They might recommend praying for it, believing in it hard enough, or giving money to their ministry, because apparently they have some sort of investment system worked out with God, with low, low APR and a rate of return that Lending Tree would kill for. And by “the blessing of God” they have specific ideas in mind – usually assurance of eternal salvation, a clean bill of health, and cash money. Solid bodies and liquid assets. Rock hard abs and cold hard cash.
Jesus has something different in mind. Both more demanding conditions for blessing, and better rewards. Barclay calls this list “the essence of the essence of the Christian way of life.”
“Blessed are the poor in the spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
“Blessed are those who have persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
We will return to the above later this week, but for now, dear reader, ruminate on these two ideas:
1. The order of the conditions for blessing is not accidental.
2. All of the descriptions of the rewards are parallel ideas. Gaining the kingdom of heaven, receving comfort, inheriting the earth, receiving satisfaction, receiving mercy, seeing God, being children of God, and having great reward in heaven are all different ways of speaking about the same thing.
A word on the topic from A.W. Tozer:
"A fairly accurate description of the human race might be furnished to one unacquainted with it by taking the Beatitudes, turning them wrong side out, and saying, "Here is your human race." In the world we find nothing approaching the virtues of which Jesus spoke in the opening words of the famous Sermon on the Mount. Instead of poverty of spirit we find the rankest kind of pride; instead of mourners we find pleasure seekers; instead of meekness, arrogance; instead of hunger and thirst after righteousness we hear men saying, "I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing;" instead of mercy we find cruelty; instead of purity of heart, corrupt imaginings; instead of peacemakers we find them fighting back with every weapon at their command. Culture and education refine these things slightly, but leave them basically untouched."
Now, Tozer is hyperbolizing - you can't say all of this about everyone, but there does seem to be a lot of that going around doesn't there? And Jesus offers an alternative, a place to stand that is more like a rock than shifting sand, a way to live that will sustain us through rain, and flood, and crashing wind.
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