Another Look at the Beatitudes part 1

For the next several days we’ll be looking at a section a day of the beginning of the most famous sermon of all time. Even though we’ve all heard it and memorized it, some of us more than once, there is truth there we need to continue to get hold of. Here are some observations that came to me during my weekly men’s journaling group.

Matthew 5:1-3

1. Jesus sat down. He was not interested in being “seeker sensitive”. His message was adjusted to no one’s needs. So, we need to get where Jesus is.

2. It says that Jesus opened his mouth and taught. Some of the newer translations skip over that mouth business, but I think it’s important. This is a Hebraism, a repetition of the same thing in different terms, but it’s more than that. Why did it say this?
To show that this came out of Jesus: source.
To show that it was personal.
To let the truth out. He keeps nothing back from us.

3. Theses are all pronouncements. There is no “if” connected with them. They are not wishes or guidelines, but PROMISES! It’s character and action which are blessed. There is no blessing in a vacuum. Those who have this character get more of it. Further, we see that these are a full circle with no chinks left open for anything other than the character of Jesus to be ours.
To be poor in spirit is not to be haughty or puffed up. We begin by recognizing our spiritual need, not our accomplishments. Nothing, however, comes to us without our engagement in it. Spirituality is not like nationality or gender.
The kingdom is the totality of the God-life, the totality of everything from God. This is because of adoption and inheritance. This is not a flippant statement, but a reality borne out by the truth. We don’t control the kingdom, but we have freedom and access to the totality of it. There are no classified levels to the Christian, no security clearances required that keep us out of some places. We have the whole mind of God.