Rev. Sammie Maxwell
“Sermon on the Mount:Important Things to Know About the Beatitudes”
COTC “Sermon on the Mount” Mt.5:1-12
Beatitudes were common expressions in Jesus’s day, not
only in religious circles, but also in everyday life. The beatitudes
were ordinary sayings about the common events of Life, listing
all kinds of virtuous qualities. For example, Blessed are the
wise, for they shall never be called foolish. Blessed are the
strong, for no one will ever want to fight with them.
Neither Jesus nor Matthew invented the beatitude form.
Beatitudes occurred in the Old Testament, particularly in the
wisdom writings and the prophets, and also other Jewish
literature. Although the formula itself was not new, what was
new and shocking about Jesus’ list was the content. Blessed are
the poor in spirit; those who mourn; the meek; those who
hunger and thirst for righteousness; the merciful; pure in heart;
the peacemakers; the persecuted and reviled.
If we didn’t already know but were asked to guess the kind
of person Jesus would pick out for such special recognition or
commendation we might guess some sort of spiritual
hero—someone with impeccable credentials morally and
spiritually. Of course, we’d be wrong. Maybe Jesus didn’t pick
those people because he know they didn’t need the recognition
of a shot in the arm or his commendation. In any case, it is
worth taking a look at the ones Jesus did pick.
Jesus picked not the spiritual giants but “the poor in
spirit”; the ones who spiritually speaking have absolutely
nothing to give and everything to receive; the ones who learn
the hard way, like the prodigal son.
Jesus picked not the champions of faith who can rejoice
even in the midst of suffering, but the ones who mourn in the
midst of hard times--their own suffering and the sufferings of
others.
Jesus picked not the strong ones but the meek ones in the
sense of the gentle ones, like Mother Teresa who says she
cannot do great things, but only do small things with great love.
Or the Charlie Chaplin type, whom the world seems to mistreat
and still he goes away laughing and leaving us laughing and
believing that when the world walks over us, we too can walk
away laughing.
Jesus picked not the ones who are righteous but the ones
who hope they will be someday, and in the meantime are well
aware that the distance they still have to go is even greater
than the distance they’ve come.
Jesus picked not the totally pure, but the pure in heart, the
ones who may have clay feet, but somehow keep some inner
freshness and a little innocence intact.
Jesus picked not the ones who have found peace in its
fullness but the ones who, just for that reason, try to bring
peace about wherever and however they can—peace with their
neighbors and God, peace with themselves.
Jesus saved for last the ones who side with Heaven; they
are blessed when they are worked over and cursed out on
Jesus’ account. It is not Jesus’s hard times to come but theirs
that Jesus is concerned about.
Jesus redefined the Good Life in nine short
sentences—nine portraits of kingdom people. It was as if Jesus
had asked the world to stand on its head when he taught the
Beatitudes. He was turning the known world upside down, or is
it the correct side up? These are the chosen ones who shall see
the face of God. These are the lucky ones, who will be not just
satisfied, but fulfilled. Not because they got an advance copy of
the rules and played by them in order to get their reward—win
the prize—but because winning was the farthest thing from
their minds.
They are the merciful who keep forgiving their enemies so
that their enemies can pounce on them all over again. The
merciful who keep forgiving not as an act or a deed, but as an
attitude: forgiving because that is who they have become now
that they are identified as the blessed of God. Do you know
someone like that? That even before you say you are sorry, you
know (mysteriously) that you are forgiven because they always
carry forgiveness in their heart just in case they bump into
someone who needs a little forgiveness. The pure in heart who
believe the pan-handler really needs their grocery money when
everybody says that the guy begging has $200,000 dollars
stuffed in his mattress. The peacemaker who steps into the
middle of a fight and gets clobbered from both sides like
somebody trying to break up a mad-dog fight. These are like
the beaten up boxer who gives the prize money to his
opponent because the opponent has a sick wife and hungry
kids at home and needs it more. If all of that sounds crazy,
maybe we should go back and say what beatitudes are.
Let’s start with what Beatitudes are not:
--Beatitudes are not law;
--Beatitudes are not commandments;
Not legalisms—not a call to action.
Beatitudes are not a measuring rod. Nor a comprehensive
list of behaviors.
Beatitudes are not entrance requirements for the
kingdom.
THEN WHAT ARE THEY? 1)Beatitudes are an INVITATION
TO THE GOOD LIFE—a revelation that the good life cannot be
had by retreating from the world but only by participating in its
sufferings. Not a better life, but the only life worth living. 2)
Beatitudes are snapshots of the community of faith; and the
community of faith is a foretaste of the kingdom and who we
will make room for in the kingdom.3) Beatitudes are a word
(words) of encouragement that helps us to know that in the
present turmoil we can be confident and secure that we are
covered(accompanied), as well as that we are included in the
coming realm as kingdom children. 4) The beatitudes teach us
to already be open to whatever happens; we don’t have to let
the situation determine who we are or what our behavior will
be or can be. Because the qualities are built into our character
so we can deal with whatever comes.
The message of the beatitudes is that we have it within us
to be Christ to each other. We have it in us to work miracles of
love and healing and have love and healing worked upon us.
Because there is no way to be a blessing without being blessed.
The narrative context of Mt. 5:1-12 is that it follows 4:18-
22, Jesus’ calling of his disciples. 5) In this context these
opening verses provide a commissioning that undergirds the
necessary instructions (the rest of the sermon). As Jesus
pronounces God’s blessings, he frames his call to discipleship in
terms of both who they are to be (their character) and its
consequences for their lives in the present context of the world
in which they live as well as God’s future.
Finally, the theological heart of the Beatitudes is the call to
be disciples who live out the virtues of the blessings in pursuit
of righteousness grounded in God’s steadfast love, goodness,
justice, and mercy. AMEN.