Matthew 5:1-12
Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
1 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.
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.
Jesus tells us that blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted...Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth...Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled...Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy...Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God...Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God...Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...
When everything is going for you in life, you have little need or needs...You feel more independent when all is well...Some people seem to have this knack for success and seem to have a natural advantage in life over others (or so it seems)...The needy are different...The needy feel more of a dependence on someone or Someone...They see this need for Jesus...They see their need for a Savior, so many mourners, meek, and the oppressed turn to Him in their time of need...
Author Philip Yancey writes about the blessed...“The poor, the hungry, the mourners, and the oppressed truly are blessed...Not because of their miserable states, of course—Jesus spent much of His life trying to remedy those miseries...Rather, they are blessed because of an innate advantage they hold over those more comfortable and self-sufficient...People who are rich, successful, and beautiful may well go through life relying on their natural gifts...People who lack such natural advantages, hence underqualified for success in the kingdom of this world, just might turn to God in their time of need...Human beings do not readily admit desperation...When they do, the kingdom of heaven draws near.”...