“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.”
Matthew 5:10-12, LSB

We now turn our attention toward this final, yet startling beatitude found in the opening of our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness” (v.10) appears to us something like a paradox. We are left asking ourselves, “how is persecution a blessing?” How are those who find themselves ignored, dismissed, disowned, ridiculed, attacked, imprisoned, and even martyred for their faith in Christ Jesus ever to be considered as ‘happy’ and ‘favored’?”

What Jesus (and the Apostles after Him) never do is present to the public what some call “easy believism.” Not once in Scripture are we given a picture that says, “if you trust in Jesus, all your trials and suffering will come to an end.” No, the Christian life is never described as broad and easy. Quite the opposite, in fact. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7 (which we will consider more deeply later on) that “the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (v.14).

Consider Jesus’s striking words in Luke 14. “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple” (v.26). This does not mean we hate with burning contempt those around us. What is shown here is hyperbole meant to show us the depth of treasuring Christ Jesus above anyone and anything else in this world.

Consider also the calling of the Apostle Paul at his conversion in Acts chapter nine. Jesus tells Ananias, “I will show him how much He must suffer for My name” (v.16) And indeed he does suffer (2 Cor 11:16-33; 12:7-10). Nevertheless, Paul happily says, “I count all things to be loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil 3:7-11).

What we must remember, friends, is that the very nature of true discipleship is such that we will, more often than not, find ourselves at odds with the world and its “wisdom.” Even our own family members may come against us. But Jesus here in this beatitude tells us that this persecution is a blessing. It is a mark of truly belonging to Jesus.

Indeed, friends, we gain “the kingdom of God” (Mat 5:10) and are counted among the prophets of old as ones to be blessed (v.13). More than that, we find our solidarity with our Savior Himself when we suffer persecution (Rom 8:17). Jesus says to His disciples: “If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you… ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:18, 20).

“The very nature of true discipleship is such that we will, more often than not, find ourselves at odds with the world and its ‘wisdom’.”

With all this in view friends, let us be deeply in prayer to the Lord that He strengthen our resolve, that we may endure whatever loss or affliction necessary for His name’s sake and for the sake of seeing our Savior as our priceless treasure!

Soli Deo Gloria

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Matthew 5:9, LSB

As we discussed in the last article, peace with God acts as the very root of Christ’s command to be peacemakers. Therefore, while we strive for harmony with others, we are never to go against the truth of God. Compromising the commands of Scripture, even in an effort to diffuse a conflict, puts us squarely against God’s will. This is not what true peace is, and thus we cannot truly be peacemakers in this way.

This is where tension lies for many people. What does making peace with others look like when Christ and His gospel are so often an offense to those who are perishing (1 Pe 2:8). Indeed, Jesus – the very Prince of Peace – tells us in Matthew 10 that He came to bring “the sword,” not peace (Mat 10:34-39). Let us never doubt, friends, that the Lord Jesus Christ will indeed bring lasting peace, but He does so through both saving (reconciling some to Himself) AND conquering (where He will bring final judgment upon the rebellious world) (Rev 20).

So what are we to do as peacemakers? Well it’s simple, yet can be challenging in practice. Paul directs Christians in Romans 12, “So far as it depends on you, [be] at peace with all men” (v.18). What Paul is getting at here, is that though the outcome is often out of our control, Christians are commanded to strive for peace, even in the face of direct assault (Rom 12:14-21). This is demonstrated in two ways, depending upon the company involved.

With non-believers, we strive for peace by demonstrating compassion and kindness toward others whilst never compromising the truth of God’s Word on any given subject. We must never call evil good and good evil (Is. 5:20). This will inevitably ruffle some feathers and even bring upon believers a significant amount of persecution (a beatitude in itself). We cannot be cruel and hot-tempered, but as disciples of Christ, we must stand squarely upon the Word of God and present the Good News to others, calling them to peace with God. In this way, we strive to make peace with non-believers.

“Though the outcome is often out of our control, Christians are commanded to strive for peace, even in the face of direct assault.”

But conflicts arise within the Body of Christ as well. When dealing with other believers, we must be careful and humble in our dealings. Paul calls us to give “preference to one another in honor” whilst always “abhorring what is evil” and “clinging to what is good” (Rom 12:9-10). Again, God’s Truth must never be compromised, but when differences arise within the Church, we are to act humbly toward one another and seek unity wherever possible (Phil 2:1-5)

There is so much more to say upon this subject, and so I urge you, friends, to dig deeply into the Word of God, the author of peace, and to pray that He make you and I peacemakers for His glory, that we may be called “sons of God.”

Soli Deo Gloria

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Matthew 5:9, LSB

The biblical concept of peace is an important and deeply rich topic. It has far more meaning than merely denoting a lack of hostility. Peace, as described in the Holy Scripture, is reflected in both a spiritual sense with regard to man’s relationship with God as well as in a societal sense with regard to man’s relationship with one another, the latter of which flows most purely from the former. Therefore, in order to do better justice to this topic, we will be considering the implications of this beatitude and its multiple facets over the next two articles.

Firstly, let us consider how the biblical concept of peace relates to the relationship between man and God. As we have seen already, man is separated from God because of his sin nature. Without Christ, all men are “by nature children of wrath” (Eph 2:3). And because sin is an affront to our Righteous and Holy God, justice rightly demands punishment, and we know and understand that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23).

Yet God is the God of Peace (Rom 15:33; 2 Th 3:16), and His Son, Jesus Christ, is the Prince of Peace, who is Himself our peace (Isa 9:7; Eph 2:13-14). Christ came to make peace between sinful man and Holy God by taking on the punishment we rightly deserved. Indeed, “while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” (Rom 5:10). This glorious truth is the very anchor of peace for every disciple of Jesus Christ.

So this facet of biblical peace is at the very root of God’s command to be peacemakers. Of course, disciples of Christ are to strive to live harmoniously with others (a topic we will consider in the next article), but far and above that, believers are called to proclaim and champion the cause of reconciliation. After all, it is to those who are a “new creation” that “the ministry of reconciliation” has been given (2Co 5:17-19). In other words, only those who have received the peace of God can truly be peacemakers for God. As a result, believers are commanded to strive for peace wherever possible (Rom 12:18) even while understanding that true biblical peace must never come at the expense of full obedience and submission to God’s Word.

True biblical peace must never come at the cost of full obedience and submission to God’s Word.

Friends, may we pray for the Lord’s help to never compromise the truth in the name of false peace. Rather, let us pray that the Lord strengthen us to champion the ministry of reconciliation as we eagerly hope for others to know the peace that God has so graciously and mercifully bestowed upon us. Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Matthew 5:8, LSB

Purity of heart is another mark of a true disciple of Jesus Christ, another course of action motivated by the truths we’ve studied in the previous beatitudes. The believer’s sober awareness of his sin and his desire for righteousness ought to lead him to seek the Lord and His will with a heart of genuine devotion. In other words, a disciple of Christ should long to become like his master (Mat 5:48; John 13:15-16, 34-35).

Believers face a daily problem, though. Our Savior is perfect, unmarred by ugly sin (Is 53:7, 9, 12; Cor 5:21; 1 Pe 2:22; 1 Jhn 3:5). Man, however, is woefully imperfect, born in iniquity (Ps 51:5). The tension lies in the fact that you and I, friends, are still in conflict with our flesh, even as we may strive to live by the Spirit that is now in us (Gal 5:17). We have been justified by the blood of Christ, and yet we battle sin every moment of every day.

So how do we become pure in our pursuit of righteousness? If we are so scarred by sin, how can we hope to be made right again? There are two facets to this problem we should consider.

Firstly, we should consider the synergistic aspect of the Christian life, where the Lord allows us to cooperate with the Spirit in our sanctification. Do we desire to root out the sin that creeps into our lives? Scripture calls us to carry our cross daily in following Christ (Mat 16:24-26) and to offer ourselves up as “living sacrifices” (Rom 12:1). This means that believers must daily commit themselves to dying to their sin so as to live for Christ.

Secondly, we must also consider God’s sovereignty in these matters. We will never be perfect in this lifetime, but though we fall short, we are not left without hope. Christ Himself will never leave or forsake us (Mat 28:20; Heb 13:5). Instead, Scripture often gives us the picture of a refiner’s fire (Zec 13:9; Mal 3:2-3). The picture is of gold being heated by fire so that the dross, the impurities, may be removed in order to make that gold more and more pure. The process is intense, and the gold has no choice but to endure. The result, however, is purity.

“The goal of every disciple… is to be made pure by the refinement of the Holy Spirit.”

We, likewise, endure refinement, and James tells us to rejoice in these moments (Jas 1:2-4) since our testing identifies us with our Savior Jesus Christ (Heb. 12:10-11). The goal of every disciple, therefore, is to be made pure, so that we may see God in His fullness just as Christ sees Him now (Mat 5:8; Jhn 1:18).

Let us pray then, friends, for the Lord’s help in making us pure in heart, genuine in our devotion to Christ our Savior. Amen!

Soli Deo Gloria

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” 
Matthew 5:7, LSB

The ESV Expository Commentary provides a rather helpful structure for looking at the Beatitudes (and beyond) as a connected whole. “The first three beatitudes describe an awareness of need” which then leads to a deep hunger and thirst for righteousness. This desire for righteousness is the central component then for the “beatitudes of action” that follow, the first of which being: “Blessed are the merciful.”

Among the most awe-inspiring, worship-provoking concepts in all of Christianity is this great gift of God’s mercy. Rather than being dealt with in judgment, which we have already recognized as perfectly warranted by our inherent lack of self-righteousness, believers in Christ Jesus are shown tremendous kindness instead. God’s mercy finds its ultimate expression in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, wherein we find forgiveness of sins and new life in Christ who takes upon Himself the punishment you and I should rightly receive. 

“Rather than being dealt with in judgment… believers in Christ Jesus are shown tremendous kindness instead.”

God’s mercy, however, is not only shown upon the believer. God’s mercy is extended even toward the unbeliever. “All have sinned,” (Rom 3:23), yet not all will repent and believe in Christ Jesus. Many will remain in their sin, and yet the Lord does not immediately strike down each individual the very moment they sin. Instead, the Lord is patient and kind, saying to all to “seek Yahweh while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near” (Is 55:6). 

As is the case with all His attributes, believers are called upon to emulate this great mercy of God. With great patience and love, we are commanded to show others the very kindness we have been given. Believers are to love and pray even for their enemies (Mat 5:44) and to forgive those who trespass against us (6:12, 14). 

Keep in mind that there is great warning our Lord gives to those who are unwilling to demonstrate the mercy they themselves have received (Mat 6:14-15, 18:35). Therefore we must ask ourselves, friends: do we demonstrate toward others the same kindness and mercy we’ve been given by our Savior? 

Let us pray that the Lord continually softens our hearts and brings to remembrance the great kindness He has demonstrated on us, that we may emulate that compassion in our dealings toward others.

Soli Deo Gloria

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” 
Matthew 5:6, LSB

The question has been asked by many: “How can I know that I am saved?” It’s an important question! We’re called by Scripture to “work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12) and to “test [ourselves] to see if [we] are in the faith” (2 Cor 13:5). A daunting task to be sure. There’s a lot at stake here. One test we can utilize is found here in Jesus’ fourth beatitude.

Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is yet another indelible mark of being a genuine disciple of Christ. A true believer doesn’t just look for goodness or blessings. He doesn’t just strive to be “a better person.” Christ’s followers are marked by a deep desire for righteousness – God’s righteousness!

Again, these beatitudes are all connected. Being humbled (Mat 5:5) and mournful (v.4) because of our inherent lack of righteousness (v.3) leaves us empty, starving for something that can satisfy our souls. Like the Psalmist writes, “My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land without water.” The soul-wrenching process of conviction and repentance leaves the soul weak; but thank God we are not left in that state!

Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest” (Mat 11:28). He tells the Samaritan woman at the well that “whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never thirst” (Jhn 4:14). Indeed Christ is “the bread of life. He who comes to [Him] will never hunger” (Jhn 6:35).

In Christ – and only in Christ – do we find true satisfaction for our souls. The blessing of this beatitude is that when we genuinely hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ and His Word, we will never be disappointed. The difficulties come when we begin to mix in our own selfish desires and expect God to feed us the things we want to have. We want God to bless us on our terms and often become upset when we don’t get what we want (Jas 4:1-10). Put simply, we want to cheat on our diet but still expect to lose weight.

“When we genuinely hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ and His Word, we will never be disappointed.”

The promise of satisfaction in Christ is tied to His righteousness. It’s not enough for man to try to be “better.” A true disciple of Christ is not looking for his “good deeds” to merely outnumber his “bad deeds.” The benchmark is the righteousness of Jesus Himself. In other words, to hunger and thirst for righteousness is to desire to be like Christ.

Friends, let us pray today to always have a deep hunger for God’s Word, and let us continually seek the Living Waters that will satisfy our souls.

Soli Deo Gloria

“Blessed are the lowly, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Matthew 5:5, LSB

Humility (or lowliness) is often viewed among the most prominent characteristics of Christ’s disciples. It is a key ingredient to true Christian living. The Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines humility as “the personal quality of being free from arrogance and pride and having an accurate estimate of one’s worth.” In other words, humility demands we have the right view of ourselves before God.

Now this third beatitude is intrinsically connected to the first two. The kind of profound self-reflection practiced by those who are poor in spirit and mournful of sin cannot help but lead to a heart posture of true humility. Despite its importance, however, humility in action is often misunderstood or misrepresented. Too often, it is either deemed to be a weakness, or it is put into practice only as a matter of demeanor. Many will feign humility in order to gain favor, yet they are inwardly seeking their own goals, not God’s. Arrogance and pride are merely masked, not discarded.

Far from being a weakness, humility is a matter of gentleness and self-control, both a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:23). Humility isn’t just something we demonstrate while we’re around others, it’s the very posture of our hearts before God. Full obedience to God’s Word requires true humility. Jesus Himself demonstrates this kind of humility as He went to the cross (Phil 2:1-8). In the garden of Gethsemane, only hours before His crucifixion, Jesus prays, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me, yet not My will, but Yours be done” (Luk 22:42). Shortly after, Jesus is arrested, mocked, beaten, condemned, and crucified, all without retaliation. “Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth” (Is 53:7).

“Full obedience to God’s Word requires true humility.”

This kind of humility is the opposite of weakness. It takes tremendous strength and stalwart faith to live the way Christ lived, and it is only with the Lord’s help we are able to strive for this at all. But take comfort, friends. The promise that follows this beatitude is truly amazing: “Blessed are the lowly, for they shall inherit the earth” (Mat 5:5). As Christ is given all glory and comes into His Kingdom (Phil 2:9-11), so too will believers inherit with Him all things (Rom 8:17).

Friends, let us pray for the Lord to give us the strength to remain humble and obedient before Him as we live our lives in reflection of Christ our Humble Savior and that we would remain hopeful and expectant of the great inheritance that lies ahead of us in Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Matthew 5:4, LSB

Mourning is an inescapable part of the human experience. Because of the extensive corruption brought about by sin, mankind exists in a world that is dying and full of grief (Rom 8:22). Man, as we previously discussed, is by his own nature woefully separated from Holy God and doomed to die because of sin (Rom 6:23). Death and corruption surround us. There is much to mourn.

Now you’re probably thinking that this isn’t a very encouraging topic. That’s understandable! Though we can’t escape it entirely, we tend to actively avoid being in a position of mourning. We’d rather be happy and carefree all the time. So how do we make sense of Jesus’ second beatitude? “Blessed (happy) are those who mourn” (Mat 5:4). It seems like there is a contradiction here.

One helpful question to ask here is, “What is the thing being mourned?” The relationship between verses three and four makes it clear. The one who mourns mourns over sin. The very thing that creates that great chasm between sinful man and holy God is the very thing that true disciples will grieve over. We mourn over our own sin because it is ultimately rebellion against God Himself (Ps 51:4). Not only that, believers also mourn over the sin in the world because we long for the day when it will all be made right.

It is a blessing to stay mournful of sin because it keeps the disciple in a posture of repentance and expectation. Our sins are ever before us (Ps 51:3), but “a broken and a contrite heart [the Lord] will not despise” (Ps 51:17). This kind of mourning, 2 Corinthians 7:10 tells us, is a “godly sorrow [that] produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation.”

“It is a blessing to stay mournful of sin because it keeps the disciple in a posture of repentance and expectation.”

Salvation and new life in Christ! These are the things that bring believers peace that surpasses understanding (Phil 4:7). We are, of course, comforted by the Holy Spirit even as we mourn the loss of loved ones or face many other sorrows in this world, but the greatest comfort believers are given is the confidence that Christ, who is on His throne even now, will come again to right all wrongs, cleanse all sin, and wipe every tear from the eyes of those who are mourning (Rev 7:16-17).

Let us pray, dear friends, to stay mournful over sin, that you and I may find ourselves continually at the feet of our savior crying, “come quickly, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20).

Soli Deo Gloria

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3, LSB

Jesus’ very first words of His sermon begin with a blessed statement that acts as the very bedrock of true discipleship. “Blessed are the poor in spirit” is the beginning of a chain-link description of Christ’s followers that shatters all earthly expectations. Here in the Greek, to be blessed (makarios) is to be happy. So what on earth does “Happy are the poor in spirit” mean? What does it even mean to be “poor in spirit?”

Some have taken this phrase to denote a lack of courage or perhaps to be downcast, but if that were the case then the promise which follows seems to lose any meaningful correlation. But what we must always do when studying Scripture is uphold these statements in the light of their broader context. The eight blessings are not unrelated. In fact, they are intricately woven together into a tapestry of what a disciple of Christ truly looks like. As we will see as we continue through the sermon, the blessed one who is poor in spirit (v.3) is also the one who mourns (v.4). As a result, that same individual then is shown to be meek and lowly (v.5). And the links continue as we will see further into our study.

With that in mind, to be “poor in spirit” is best understood in our context as spiritual bankruptcy. Scripture testifies repeatedly regarding man’s complete lack of inherent righteousness. “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). It is the genuine realization of this truth that sparks deep conviction and repentance in the hearts of true believers. We begin to understand that we cannot, by any human methods, earn the level of righteousness necessary to stand before The Holy and Righteous One. Only God Himself, in the person of His Son, Christ Jesus, could merit that kind of righteousness. The beautiful thing, friends, is that He does so for the sake of His disciples.

“What you and I cannot ever hope to achieve for ourselves, Christ has achieved on our behalf.”

That is the whole point of the Gospel. What you and I cannot ever hope to achieve for ourselves, Christ has achieved on our behalf. So what each of us are called to do now is to recognize our desperate need for this wonderful Savior, to cry out to Him in repentance, and to place our faith in the One who is able to save our souls. So yes, friends, it is he who is poor in spirit that is truly blessed, because mingled in with conviction and faith is the very promise of eternal life with God: “For theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (v.3). What greater blessing could there be?

Let us always remember, friends, to recognize our great need for the Righteous One. It is Christ alone who saves us and preserves us until we join together with Him in glory (Rom 8:28-30).

Soli Deo Gloria

“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.”
Matthew 5:1, LSB

One of the amazing things we should focus on immediately in the Sermon on the Mount is who Jesus is speaking to. This powerful sermon Jesus is about to preach is presented before a vast multitude, but it is directed toward His disciples.

As we look at the text leading up to the sermon, we see that Jesus’ ministry has already had a far-reaching effect on the populace. Matthew 4:23 tells us that “Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.” This marvelous ministry drew in crowds from all over the region as people brought all those who were sick and possessed to Jesus in order to be healed (4:24-25). And Jesus healed them! This certainly draws a lot of attention, and with it, an opportunity.

The crowds have followed Jesus for some time now, but it is when He sits down and the disciples come to Him that the Great Teacher begins to speak (5:1-2). The context of the sermon shows us that it is keenly directed toward true disciples. The world might admire statements like “love your enemies” (5:44) and “do not judge” (7:1) and “whatever you want people to do for you, so do for them” (7:12). But on the flip side, it cares very little for the promises of persecution (5:10-11) or the demands for holiness (5:48) or for the warnings about the way that leads to destruction (7:13).

Sure, the crowds are amazed at Jesus’ power and at the authority in His teachings (7:28-29), but how far will they go in following Christ? Will they go to the cross with Him? Scripture shows us that this isn’t the case, despite their astonishment. Sinful man may look favorably upon a savior who can ease all their burdens, but the moment that savior demands to also be their Lord, most become disinterested – many even become hostile.

“Do we, like true disciples, strive to understand and obey the teachings of the Son of God?”

So what about us, friends? How do we respond when we are presented with this mix of wonderful truths and sobering warnings? Do we cherry pick our way through this sermon, or do we, like true disciples, strive to understand and obey the teachings of the Son of God? Let us pray today, friends, that we are always acting as true followers of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria