Following Jesus? Who is Blessed? – Sermon – Pastor Dave Page

So here’s the question I’d like to begin with this morning:

How does Jesus challenge your concept of what It means to be blessed?

I think that for each of us engaging with the teaching of Jesus, this question is at the heart of how we will or will not respond to what Jesus is saying.

If you recall last week, we said we needed to answer 2 very specific and extremely important questions:

• What is the kingdom?
• How do we understand the word Blessed?

And we said we needed to do that so we could develop an understanding of both of these concepts in what Jesus is saying throughout this teaching. And so this morning, as we look at the eight beatitudes, you will see how important it is to have reflected on these two themes: The Kingdom and the word Blessed.

Blessed:

• Approval of God – Righteousness means right standing with God – this is where we get our ultimate happiness.

The word “beatitude” means

• “supreme blessedness or happiness”

It is as though Jesus was positioning the benefits of Kingdom living upfront in His sermon because of what was to come. And for some, what’s to come, is indeed difficult teaching. To achieve the approval of God and blessedness requires an extremely high character standard for those who will inherit the citizenship of the kingdom of heaven.

Notice, I said citizenship of the kingdom of heaven. And note that the first beatitude and the last beatitude refer to the “kingdom of heaven.” So, is there a difference between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven or is this just wordsmithing?

Well again, recall last week that we discussed the kingdom of God as the here and now creation in which we live in, but also, it’s Christ living in us – our lifestyle and obedience to Christ that creates the Kingdom of God, here and now.

The Kingdom of Heaven is something different… In fact, it is itself the ultimate blessing. It’s the prize for which we strive on the journey of following Jesus through our lifetime. Make note of this, heaven today is a real place! Jesus is talking about a real place and therefore a real inheritance. God rules in the spiritual realm in Heaven – that is our destination.

And so, the questions that Jesus is actually answering as he starts off into the eight beatitudes are more like:

• Who will be the citizens of “the kingdom of heaven”?

• What benefits do they receive?

That’s the heart of what Jesus is teaching here in the first part of the sermon – so let’s look at the Beatitudes together.

One thing to note as we get started, my path to take us through this passage will be somewhat different than what you might expect. Traditionally we might examine each beatitude in detail before going on to the next and so on and so on. What I propose this morning is to look at the entire section twice – but looking at it from two different perspectives…

First, let’s consider “The Beatitudes” from the viewpoint of the question:  “Who will be the citizens of the kingdom?”

[In other words, what is the character required/ expected of the citizens of the kingdom?]

And the first point I want us to realize is that our character involves all of these qualities that Jesus talks about, and that they’re all interrelated.

Our citizenship in the kingdom will mean we will possess all of these qualities. Only those who have all of the qualities described will truly be citizens of the kingdom. And I say all and interrelated, because it can be the case that some people may be…

• “Poor in spirit,” but do not “hunger and thirst after righteousness”
• “Mournful,” but are not “pure in heart”
• “Meek,” but are not “peacemakers”
• “Persecuted,” but not “for righteousness’ sake”

These qualities are all meant to be interrelated –working in conjunction with one another.

This is similar to where the various qualities are also listed in 2^nd Peter:

2 Peter 1:5-11

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

¹⁰ Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, ¹¹ and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Notice how each quality that Peter talks about is needed in conjunction to another (“add to your faith goodness, to goodness knowledge…”) Only then can one have this “Rich welcome into the eternal kingdom….”

So, let’s look at these eight qualities:

THEY ARE “POOR IN SPIRIT”…

“To be poor in spirit is to have a humble opinion of ourselves; to be sensible that we are sinners, and have no righteousness of our own; to be willing to be saved only by the rich grace and mercy of God” (Barnes) 

What Jesus is saying here is that we need to be convicted of our own spiritual poverty.

Let me give you an example that Jesus did – the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14.

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹ To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

¹³ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

¹⁴ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The opposite of “poor in spirit” would be “proud of heart,” and those who are such are more like the Pharisee Jesus refers to.

JESUS STARTS WITH THIS FIRST BEATITUDE I BELIEVE, BECAUSE THIS IS THE GATEWAY TO ALL THE REST – POOR IN SPIRIT IS A MUST!!

THEY “MOURN”…

• But do so in a specific sense: over one’s own spiritual poverty, one’ sinfulness – dying to one’s self, it’s difficult, causes a degree of mourning
• Like David did after his adultery with Bathsheba:

Psalms 51:3-4

³ For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

Note the relationship between these first two characteristics. Unless one is first “poor in spirit”, we will not “mourn” over our spiritual poverty.

THEY ARE “MEEK”….

1. This means gentle, easy to be plead with. In the Original Greek this term was always used in relation to taming a wild animal. Note – not out of weakness, but out of humility, realizing one’s own poverty of spirit, one’s own sinfulness.
2. A good example of meekness other than Jesus is Moses. He was certainly not a weak or timid man, but when personally attacked, he was very humble.

Numbers 12:1-3 Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses

¹ Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. ² “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the Lord heard this.

³ (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

THEY “HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS”…

They search and search for the righteousness which will meet:

• Their spiritual poverty
• Their mourning over the same

To “hunger and thirst” suggests not a half-hearted search, but one exemplified by David in Psalms 42:1-2

Psalm 42

¹ As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.

² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

THEY WILL LOOK TO JESUS FOR THEIR RIGHTEOUSNESS – NOT SELF OR THE LAW

THEY ARE “MERCIFUL”…

• Loving towards those in misery (e.g., the “Good Samaritan”)

As Stephen (Stephen is first mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as one of the Seven Deacons, who were appointed by the Apostles to distribute food and charitable aid to poorer members of the community in the early church.) Stephen ends up in front of the Jewish ruling Sanhedrin Council, and ends up being stoned to death for following Jesus. Here’s what he had to say toward those stoning him.:

Acts 7:60

⁶⁰ Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

For us that have known the personal experience of the mercy of God, how come we not be anything but merciful to those around us.

THEY ARE “PURE IN HEART”…

Defined as:

“singleness of heart, the honesty which has no hidden motive, no selfish interest, and is true and open in all things.” (Lenski)

If we are motivated by anything other than a singular heart, for Jesus, then all those other things become barriers to our kingdom living, they become distractions, and sometimes even worse.

THEY ARE “PEACEMAKERS”…

• They devote their lives to making peace:

• Making effort to be at peace with all people:

Romans 12:18-21

¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;     if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Helping others to be at peace with God by proclaiming the gospel of peace, is a very important part of peacemaking too as is making sure that you yourself are at peace with God. That might take us back to being “poor in spirit.”

THEY ARE “PERSECUTED BECAUSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS”…

“The tense of the verb may be regarded as permissive:

• “Who have allowed themselves to be persecuted, or have endured persecution”

The idea is that these people did not flee from any kinds of persecution, but willingly submitted to it when it came to them all for Jesus sake.

OK, so remember, our question – who will be citizens of the kingdom of Heaven?
Those whose lives embody this lifestyle:

• They are poor in spirit (realizing their sinfulness)
• Thus they mourn (for their sins)
• Thus they are meek (gentle toward God and others)
• Thus they hunger and thirst for righteousness (which they desperately need)
• Thus they are merciful (for they know they need mercy)
• Thus they are pure in heart (seeking to please God with singleness of heart)
• Thus they are peacemakers (making peace with others, having found peace with God)
• Thus they are persecuted for the kingdom of heaven (misunderstood by the proud and arrogant who are still in their sins)

Eight qualities, all inter-related and working together to produce the right kind of character.

Now, it might be time for a little bit of honesty… As I’m recounting these to you, how many of you and don’t put your hand up here, how many of you are thinking there’s no way.

There is no way that I can be all these things, all at the same time in my life. Church family, I had that thought daily. And so, if that’s you this morning and perhaps you’re thinking, Is the kingdom of heaven worth whatever effort might be involved in developing this kind of character?

Then let’s look at “The Beatitudes” from the viewpoint of a different question:

“What benefits do the citizens of the kingdom receive?”

In other words, WIIFM ? – What’s in it for me?

What we got is summarized in one word, one word that we’ve already discussed:

THAT WORD IS “BLESSED”…

• It is the first word of the sermon
• Just as it is the first word of the Psalms – Psalms 1:1.
• Just as it is found in the beginning words of Revelation – Revelation 1:3
• It is used nine times in nine verses (which is why this section is called “The Beatitudes”)

And please remember that while we said this word signified an approval from God, it also involves great joy and gladness because of that approval. The benefit of being in the kingdom of heaven is the condition of blessedness, a state of true happiness! And here’s how that works. I want you to look at the second part of each of these eight beatitudes. And what you’re gonna see is that the benefits for us are both present and future.

“THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN”…

Again, as we defined last week those who receive the kingdom are under the kingly rule of God

• Which today involves being in the “church,” the present manifestation of the “kingdom of heaven” – Matthew 16:18;
• Which will involve the “new heavens and new earth” in the kingdom’s future and eternal manifestation – Matthew 25:34;

Note that the first (Matthew 5:3) and last (Matthew 5:10) beatitudes include this expression, which implies that the blessings in between likewise apply to those in the kingdom. Just as the kingdom is both present and future, the blessings described here involve both present and future.

“THEY SHALL BE COMFORTED”…

• This is in reference to those who mourn over their sins and spiritual poverty. They are comforted even now – 2 Colossians 1:3-5
• They shall be comforted in the future – Revelation 21:1-4

“THEY SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH”…

• In one sense, they inherit it now
• As a result of putting the kingdom of God first
  Though they may have less than some who are wicked, God enables them to enjoy it more!
• This explanation seems to be consistent with the context of Psalms 37, from which the phrase was taken – Psalms 37:1-11, Psalms 16-29

2. But in another sense, there yet remains a promise concerning a “new earth” for those in the kingdom now

“THEY SHALL BE FILLED”…

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

What is Jesus saying? To hunger and thirst embody the necessities of physical life. But Jesus isn’t focusing on the physical He’s focusing on the eternal. His analogy reveals that righteousness is required for spiritual life just as food/water is necessary for physical life – it’s not optional. We can no more live spiritually w/out righteousness than we can live physically without food or water.

Did you know the body is comprised of 70% water. Water is contained in the cells of the body (intracellular fluid), in the arteries and veins (blood plasma), and in the spaces b/w the blood vessels and cells (interstitial fluid). Moreover, the body’s water supply is involved in nearly every bodily function – digestion, absorption, circulation, and excretion. When we eat, breathe, and use our muscles, our body’s water supply is engaged. Thus, to become dehydrated is to lead your body to fail.

• 75% of North Americans are chronically dehydrated
• 37% of North Americans mistake their thirst mechanism for hunger pains
• Mild dehydration can slow down your metabolism as much as 5%
• A lack of water is the number 1 trigger of daytime fatigue
• Just a 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory and vision

So, to overcome dehydration, in a day, you should drink a ½ ounce of water for every pound of body weight – a little more than that if you’re active.

Without the proper intake of water, your body will suffer greatly – and the same could be said of your spiritual life if you do not have a proper intake of righteousness.

God promises, that if you really profess your hunkering your thirst for him – we each of us will be filled.

“THEY SHALL OBTAIN MERCY”…

• Those in the kingdom enjoy the forgiveness of sins now through the blood of Jesus
• They shall also be shown mercy in the future by escaping the righteous wrath of God in the Day of Judgment

“THEY SHALL SEE GOD”…

1. Presently, citizens of the kingdom can see God through their Lord Jesus Christ
2. But in the future, we shall see him face to face – Revelation 21:3

“THEY SHALL BE CALLED CHILDREN OF GOD”…

1. Even now we are called the Children of God
2. How much more so, in the future!

CONCLUSION

So, I’m not sure we specifically answered this question of “since we will never really obtain that perfection in this life, why do we even try?” After all, if you think about what Jesus did here, he took the bar of the law of the religious elite, and rather than doing away with it, he raised it! He raised it to an almost unachievable standard. Why would he do that?

Because that is what God wants from us. Not perfection but that we do our best to try.

If you are honest with yourself, you will admit this morning that you aren’t where you need to be but that doesn’t mean failure- that means we are human and because of Jesus it also means we don’t throw up our hands in defeat…. when we mess up, when we fail, when we lose our way… we get back up, dust yourself off, and turn back to Him.