The Beatitudes: part one, Matthew 5:2-12

The Beatitudes

“This is what he taught them:

“God blesses those who realise their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.
God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
God blesses those who are gentle and lowly, for the whole earth will belong to them.
God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice,
for they will receive it in full.
God blesses those who are merciful for they will be shown mercy.
God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will be shown mercy.
God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God, for the Kingdom of Heavens is theirs.
God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted too.” (Matt 5:2-12)

When we say we want to be more Christ-like what are we saying? That we want to be really nice? To have lots of followers? To try and be generally nice and loving?

Jesus was love. We know this. But what qualities of man were similar to Jesus? What qualities in us would be rewarded or should be cultivated? Well the Beatitudes is quite a nice conclusive list should we look at it in that way.

5:3 is translated both as “God blesses those who realise their need for Him” and “the poor in spirit”. We can’t be self sufficient. As limited beings to think we can sort everything out is seriously overestimating our capabilities. But those who realise they need Him are “given the Kingdom of Heaven”! God says “you can’t do everything for yourself but you understand you need me? Well about time. I’ve got this”. Feeling that you are not in control can be quite a hard pill to swallow. God lifts the chin of the “poor in sprit” and with His loving nature and His goodness, promises them eternal life. I’m quite clearly not saying make yourself depressed, but embrace that dependence on God whatever place you’re at, and if you are in a dark place, look up, God’s got you.

God is a God of comfort, throughout the Bible we hear references of Him as a “shield” (ps 3:3), “shelter for the oppressed” (ps 9:9). God wants to comfort you, when you lose someone close to you you “will be comforted”, when you realise how prone to sin you are God will wrap His arms around you, when you consider that some of your friends may not nor ever know the message of salvation God takes your heaviness (Matt 5:4). If you’re mourning the loss of a friendship or the life you used to live, the Lord wants to comfort you, to protect you and be your shelter. “I cried out to the Lord, and He answered me from His holy mountain. I lay down and slept. I woke up in safety, for The Lord was watching over me” (Ps 3:4-5).

The entire earth is promised to the “gentle and lowly” (5:5). In people we interact with, humility and gentleness can be some of the most attractive qualities. They make us want to know that person better, put as at ease. There is no place for pride in Christianity, how can we prideful or boastful of things when everything we have received has been permitted or given to us from God?

This is a long verse and I want to deal with things fully, so I’ll tackle the second half tomorrow.

God bless x

Stick At It, James 1:12

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”
(James 1:12)

The first time we looked at James we looked at the notion of faith and asking for things like wisdom with certainty because God wants you to come to Him, and He wants to give you such gifts (re: 8th Aug, James 1:5-6). But in the same chapter James also discusses endurance. The term “carrying the cross” doesn’t mean easing Jesus’ burden, but in following Him you take up one of your own. The path of the Christian is one of challenge, persecution and judgement. You are challenged by friends, bosses, family; made out to look foolish in classes or even over dinner; and you are judged sardonically by non-believers…sounds appealing right?

But the Bible says blessed are those who “persevere” through all of this for they will receive “the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him”. Or as Romans 8:17 puts it “if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory”. We are not promised a life of ease but one of the greatest reward imaginable when we have poured out our lives in service on this planet. Paul and James noted (as Jesus repeatedly told the disciples) that inevitably following The Way would lead to a number of struggles and challenging experiences. But as co-heirs of Christ, in sharing in His suffering, in suffering in His name, we would also jointly inherit His glory.

This isn’t like the employer who still owes you a couple weeks pay, God’s good for His promise and His promise is the crown of life ! (For those of us who’ve forgotten our rightful inheritance is death, this is a serious change of events !!) We aren’t toiling for nothing and at times when we may feel fed up it’s well worth reminding ourselves why we do. Or perhaps more importantly what it is that we are toiling for.

I brought this up for another reason. A lot of young Christians struggle between discerning what is testing and what is temptation. As Christians put on this earth for but a season we expect to be tested by God, but how do we know what are lessons and what aren’t?

James straight up rules out a link between God and tempting (1:13-18). Instead he says when we are tempted it is because of our own base desires, which lead us into a horrific downward spiral should we appease them. In contrast, God is “good and perfect”, He would not bring things of a tempting nature about even to give our spiritual maturity a check-up.

“Bad company corrupts good morals” (1Cor 15:33). As you grow in your walk you will inevitably come into interaction with people acting in a more worldly way than you would envision for yourself. Take stock of this and remember this verse. Meeting such a person is not God trying to see if you start mimicking their sin too. Think about the nature of God. With the best intentions in the world we can still mess up, so it can be sensible to try to offset our chances. In such a scenario, God may watch the way in which you do or don’t compromise but never would He act with the intent of let’s see if he/she falls to temptation ! Such behaviour is not of The Lord Our God. Paul knew it, James knew it and you need to know it.

God bless and keep you always x