Bible Study Insight into Matthew 5 9like to hear some thoughts)

[Danus]

For years I have considered "The Beatitudes" Jesus's opening word to the sermon on the mount to be addressing 8 separate characteristics of people in general. ie the poor, the meek, the peacemakers and such. For example, some are meek, some are poor some are some variation of the other, or a combination of both in so far as one's individual characteristic nature.

However, a good friend recently gave me some insight on this passage that has opened my eyes to a new understanding of it for me and I want to see what others think. Some of you might already hold to this as well, and I might seem infantile in my long held understanding ;), but here goes.

What Jesus is laying out in The Beatitudes is a description of everyone who earnestly comes to Christ and is saved.

Matthew 5

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.
The Beatitudes

He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The truly repented are poor in spirit. this is our condition when we first come to Christ
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Because we are poor inspirit we are mournful of our sin nature.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Not to be confused with weak, the meek are humble. the meek know they are not powerful but God is. When we are poor in spirit and mournful of our sin nature we are also meek in condition
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
When we are poor in spirit, mournful of our sin nature, meek in condition, we hunger for righteousness, and in this condition we are crying out to God in repentance. We are at this point in the right condition to be saved and we are filled with the spirit. We then hunger and thirst for what is right.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
In our salvation we are merciful. We show and reflect Gods mercy because we know we need it also.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
In the Christian life we strive and pray for purity of heart. We seek a closeness to God daily in this effort. Not just on Sundays.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
As saved Christians we allow God work through us. We speak up for God, God speaks through us by our actions, our life's, our characters, we reflect Christ....we are known as followers of Christ and it's obvious by our fruit.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
And finally, because of all the above, we are persecuted by the world. We are called names, we are hated, and sometimes we are even killed. Notice it says "...because of righteousness". It does not say because of OUR righteousness.

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.

 

[stovebolts]

hi danus!

I'm on my phone, so I'll make this short.

I saw what you are writing last year for the first time. If we look at each attitude, they create the foundation for transformation.

in other words, you'll be poor in spirit before you mourn which allows you to become meek and that will cause a hunger for rightousness which allows us to show mercy which leads to a pure heart which seeks to be peacemakers. However, the world does not understand this and because of it, we will be percecuted. But we ought to rejoice, because we are bringing heaven to earth.

 

[Danus]

Yes, cool.

You know I've read that passage a thousand times and I never connected the dots on it.

When my friend shed this light on it, well it was a watershed moment for me. One of those WOW things for me. The hair stood on my neck because I had been blind to it all this time. However, the other thing is, I don't think I could have had the insight any sooner than now.

That's the cool part about the bible. On the one side It makes no sense to the unbeliever. on the other side it make perfect sense to the believer. Some might think of the division of these two sides as nothing more than a line, but in reality the division between the non-believer and the believer is more wide I think, with degrees in between.

when I first became a Christian 20 years back I did not understand this passage, 5 years later I still did not. Now 20 years on and someone points it out casually...and BAM! ....How did I miss that all this time?

 

[Broncobilly1972]

That's seeing things spiritually, keep asking for it.
How does he clothe us?
If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith? (Luke 12:28 KJV)

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10 KJV)

There are more than these, but when you see garments, robes, clothes any of that let the other things also come to mind, hear them

Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. (Matthew 13:13 KJV)

The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them. (Proverbs 20:12 KJV)

It's always good to hear someone say I see this differently.

 

[stovebolts]

yeah Danus it is pretty cool!
I love those aha moments!