The Sermon on the Mount was addressed to the disciples. The sermon is not telling us how to be saved, but how to live after we have been saved. Jesus has just called His twelve disciples and is telling them what discipleship is all about. The substance of His message is this, “If you are going to be my disciples, then you are going to have to be different – different from the Jews, different from the Gentiles, and different from the religious leaders” (Matthew 6:8).
Matthew 5:1-16 shows how the disciples of Jesus Christ are to be different in their character. Jesus lists eight qualities known as the Beatitudes that should set us apart and identify us as followers of Christ. They spell out for us how to live the life of a committed disciple.
Each beatitude is divided into three parts: the pronouncement, the description, and the reward.
THE PRONOUNCMENT
What does it mean to be blessed? Blessedness is not an emotional feeling it’s a matter of fact. It’s not what we feel, but it’s what God thinks of us. And the person who meets the conditions of the beatitudes in God’s eyes is blessed, although he may not necessarily feel blessed at the time.
THE DESCRIPTION
Jesus describes eight timeless, non-optional qualities He is seeking to develop in each of our lives. As we respond to the work of God in our lives, this is what sets us apart.
- Poor in spirit – humility, a servant’s heart
- Mourn – grieving over sin, genuine repentance
- Meek – yielding of personal rights and expectations to the Lord
- Hunger and thirst after righteousness – spiritual purpose, Christlikeness
- Merciful – willingness to forgive our offenders
- Pure in heart – an undivided heart, pure motives
- Peacemaker – seeking to bring peace between men and God, between man and man, and between self and others
- Persecuted for righteousness – suffering specific loss because of association with and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. Note: the text does not say “being persecuted” but “having been persecuted.” Blessed are those who have come through persecution and have endured. There is no reward for giving up in the middle.
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THE REWARD
The kingdom of heaven is different from eternal life. Eternal life is a free gift (Romans 6:23); but our position in the kingdom of heaven is a reward for those Christians who have been faithful and have given their all for Christ. There are those who will be “great in the Kingdom of Heaven” and those who will be “the least” (Matthew 5:19).
How different are you from the world and even from the religious people of our day? No one will see a difference until we start applying the Truth of God’s Word to our lives and start living the life of a committed disciple of Jesus Christ.
Morris Hull
Home Life Ministries
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