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Introduction of Matthew
Matthew was one
of Jesus’ twelve disciples, a tax collector when called by Christ. This gospel
was written primarily to the Jews, emphasizing the supremacy of Christ to
Moses.
Introduction
of the Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on
the Mount was delivered to the disciples, but heard also by the crowd, similar but
different from “Sermon on the Plain” in Luke.
A simple outline
of the Sermon on the Mount is as follows:
1. The Kingdom and Blessings (Matt. 5:1-16)
2. The Kingdom and the Law (Matt. 5:17-48)
3. The Kingdom and God (Matthew 6)
4. The Kingdom and Others (Matthew 7:1-20)
Introduction
of the Beatitudes
As a kid, my favorite cartoon
was Peanuts and good ole Charlie Brown. I had a book called “Happiness is a
Warm Puppy.” If we were to put a Charles M. Schulz title to the beatitudes, it
might be “Happiness is …”
The word “Beatitude” comes
from the Latin word beatus which
means blessed but the word is elsewhere translated as “happy,” “how fortunate,”
“God blesses” (NLT), “You’re blessed” (the Message), and the amplified Bible
expounds to “to be envied and spiritually prosperous…with life-joy and
satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward
conditions.”
We could call these beatitudes
the “Be Happy Attitudes.” Someone has said that they are not the “Do”
Attitudes, but the “Be” Attitudes, meaning it is not what we do in the sense of legalism, but rather
who we are in Christ. We should concentrate
on “being,” not “doing.”
Each beatitude builds upon the
previous one, like a staircase. The first and last beatitude promise that “theirs
is the kingdom of heaven.” From the moment of our salvation, the Holy Spirit within
us provides for us a portion of the qualities found in each beatitude, but we
must nourish and encourage each aspect to grow in our lives.
Other
Beatitudes in Scripture
Four other times
in Matthew, there are pronouncements of “blessedness.” Chapter 11, verse six
speaks about not being offended in Christ; Matt. 13:16 speaks on those who were
able to see and hear Jesus at work, 16:17 pronounces a blessing up Peter for
his proclamation of Christ as the Son of the living God, and 24:46 proclaims a
blessing on those who are faithful when Christ returns.
Luke records
similar uses of “blessed” in chapter 6 and uses the word a total of 15 times in
his gospel. John’s two beatitudes include the famous rebuke of Thomas’ doubting
when Jesus says “blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe.”
Romans and James
also have some beatitudes, and Peter echoes Jesus’ beatitudes in respect to suffering
and facing reproach in 1 Peter 3:14 and 4:14. King James there translates makarios or makarios as “Happy” rather than “blessed.”
And in typical numerical fashion, the Apostle John records precisely seven
beatitudes in Revelation.
The practice of
issuing blessed promises goes back as far as the Old Testament, most notably
Psalm 1: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or
stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is
in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night”
As you study these blessed
promises this week, look for blessings and sources of happiness in keeping
God’s word and these “Be Happy Attitudes”. As Pharrell Williams might sing,
clap along if you feel a beatitude is for you.
