The first word out of His mouth was, “Blessed,” (Matthew 5:3). In Latin, it is beatus, and this is where we get the word, beatitude. Jesus went on to say this eight more times in the beginning of His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. He described the type of person that would be blessed, and the blessing they would receive. The poor in spirit and those persecuted for righteousness’ sake receive the kingdom of Heaven. Those who mourn are comforted. The meek inherit the earth. The ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness shall be filled. Those who are merciful are given mercy. The pure in heart will see God. Peacemakers are called the children of God, and great rewards await those persecuted and reviled for His sake.
The people listening to Jesus speak these words must have been captivated by what they heard. Blessed is a powerful word, and to those people, it would have meant “divine joy and perfect happiness.” It described something beyond human reach – only experienced by God.1
As a whole, the Sermon on the Mount was radical teaching. People had never heard things like this before. I think that for many of us today, we just kind of gloss over it and don’t really understand the power and impact it had – which, unfortunately, makes it impossible to understand the power and impact it still has today. But, before I get ahead of myself, let’s back up just a little.
Now I know, that at some point in your walk with Christ, you have read these verses in Matthew 5 and thought about which blessings you might receive. I mean, who doesn’t want to be blessed? You’ve looked at the types of people Jesus names and thought, “I have a lot of this, but I don’t know if I have that, and I definitely need to work on this one over here.” Well, it doesn’t work like that. Jesus wasn’t giving you a list of characteristics to check off once you’ve mastered them or reach a new level. It’s much bigger than that. It is all about the heart – YOUR heart. Who your heart really belongs to. The attitude and position of your heart. Where your heart is. What your heart is full of. How/if you share your heart.
Only when your heart is fully surrendered to Jesus and belongs to Him can you begin to see an outflow of the kind of people Jesus described. We cannot embody these things on our own. It is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). We must abide in Him.
The Pharisees of Jesus’ day had become so caught up in all the minute details of the law that they missed the entire heart of the law. They had created a works-based religion and didn’t even realize it. Their hearts were closed off.
Jesus brought it all back to the heart and made it personal.
For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven, (Matthew 5:20).
The self-righteousness of the Pharisees was for vanity. It did not flow from their hearts.
Now, let us not mistake our understanding of the law. Jesus did not come to get rid of it or replace it. He came to fulfill it, (Matthew 5:17).
The entire Sermon on the Mount points to the heart. Like an arrow flying straight and true, it hits the heart. The salt of the earth, light of the world, city on a hill, all conditioned by what your heart is surrendered to, (Matthew 5:13-14). Jesus went on to expound upon the laws on murder, adultery, oath swearing, anger and more – radically changing how they had always been perceived, (Matthew 5:21-37).
Beginning in Matthew 5:38, Jesus teaches some of the most profound anchors of His ministry that speak to the heart. These ideas are so extreme they seem utterly impossible for humankind. Here, our good Lord tells us not to seek retribution, give more to those who ask and those who seek to take from you, do not refuse someone who asks to borrow, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despise and persecute you.
I can’t imagine what the people were thinking when Jesus said these things. I read this now and know that human nature fights against all these things. They are exactly opposite of what we want to do and how we want to react. That is why scripture tells us that we must die to ourselves, (Luke 9:23; Galatians 2:20; Romans 8:12-13) because the flesh cannot do this. I believe this is one of the most difficult things Jesus taught, but it is not impossible. Brothers and sisters, through the power that lives in us, we can live as Jesus taught. Trust Him and do as He said, deny our fleshly way and choose His way – even if/when you don’t understand it. Choose Jesus.
It’s important to note that Jesus did not give conditions here, like – do good to them that hate you if you feel like it or if they say thank you. Living this way is not dependent on how others treat you or react. We do these things because of where our own hearts are, not where someone else’s heart is. So, we’re back to the heart.
Jesus did not mean for us to recite empty prayers for our enemies. We should never say an empty prayer. Your heart should be conditioned to pray in truth. Deep, from the heart, we pray for our enemies. I know there are times and circumstances when you may feel you just can’t do that. I understand that, and that’s when you pray for the Lord to help you. You pray for Him to give you the right heart, for Him to help you, for Him to change the way you feel because it does not align with what He told us to do. That’s what you pray. You stay in His Word and pray, and He will lead you and change your heart.
The Beatitudes are a description of the attitudes every Christian should have, and the rest of the sermon describes what that looks like. “Blessed” does not rely on outward circumstances or conditions. It flows from a satisfaction within, where Jesus is sufficient, where your heart truly belongs to God. The one who masters this, is blessed indeed. May God truly bless your heart.
In closing, I ask you to take the time to examine your heart.
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Photo by Lina Trochez on Unsplash
- Wiersbe, Warren W. The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament. David C. Cook, Colorado Springs, CO. 2007. ↩︎
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