Matthew 5:1-12 NASB
¹When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
²He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
³Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
⁵Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
⁷Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
⁸Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
⁹Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
¹⁰Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
¹¹Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
¹²Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Devotional
There are many people who follow Jesus (Matthew 4:25).
Matthew 4:25
Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.
Jesus sees them. That’s where it starts (Matthew 5:1). When Jesus sees the crowds, it calls for compassion from Him (See e.g. Matthew 9:36)
And then comes what we call the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7. See also Luke 6:20-49). The Sermon on the Mount, for Jesus went up the mountain (Probably close to Capernaum).
As Moses formerly went up to Mount Sinai to receive from God the law for Israel (Exodus 20:21, 24:18, 34:1,2), so now Jesus goes up the mountain for His teaching, for giving His law.
And then His teaching begins with a great surprise: a ninefold beatification, nine times a blessing. Blessings to whom? To the people who stand before Him,
▪︎ the poor in spirit (Poverty is not primarily material, but spiritual: your small knowledge of God.)
▪︎ those who mourn,
▪︎ the meek,
and so on.
Jesus saw the people who followed Him.
It was the multitude that know not the law, the people who were despised by the religious leaders of Israel (cf. John 7:45-49).
Jesus did not despise them. They tasted that. That is why there was such a great desire to hear Him. And now Jesus is going to reveal what He asks of them.
You could call the Sermon on the Mount the law of the Kingdom of God. But before Jesus says anything about what his followers should do, He calls them blessed.
Encouraging, how Jesus begins his teaching!
Being blessed… yes but who?
Who can be recognized in these happy people?
It’s clearly not about the people who can make it themselves.
Jesus is not talking about the people who take very good care of themselves, the people who are well off in this world. Jesus talks about:
▪︎ simple people, who have good intentions for the other.
▪︎ People who suffer from injustice,
▪︎ people who fight for God’s will on earth.
The disciples can be recognized in them.
Are you a disciple of the Lord Jesus?
Is His desire for this world your desire?
If so, you are blessed, for a rich reward awaits you in heaven (Matthew 5:12)!
Questions
▪︎ Which of the beatitudes appeal to you?
▪︎ Why does this one appeal to you
Prayer Suggestion
▪︎ Ask the Lord to help you be worthy of the Beatitudes.
Twitter: @SchoemakerHarry
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