By Jim Collins
The Beatitudes series — Matthew 5:3–12
There is never a time when I study the Beatitudes that I am not taken aback by the profound depth of the message Jesus preached. Every word hangs with huge implications for the people of that age and us. Before we begin our examination of the text, let us back up a few verses to make sure we fully understand what is taking place.
In Matthew 4:18–22 we can see Jesus called some of the disciples to follow Him.
Next we see Jesus moving all over Galilee teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the Kingdom and healing every sickness among the people (4:23). I want us to pay attention to this phrase “kingdom of God/heaven” because Jesus will refer to it many times throughout this sermon. In fact 4:17 tells us Jesus’ message was simple — “Repent because the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
In 4:24 we see news had spread about Him throughout Syria: “So they brought to Him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics and the paralytics. And He healed them.” Sounds like the people Jesus was ministering to were the poor and outcasts of their society.
Verse 25 gives us an idea of the nationalities of the people: “Large crowds followed Him from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and beyond the Jordan.”
Hungry and thirsty
Jesus was speaking to the people who spent most of their lives in poverty and mourning, or perhaps they were hungry and thirsty for something that could satisfy their deepest need. It’s doubtful if anyone would have invited them to the synagogues because of their uncleanliness. I am sure they thought God had nothing for them, that they were simply cursed. That is until Jesus came and said these same people, outcasts in society, were in fact blessed by God.
The word “makaroi,” or “blessed,” could mean “happy” but I believe that is misleading. It is much deeper. The Complete Word Study Dictionary defines this word as “one who is in the world yet independent of the world. His satisfaction comes from God and not from favorable circumstances.” D.A. Carson taught that the word meant “God’s approval.” Max Lucado called it “the applause of heaven.”
Approved by God
It is fair to say that many of the people who heard those words were cast aside by the “religious ones.” But here Jesus declares before them that they could be blessed. They could be approved by God. I can hear the laughter of the religious ones in the crowd as Jesus proclaimed these words. I can imagine the arguments they were mentally preparing to prove these people could not be blessed. Isn’t it amazing that Jesus, despite of who we are or what has happened to us, can declare His goodness over us? We can find that peace in our hearts by knowing God sees us differently. I believe this amazing grace is what causes followers to become devoted to God.
We can come to understand this devotion by looking at the word “praeis.” Some translations have it as “gentle” while others call it “meek.” John G. Butler, in his Analytical Bible Expositor, defines meekness as “the condition of God’s people in their respect of God and submission to God in contrast to the world that blasphemes God and rebels against God.” The mindset of many people during the time of Christ and today is that meekness equals weakness. However, to humbly bow under the mighty arm of God is what truly gives us strength. We can be free from harmful emotions that want to dominate our time and energies.
The similarities between Psalm 37:11 and Matthew 5:5 cannot go unnoticed — “But the humble will inherit the earth.” What I find more compelling is that the theme of Psalm 37 is about trusting the Lord in times of wickedness. When it seems like the whole world has turned against you, it is our response to trust in our Lord’s caring hands. The tough times that you and I go through do not catch our Lord off guard. He has given us the moment to trust Him and He will see us through it. We can bask in the fulfilling relationship in Christ knowing we are loved by God.
Children of God
From the very beginning God had a plan for you and me. We can see early on in Scripture there was something special with His relationship with mankind. He invited them into His presence and gave them the duties of ruling and filling the earth. It wasn’t long before Adam and Eve rebelled against God. Then God removed them from the garden and cursed the earth where they would live. I believe that from the very beginning God had a plan. He knew mankind would fail Him but out of His love He gave us a way to return to Him through Jesus Christ. Through faith in Jesus we have become children of God (John 1:12) and co-heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17).
Sharing the message
From the moment the Holy Spirit fell on the believers in the upper room on the day of Pentecost the Church has been commissioned to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth. The gospel invites the kingdom of God into the lives of the believer. With His rule in our hearts we can proclaim peace to the weary and freedom to the captives. We can help those who are outcast find their way in His fellowship. We must carry His message of the kingdom until He returns, for only by faith in Him will we be able to see things as they should be.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Jim Collins is pastor of Evergreen Baptist Church and holds a master of divinity degree and doctor of ministry from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Collins and his wife, Laura, have two children. They served as Southern Baptist missionaries to Mexico from 2003 to 2007.
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