Issue 8, May 2008
Our Lord Jesus Christ begins His first recorded public sermon in the first Gospel of the New Testament with what we know as the Beatitudes. The Eight Beatitudes are found in Matthew 5:3-10. In the next few issues of this Ezine, we will take a moment to reflect upon these Beatitudes.

 

The First Beatitude, Matthew 5:3, contains Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (NIV). First of all, note that Jesus Christ begins this Beatitude with the word “Blessed”. In fact, Jesus Christ begins each of the Beatitudes with that same word. 

 

“Blessed” is the common translation of the Greek word makarios. Makarios means to be in possession of the favor of God. That favor is obtained only through faith and describes the state of a believer in Christ Jesus such that the believer is fully satisfied by the gift of reconciliation with God no matter what the circumstances may be in which the believer finds himself. 

 

On the other hand, “happiness” generally means to be enjoying good luck in favorable circumstances. That is not the same thing as “blessedness”.

 

The first Beatitude is Gospel, not Law. Therefore, it presents us with the Gospel gift of being poor in spirit. In that our lives are to be lives wherein we have died to self and live only in Christ; the first Gospel gift is being empty of ourselves that we might be filled with Christ. 

 

All of our humanity is corrupted by our original sin, and therefore, through baptism, we died with Christ on the cross. But do we fight to put those sinful things that died with Christ on the cross back within ourselves? For example, do we make false claims of having our own purpose for life or for the right to set the terms for when and if we serve others? Or do we allow other products of our sin-corrupted reason and emotions to fill our lives?

 

Over the years, we probably have all heard people joke about their spouses who seem to love to drive vehicles dangerously close to being empty of fuel. It is obvious that some people are comfortable running on empty while others are not. Believers are those made comfortable to run on empty, empty of self that they might be filled only with Christ, and Him Crucified. 

 

In Matthew 5:4, our Lord speaks to us and tells us “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (NIV). This is the Second Beatitude.

 

This Second Beatitude is also Gospel, not Law. It too, therefore, is a gift from God working that which it presents. But how can mourning be a gift?

 

Through the Gospel, the Holy Spirit teaches us that the only answer is Christ Jesus. When we see Jesus Christ, we see all the more clearly our condition under the Law. Through the Gospel, we are given the knowledge and understanding to see with our heart’s eyes that this world and all those without faith are in total bondage to sin, Satan and death. We mourn over this sin and its consequences.

 

The world may look alive, consider itself alive, and even ridicule the real life that is found only in Christ Jesus. But we know that such life is only death pretending to answer the problem of death with the ways of death. 

 

Hearing, reading, studying, meditating upon, and praying God’s Word is God’s chosen way of working His vision into us that we might truly see, grasp, and hold onto Jesus, the Life. 

 

Next time, we will look into the Third and Fourth Beatitudes.

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By Larry D. Harvey