The Beatitudes

copyright Clark H Smith

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

"Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3-10 NAS)

The first purpose of the Beatitudes is to reveal the character of Jesus Christ.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus speaks to us about peculiar characteristics and the “rewards” of those characteristics. The traditional Christian view is that He is describing how Christians should live and what good things accrue to us for living that way. I do not dispute that we should all aspire to these attributes and behaviors, but I am convinced that first and foremost, Jesus is revealing His personal nature to us. In a word, the Beatitudes are the autobiography of Jesus Christ.

There are several reasons for supposing this. We must remember that Jesus did not come to tell us how we should live in order that we may receive salvation. He came telling us that we should “follow” Him and receive salvation as a gift, not a reward. It is sensible, then, that He would describe Himself as the focus of our attention.

Another compelling reason to interpret the Beatitudes messianically is that they appear to be attributes that were prophesied about the Messiah. We note that Luke introduces Jesus with a scene that emphasizes His prophetic legacy:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord." And He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed upon Him. And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Luke 4:18-21 NAS)

It is not unlikely that Matthew also wanted to stress that Jesus realized His prophetic identity and intended to advance His earthly ministry upon the “advance publicity” He had been given. As we examine the Beatitudes individually, we will look closely at the prophecies, and fulfillments, that Jesus brought to mind in His first earthly sermon.

A final point, small as it may be, is the grammar of the passage. Note that Jesus is making references to the third person in all the Beatitudes. In verse 11, Jesus continues on the subject of persecution, but makes a transition from talking about “them” to speaking directly to “you.” This is intentional, obviously. But what are we to make of the language. I think Jesus begins by speaking of Himself in the third person so as not to seem arrogant of boastful. He wants to define the nature of kingdom life rather than tell people, “I’m godly, you’re not.”

Since Jesus’ theme is about the Kingdom of Heaven, let’s begin there.

Q: To whom does the Kingdom of Heaven belong?

A: The King!

"Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’” (Matthew 6:9-10 NAS)

I require no more persuasive argument than that. Jesus is the heir to the King and truly, the King of Kings Himself. The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to Jesus Christ! If we enjoy any benefits of citizenship in the Kingdom, it is because He graciously allows us to share in His kingdom. We must not forget this as we consider the Beatitudes and how to apply them to our lives. Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven will resemble the King of Kings.

". . . He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful." (Revelation 17:14 NAS)

I can’t emphasize enough that we are to resemble our Lord. It is not enough to know how He lived His life – we are to live accordingly. The last part of commentary on each beatitude is a suggestion of how to go about doing the things He did. In Matthew 5.48, Jesus challenges us to “be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect.” Although we will never accomplish that wonderful perfection, we must aspire to it.

Now, to the Beatitudes, the full-color portrait of our Lord!

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

You have heard it said: Prophecies revealing Christ

There are a couple of ironies in the Beatitudes and this is the first. We should not expect the Lord of Lords and King of Kings to be “poor in spirit” or best understood as “humble.” The phrase has the sense of not considering self as more significant or valuable than others. Again, this clearly applies to Christians, but to Christ? Here are a few nuggets from the Old Testament:

A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.

(Proverbs 29:23 NAS)

"If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day [the Day of Atonement], he shall be cut off from his people.

(Leviticus 23:29 NAS)

Humility is essential to our lives, but is it applicable to Jesus’ life? The great messianic prophecy of Isaiah 53 is repeated in this passage from Acts:

"He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth."

The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

(Acts 8:32-35 NIV)

The humility of Christ was a feature of the prophecies about Him. Not surprisingly, it was foremost on His mind as He began to reveal Himself to us. Paul would later remind us of this when he wrote:

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him... (Philippians 2:5-9 NAS)

Follow Me: Jesus demonstrates His character

How does Christ fulfill the prophecies about His humility? The gospels are full of scenes of Christ associating with people that were contemptible to society. Beggars, thieves, tax collectors, harlots, Samaritans, and even children captured His attention in a ministry devoted to teaching adults. I find one particular situation to be a compelling revelation of His humility.

Luke, the physician, has a fascination with Jesus’ power over the human body. In chapter seventeen of that gospel, we discover Jesus’ humility through one of His miracles – the healing of the ten lepers. It is a brief account and almost insignificant in the overall scope of Jesus’ ministry, but, nonetheless, here we find the humble heart of the One who sought to heal us all.

And as He entered a certain village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

And when He saw them, He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And it came about that as they were going, they were cleansed.

Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan.

And Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine -- where are they? Was no one found who turned back to give glory to God, except this foreigner?" (Luke 17:12-18 NAS)

Did the Son of God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, the diviner of the thoughts of men not know how ungrateful these nine men would be? Was He not aware of the epidemic of thanklessness that scarred His culture worse than leprosy, itself? Of course, He knew the result of His grace would go un-marked by those who received it. His closing question was a cautionary one, meant to instruct His followers as much as chastise the nine unthankful men.

What we learn from this episode, though, is that the Love of God is more powerful even than the cold heart of man. Jesus knew the outcome of His healing before He ever did it. If He were to wait to show kindness to those who could rightly reckon it’s worth, we might still be waiting for His first miracle. How happy we are though, that Jesus did not swell up and say, “I will not help those who do not appreciate Me.” Indeed, instead of swelling up with pride, He emptied Himself of all that was God and most of what was human in Him. He humbled Himself even to serve those who would not simply say, “Thank you.” We understand that Jesus’ was not simply demonstrating poverty of spirit in deference to other humans. Specifically, the humility that Jesus’ demonstrates is humility toward God and allowing His priorities to be far more valuable than our own.

Indeed, Christ humbled Himself and, as promised, He “obtained honor” of the greatest magnitude. This Beatitude certainly reveals Christ to us and then challenges us to follow Him in humility.

Be Perfect: Applying the Beatitude

In writing this, I am deeply stirred. I know that gratitude is often a primary condition of my service to others. We have all “written off” people for this grievous sin. We watch our tongues so that we do not swear, we guard our eyes so that we do not lust, we discipline our appetites so that we do not envy, but all the while, lurking underneath the shadow of the laws we would never break, pride is alive and well. Pride is a canyon between those that desperately need to know the unconditional love of God and those who should show it, but don’t. Humility is the bridge that is too seldom crossed. It seems that considering others as more valuable than ourselves is a lesson in spiritual economics that we have not learned well – for lack of practice.

We are certain that humility is an ongoing struggle. Another certainty is that people who test our humility will be ever-present among us. Shakespeare, winks an eye and writes, “The fickleness of those I love is equaled only by the infernal constancy of those who love me.” We should thank God for the opportunity to practice humility in such steady and predictable circumstances.

The best way to advance our attitude toward and about others is to focus on the people who challenge it the most. The victims of our new-found humility could be the anonymous homeless person we need to develop personal compassion for or the friend who is so bumbling and fumbling we have lost all respect for them. Whatever the circumstance, the opportunity is at hand. Focus on that person and ask God to give you the grace to make their needs greater than your own. Call them by name if you know and promise to meet God at the end of the day and report on your progress. Things will change... if you dare try.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

You have heard it said: Prophecies revealing Christ

We should expect our Savior to mourn for the losses He suffers and we are also reasonable in hoping for Him to comfort and console us in our losses. Dealing with the heartache of death and separation must be integral to the Savior’s ministry to us. The prophecies about the Messiah (the Anointed One) strengthen this hope:

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted... to comfort all who mourn (Isaiah 61.1-2 NAS)

Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness; (Ps 30:11-12 NAS)

Follow Me: Jesus demonstrates His character

The deity of Christ is undeniable, but also inaccessible to our human minds. We cannot comprehend what it meant to Him to humble Himself, leave Heaven, and spend three decades in the comparatively mundane and dreary existence of life on earth. While His deity is incomprehensible, His humanity is inspiring. To me, there is no more moving aspect of Jesus’ life than His compassion, especially for those who had just suffered the loss of life of someone close. To see how Jesus mourned is to peer most deeply within His magnificent heart and discover the depth of love that He felt for us.

One of the most famous miracles of Jesus was His feeding the five thousand. What often escapes our notice is the emotional state of Jesus when He performs the miracle. He was trying to get some private time with His disciples and, most likely, to also take time to be alone with His Father (see Mark 6.30-44 and Luke 9.10-17). But, as often happened with Jesus, the multitudes followed Him and allowed Him no peace. How did our Savior respond when He saw the throng encroaching upon His solitude?

He saw a great multitude, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd (Mark 6:34 NAS)

Certainly Jesus was a compassionate person, but why was He so moved on this occasion to attend to the needs of the masses rather than His own? Where was their shepherd? The answer is found in the tragic event that precedes the miracle.

And immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded him to bring back his head [John the Baptist’s head!]. And he went and had him beheaded in the prison, and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. And when his disciples heard about this, they came and took away his body and laid it in a tomb. (Mark 6:27-29 NAS)

Jesus had just received word that His own cousin and the man who had courageously announced His coming had been ruthlessly slaughtered. His grief was translated into compassion. He mourned His loss by easing the burdens of others. His feeding the multitudes was a gracious act stimulated, not primarily by their need, but His need to show tenderness in the shadow of such great brutality. What excellent humility in action! And yet, there is an even more poignant moment in which we find Jesus mourning.

First, let’s recall a key Old Testament prophecy about Christ:

Surely our griefs He himself bore, and our sorrows He carried (Isaiah 53:4 NAS)

We are not surprised to find Jesus mourning over His loss of His dear cousin, John the Baptist. But the promise is that He will mourn for our losses as well. This promise could not be fulfilled better than in the passionate story of the death of Lazarus (see John 11).

Word was brought to Jesus that Lazarus had died. Lazarus had been a congenial host and treasured friend to Jesus. Lazarus’ home, which included his sisters Mary and Martha, was Jesus’ home-away-from-home during His visits to Jerusalem. That home was His haven during tumultuous times. The death of Lazarus stirred Him deeply. Most people remember that the shortest verse in the (English) Bible is “Jesus wept” (John 11.35). That verse is found in this story about the death of Lazarus, but I wonder how many have considered why Jesus was moved to tears.

We must recall what we know about Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha was the busy one, clanging pots and bustling about the house doing good things – and in no small part annoyed with the less energized Mary who enjoyed simply resting and listening to Jesus. As Jesus approached Lazarus’ household, both sisters would come out to meet Him. What they say and how Jesus responds is one of the most fascinating insights into the character of Jesus.

Not surprisingly, Martha was first out the door when she heard that Jesus was approaching. What we assume about her tone and demeanor that day will come in contrast to Mary.

Martha therefore said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." (John 11:21-22 NAS)

She may have been matter-of-fact or she may have been plaintive, to me, she actually sounds annoyed. We see in Jesus’ answer that He was focused upon her concern that He do something. Jesus said to her, "Your brother shall rise again." (John 11:23 NAS)

His response mirrored her demand – “you want me to do something, I’ll do something.” The dialogue continues in a sharp staccato for a few more minutes. Never does Martha reveal anything of herself. Never does Jesus respond with anything other than His identity and blessings for those who believe in Him. It is a sterile exchange. It is either surprising or sad that such an emotionally charged moment is marked only by objective theology.

Then Mary spies Jesus, perhaps alerted by Martha’s huff when she re-enters the home. Mary goes to Jesus with an open, broken heart. Her words are exactly the same as her sisters, but note the context of those words that John records:

Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her, also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit, and was troubled, and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."

Jesus wept. (John 11:32-35 NAS)

I look at this passage and ask why was Jesus so moved by Mary and so un-moved by Martha. The only difference was in how each sister came to Him. Martha came abruptly, almost indignant, almost accusing Jesus of professional misconduct. Mary came with her own sorrows to the only one she trusted to console her. Martha came closed. Mary came open. The resulting impact on Jesus is felt to this day. He wept!

We are promised that our Messiah would care for us, that He would show compassion. There is, perhaps, no greater burden that any will carry than the death of a loved one. Surely, the Messiah will mourn on our behalf and comfort us. What we see in this story is the fulfillment of the prophecy in a dramatic way. Jesus mourned for Mary because she made herself available to His care. I am sure that Martha was hurting as well, but her personality style was to contain and control – and into such circumstances, the Savior is not welcomed.

As I have said above, though incomprehensible, the deity of Jesus is accepted and honored. It is in moments like this, when our pain is so great, that His humanity demonstrates to us how much love God has to pour out upon us – if we are open. And accordingly, in our growth toward Christ-likeness, we are inspired to comfort and share in the grief of those who mourn.

Be Perfect: Applying the Beatitude

Grief is paralyzing. Certainly the loss or catastrophic illness of someone near and dear makes everything else pale by comparison. We can imagine Martha courageously muddling through her grief by banging pots and pans, but at whose feet would Mary sit with Jesus away and Lazarus dead? Grief is also paralyzing for the friends and family of one who has suffering in grief. We don’t know what to say and there is usually so little to do. Not one of us has the power over death to end grief as Jesus did. But we can still emulate His ministry just the same.

First, we can empathetically join them in their grief. Mourners don’t want you to lose a loved one so you can “relate” to their loss. I don’t think it particularly helpful right away to share, as most are want to do, how you have lost someone close to you, also. What did Jesus do? He stepped into the agony of Mary and He simply felt her pain with her. She was not alone and loneliness is the most common feeling in the loss of a loved one. Be with them.

Second, ‘though we can’t raise the dead, we can do something. Grief causes practical paralysis as well as emotional. Are there bills that need to get paid, grass to be cut, dishes to be washes, relatives to be notified? There truly is much to do that the mourner is not capable of doing. Avoiding calamity heaped on suffering by ensuring that the commitments and obligations of daily life are met is a tremendous ministry.

Third, recognize that mourning goes on for months and years after a loss. When the funeral guests have left and the last floral sprays have wilted beyond utility, there is still a pit gnawing in the stomach of those left behind. Letters from the heart and phone calls and visits well after the crisis has passed are deeply needed and appreciated. In Jesus life, we see a continuing ministry to Mary and Martha long after Lazarus death. That must have comforted them greatly.

"Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.”

You have heard it said: Prophecies revealing Christ

This is the Beatitude that led me to believe that this section of the Sermon on the Mount was autobiographical of Jesus. I had remembered a messianic prophecy from the Old Testament because it seemed a little quirky in it’s wording.

Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9 NIV)

Matthew (see 21.4-5) later uses this passage to remind us that Jesus is the King of whom the prophecies spoke.

The two major translations (KJV and NAS) have this word as “lowly” and “humble.” The NIV paraphrase gives us “gentle.” To be sure, in Old Testament and New Testament alike, the three words are virtually synonymous. Rather than accuse Jesus of a having a typical preacher’s redundancy to drive home a point, it is instructive look at the context of the two similar attributes. As we learned above, the poor in spirit or humble were assured of the kingdom of heaven. When Jesus returns to the idea here, His emphasis is placed on the physical world, clearly in contrast with the spiritual one He spoke of earlier. To understand the subtlety of Jesus’ intention, we should now try to understand His gentleness toward those of the earthly kingdom just as we are to demonstrate humility in terms of the heavenly kingdom. Both are essential characteristics of Christian living.

Follow Me: Jesus demonstrates His character

While Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of His gentleness in myriad ways, it would be incorrect to think Him only passive. To be honest, the Pharisees felt the severity of His tongue and the usurpers in the Temple felt the severity of His lash. We dare not demand that Jesus deal inappropriately with impediments to the news of salvation. Stumbling blocks are to be removed and crushed, not painted.

We see the Lord’s gentleness in so many scenes. Certainly, his dealing with children can not be excelled in it’s gentleness. Zacchaeus comes to mind – a cheating scoundrel who found a dinner guest and friend in Jesus rather than an accuser. Jesus peppered His speech with images of flickering candles, miniscule seeds, and the wool of shearling lambs. He had both a vocabulary and a ministry of gentleness. The context of another of His lesser-publicized miracles provides a poignant demonstration of His gentleness to the citizens of earth.

As He went, the multitudes were pressing against Him. And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind Him, and touched the fringe of His cloak; and immediately her hemorrhage stopped.

And Jesus said, "Who is the one who touched Me?"

And while they were all denying it, Peter said, "Master, the multitudes are crowding and pressing upon You."

But Jesus said, "Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had gone out of Me." And when the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed.

And He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace." (Luke 8:42-48 NAS)

I am moved every time I read this story. The plight of the woman is so tragic, the response of Jesus is the very definition of grace and gentleness.

For twelve years this poor woman had suffered. Mark’s gospel records that she had gone broke seeking medical treatment which only aggravated her condition. What horrors she must have suffered we can only imagine. The woman’s condition can only be described as frail. Jesus ministry to her can best be described as gentle.

The first demonstration of gentleness is that Jesus noticed the woman at all. He was pressed by a crowd and had, no doubt, been touched by hundreds. The disciples even thought Him daft for signaling that He had been “touched.” We observe in life that the bold and boisterous often miss an untucked shirttail or a hint of lunch smeared on their chin. Whether they are good or bad, “loud folks have loud ways” and they often miss the subtleties of daily life. On the contrary, Jesus is mesmerizing in His attentiveness. This man who could hold a crowd of thousands spellbound could also hear a heart’s whisper in the midst of a crowd. How gentle He was and how gently He regarded those about Him.

The second act of gentleness is found in Jesus words. In many scenes in the gospels we find Jesus debating, even taunting His petitioners (for example, see Matthew 15.22-28). Unlike other miracles where He probes and prods for sufficient faith, all He asks for here is that she identify herself. In fact, Jesus actually never speaks to the woman before she identifies herself. And when she does, the very first words out of His mouth are comforting and encouraging. He knew that she had neither the energy nor the courage to plead for herself. The first thing He says to her is a blessing. What a great relief this must have been for the woman who dared not ask in advance for healing.

The third act of gentleness I see is in His silence. It is generally agreed that the woman’s hemorrhage was a disorder of her reproductive system. Sadly, such topics are made the point of ridicule or coarse jesting. Jesus knew the depth of her despair, He knew her shame, He knew her vulnerability. It is not so much that personal health issues are private matters, but that this woman deserved a moment of dignity at the end of a long, depleting journey.

In every way, body, mind, and spirit, Jesus attended to the needs of this woman with complete gentleness. Her’s was the difficulty of life on earth. He demonstrated for us all the gentle demeanor that applies the love of God to our trials on earth.

Be Perfect: Applying the Beatitude

I am an avid “yardener”. I don’t grow veggies, but I am passionate about landscaping. I am tolerant of annuals for the splash of summer color they afford, but what I am really interested in is a good stand of perennials which will be dependable year after year. I say that because most of us need to do some “gentle farming” – not gentlemen farmers, but in the habit of cultivating gentleness.

Fortunately, we are surrounded by people who are innately kind; they seem to do it without even thinking! For those who blow through life hard and fast, there is hope. I suggest identify two or three habits that we need to sew and fertilize until they are dependable features of our lives. Reading is a good example. It takes a surprising amount of effort to stop scurrying about and spend an hour reading. It is good to change pace and to feed one’s mind as well. Another example: letter writing. It is a fast dying art with e-mail and phone calls so easily accessible. But in letter writing, we discipline ourselves to think and share thoughts that go deeper than the tops of our heads, beyond the spur of the moment. A third example: find a ministry that is intentionally gentle. We sing, we teach, we cook, we organize – we are very busy church people. I have a friend who invites (a few) children to ride and enjoy his horse. Watching him care for man and beast is a tremendous exercise in gentleness and it reaches outside of himself to others.

Gentleness is an attitude that is demonstrated in gentle acts. Like many things in life, sometimes we have to work backwards to get where we want to be. If we will commit to acts of gentleness outwardly, a gentle spirit will surely be cultivated within us.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

You have heard it said: Prophecies revealing Christ

Humility, compassion, and gentleness are spiritual disciplines that reveal God’s values outwardly, toward the people who share our world and our trials. Now, in the midst of the Beatitudes, Jesus is going to tell us something very personal about Himself. That He says it in the third person is a call for us to join Him. That He has to say it at all is a painful reminder that we have strayed far from the Garden of God where our appetites were created to be satisfied only by Him.

Mysterious Melchizedek - that character of Abraham’s acquaintance was also titled King of Salem. I say also because the name Melchizedek is, itself, a royal title. It means king of righteousness. The writer of Hebrews drew several analogies between Melchizedek and our King of kings. Some, including myself, think that Melchizedek could even be a Christophany – a pre-incarnation appearance of Jesus. Nonetheless, we know from prophecy that the Savior who would appear must have an appetite for the holiness of God.

The identity of the promised Messiah is directly connected with righteousness:

As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:11 NAS)

There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. (Isaiah 9:7 NAS)

"But for you who fear My name the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. (Malachi 4:22 NAS)

Follow Me: Jesus demonstrates His character

As we see in Jesus ministry, the righteousness of God was the focal point of Jesus ministry. Prior to His temptation in the wilderness, Jesus asked that John the Baptist baptize Him Himso that He could go about “fulfilling all righteousness” (Matthew 3.15). His first message upon beginning His ministry was “Repent [turn from unrighteousness] for the kingdom of heaven [pure, Godly righteousness] is at hand” (Matthew 4.17). His first major message, the Sermon on the Mount in which we find these Beatitudes, hits its climax when Jesus says:

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33 NAS)

In the Sermon, Jesus us teaches us to pray for bread from our Heavenly Father. He has already told us through His wilderness tempting that man does not live by (man’s) bread alone, but by every word (bread) that “proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Later, Jesus (who was born in Bethlehem – the house of bread) clarified this statement by declaring:

"I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35 NAS)

So our hunger and thirst – if it is set upon righteousness – will be satisfied by Christ. It is no wonder then that His last ministry to us on earth was instituting the Lord’s Supper in which we dine on the “bread of life” and on the “water of everlasting life.” This took place just as was prophesied by Amos:

"Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord GOD, "When I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the LORD.” (Amos 8:11 NAS)

Jesus demonstrated His appetite for righteousness throughout His ministry. He pleads for us to stop our fatal sinning. He denounces worldliness, but He also denounces self-righteousness (from works, not the heart) of the Pharisees. He rubs elbows with the worst sorts without picking up their habits celebrates even the smallest acts of righteousness.

In His last recorded prayer, Jesus closes by addressing His Father as “righteousness” (John 17.25). There is no doubt that righteousness was ever-present on His mind. This reminds us that we should see Jesus caring deeply about the things that His Father is deeply concerned with. John tells us that, although we have never seen God, we know what He is like because Jesus “has explained Him” (John 1:18). The righteousness of God is made fully clear and visible through the ministry of Jesus:

"Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how do you say, 'Show us the Father'?” (John 14.9 NAS)

The best show of Jesus sense of righteousness is, not surprisingly, one that makes us a little uncomfortable:

And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers seated. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the moneychangers, and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a house of merchandise."

His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Thy house will consume me." (John 2:14-17 NAS)

When Jesus cleared the temple, He publicly showed his contempt and forceful rejection of what is unholy to God. We can point to this scene and join Jesus in His disdain, but we also must realize that we are temples unto God (see I Corinthians 6.19), and unrighteousness in our lives is just as despicable to God as loan sharks in the Jerusalem temple. It is perplexing, then why Jesus dealt so harshly with the temple of stone and so gently with the horror of sin in human lives that He saw everywhere. The woman caught in the act of adultery, which we’ll discuss in the next section, was just as openly and easily a candidate for severe “house cleaning” as the usurpers in the temple. Why did He not respond likewise to her?

The beauty of Jesus lies not only in His mercy, as we shall see, but also in His wisdom of what was fitting to the need. The Jerusalem temple was dirty and it needed to be clean. That temple is one of stone and He cleaned it down to the stone. In doing this, He reminded the disciples and us, that He had a blind passion for the House of God. But Jesus also has a passionate love for His earthly brothers and sisters. Human hearts and stone columns are in no way similar; accordingly, His ministry had to differ. His “ministry of sanitation” to us cannot be one of force, but of gentleness.

Clearing the temple, Jesus showed the ultimate fate of unrighteousness – in temples and in human lives. But His ministry was always one of tender persuasion, asking us to choose righteousness. The difference in the two is like the two worlds of a stonemason. In his workshop, he carves and chisels a shape in deaf and mute stone, obedient except for flaws inherent in the raw stone. In his home, and through a lifetime, that same stonemason shapes the life of his child. Not by hammering and pounding, not by chipping away at the child’s substance, but by shaping the choices the child needs to learn to make for himself. The mason shapes this future pillar of the community by showing him how to deal with his own natural flaws in a way that keep him from crumbling into dust.

Be Perfect: Applying the Beatitude

Remember what we learned in humility, that we are to emulate Christ. So, too, should our righteousness emulate Christ. When the disciples saw Jesus clearing the temple, they remembered and Old Testament foregleam of Christ:

For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up (Psalm 69:9 KJV)

Jesus was “eaten up” the righteous purpose of the temple of God – it consumed Him. So to, as we are temple of the Spirit of God (see I Corinthians 6.19), we must be “eaten up” and overcome with the purpose of our temple (see Isaiah 43.21) and that it be kept in good working order for accomplishing that purpose. It only takes a little corruption and a little corrosion to eventually destroy a great edifice. If “the devil is in the details,” then we should tolerant of nothing that threatens our structure.

Soon after the Beatitudes, Jesus would tell us that we are to deny opportunity to the things that have potentially power over us (see Matthew 5.29-30). You know what these things are. Lust, greed, envy, sloth. Meanness, tardiness, wastefulness, ignorance. Imagine that Jesus has cleared your temple of these things and posted you at the door to keep them out. You have the power and strength through faith to deny passage to any temptation of unrighteousness. Let them in and the house is weakened. Let them in and let them stay and the house becomes uninhabitable – by either you or the Spirit of the Righteous God.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

You have heard it said: Prophecies revealing Christ

Isaiah was a very blessed prophet, not only was he called to speak to Israel in a time of crisis, he was given the privilege of painting the most complete picture of Christ of any Old Testament writer. Jesus’ birth is prophesied in chapters 7 and 9 and Jesus life and death are described in a stunning portrait in chapters 52 and 53. Most, if not all of the Beatitudes, are forecast of Christ in this wonder prophetic book. As the depiction of Christ climbs to a crescendo, Isaiah tells us of the sad fate awaiting the beloved Messiah:

Surely our griefs He himself bore, and our sorrows He carried (Isaiah 53:4 NAS)

As I said of the first beatitude, there are a couple ironies if these are autobiographical statements of Christ, as I believe they are. The first was that the last person in the cosmos to behave humbly should be Christ. Yet, He did it to show us how to live happily with others – including His Father. The other irony is here. Truly, Jesus came to demonstrate and to give His last breath in mercy toward us. The most famous verse in the Bible, John 3.16, is the formula of mercy. No doubt, Jesus wants to show how to live as merciful people, ourselves. But note, Jesus lived humbly and was exalted in the kingdom of Heaven. He mourned and was comforted. He was gentle and ministered to citizens of earth. His hunger and thirst for God’s righteousness was completely satisfied. But the balance of the Beatitudes is broken here. We see that He showed greater mercy than anyone who ever lived and yet, He received none in return. The holy economy of “give and get” is shattered

The words of Christ need no defense from me, but let’s consider this. An irony is something that turns out backwards from what we would have expected. I discover something interesting about the mercy of Christ when I read this beatitude backwards (sort of). "Those who have received mercy, shall have it to give.” Although Jesus did not complete His earthly life by receiving mercy, He certainly had it when He began. He was the “only child” of the heavenly royal palace. He was the heir apparent and He did no wrong. His Father’s merciful heart was never drained or tested to the breaking point. There were never wild capers to be overlooked or pranks that went too far. Jesus behaved as His Father expected Him to and thus, the account of mercy that a parent has for a child was never tapped. He had all the mercy “in the world” when He came to us to in a spiritual version of “the prince and pauper.” He gave to us what we did not deserve and He took upon us the punishment that we had coming. This is why no man can save another man. We are all overdrawn – spiritually bankrupt in a system that has no tolerance for overdrafts (see Romans 3.23).

Follow Me: Jesus demonstrates His character

Perhaps the most remarkable scene in the life of Christ is when a woman, caught in the act of adultery is brought to Him (see John 8). As we think through this event, let’s remember two thoughts from the heart of David which reveal the need for a merciful Savior:

Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.

(Psalm 82:4 NAS)

"I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man."

(II Samuel 24:14 NAS)

Indeed, there is great peril in falling into the hands of the unmerciful. And such is shown by the Pharisees who saw a sweep of a double-header in the situation – they could get rid of a unsavory character by killing the woman and they could show Jesus to be just as hard-hearted as they were by allowing her execution. The woman’s guilt was never in question – neither the prosecution, the defense, nor the accused had any thought of overlooking the crime. It seemed like and open and shut case to the Pharisees. The woman must have been racked with guilt and fear. What the world got, instead, was a lesson in mercy that only God could teach.

We know the story, after hearing the accusation, Jesus knelt and doodled something in the sand that seems to be the turning point among the kangaroo jurors. He rose and agreed fully with the charges, the verdict, and the sentence. His silence affirms that much. But the challenge fell upon who was worthy to execute the sentence. What He did say was shocking – morally, intellectually and spiritually, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her" (John 8:7 NAS)

In saying this, Jesus invoked a feature of Jewish law in which a person could not be an accuser of, witness against, or punisher of someone if they (the accuser / witness / executioner) had committed that same crime. This was prohibited lest they be too lenient (out of guilt) or too harsh (out of self-righteousness). The silence of the accusers upon hearing this is deafening. Their guilt disqualified them from not only stoning her, but from accusing her in the first place – which leads us back to Jesus.

Why did Jesus not stone her, Himself? He was certainly innocent enough to make an impartial accusation and he was certainly righteous enough to mete out the appropriate punishment. Instead, He lets her go. How could this be?

First of all, obviously, Jesus earthly mission was one of pronouncing the offer of salvation – seeking the lost sheep and bringing them home, not locking them out of the pen. This is His great demonstration of Mercy. He had it and He gave it – the true, but inverse application of the beatitude. He had all the mercy in God’s heart available to Him. In this story, we see Him replenishing the woman’s spiritual bank account while the wolves literally howled at the door.

The second reason for Jesus’ apparent benevolence to the woman was that He was guilty of adultery, Himself. This much is painfully true.

He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (I Pet 2:24 NAS)

When Jesus encountered the adulterous woman, He approached yet another human who He was willing to trade places with. For the woman to stand where He stood, a precious, innocent child luxuriating in the Father’s love, He would need to stand where she stood, a shred of humanity in peril of death for reckless management of the liberties of life. Although still months away in human terms, Jesus was already living out the reality of the cross. The cross-over of sinner to saint and saint to sinner had already taken place in His reality as He mercifully met and ministered to us. Jesus wasn’t in favor of letting the guilty go unpunished, He simply knew that the punishment should only be paid once and He would pay it in full at Calvary. The woman did not “get off” with her sin. In His tender mercy, she got what Jesus had coming – life and He got what she deserved – a cruel humiliating death.

And we note, at the conclusion of the matter, Jesus was still “thinking righteousness.” He gave the woman her freedom – freedom to do what God wants all of us to do with our freedom of choice: “Go thy way and sin no more.”

Be Perfect: Applying the Beatitude

Justice, to be just, must neither be too lenient nor too harsh. The woman “caught in the act” shows how God will ultimately be both “just and the justifier“ of our souls (see Romans 3.26). In our life on this earth, we struggle to demonstrate hope in righteousness and still be lovers of our family and fellow humans. In this world there must be consequences for unrighteousness or we will not reveal the true character of God.

We can learn from our civic laws something of the nature of God and how to live in His will. Our laws call for the death penalty in certain circumstances. The taking of someone’s life as a punishment is always a difficult decision. But our spirit has informed us that capital punishment is not to be “cruel or inhuman.” Still a thorny debate, but our guidelines tell us something. Conversely, acts of mercy are not to go without respect to the recipient’s greater needs – to have dignity and self-determination. We put limits and means tests on welfare and unemployment so that (ideally) people do not linger there instead of providing for themselves and being healthy members of society.

These considerations, at either end of the mercy / righteousness continuum, can be summed up this way:

Acts of righteousness must be done in loving ways.

Acts of love must be done in righteous ways.

We see this demonstrated repeatedly throughout Jesus’ ministry. Time does not allow the opportunity to survey all the examples here. Suffice to say, that just as Jesus dealt with mercy and righteousness toward the sinful woman, so too, we should ensure that both dimensions are present in our fair dealing with all other people.

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

You have heard it said: Prophecies revealing Christ

It is perhaps an overstatement of the obvious to say that the Messiah would be innocent thinking or “pure in heart.” No guile, meanness, or self-serving motives are to be found in the One who would save all mankind.

Once again, Isaiah teaches us to expect purity and innocence in our Messiah. First of all, the Anointed of the Lord would come to us as an infant. There can be no greater picture of innocence than that. Yet, as Isaiah turns to look at the end of the Savior’s life, he sees a purity still intact, unchanged since His birth. Note these descriptions:

“like a lamb that is led to slaughter” (Isaiah 53.7)

“by oppression and judgment He was taken away... for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due” (Isaiah 53.8 – Isaiah points out that the stroke [punishment] belonged to the “people,” not to the One who suffered it)

[upon His death] “He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth” (Isaiah 53.9)

Clearly, the picture we are given is that the coming Savior would be wholly undeserving of anything but our greatest respect and admiration. Even more painfully clear is that in spite of His innocence, He would suffer our punishment. That our Lord was sinless, wholly pure, and innocent is central to the Christian faith. It is based on the testimony of His life and the wonderful declaration made about Him at His death. Pilate weakly attempted to free Jesus citing his innocence. (see Luke 23.4) We remember that Judas took his own life in despair when he realized that he had betrayed a man of unimpeached character. (see Matthew 27.3-5) As Jesus hung upon the cross and the great physical and metaphysical events accompanying His death were happening, even an unbeliever made a profession of fact, if not faith:

Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he began praising God, saying, "Certainly this man was innocent." (Luke 23:47 NAS)

The writer of Hebrews echoes what we know about Christ when he writes:

For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens (Hebrews 7:26 NAS)

But there is another and equally important understanding of “purity of heart” that is often unappreciated in the study of Jesus’ life – he was a Man on a mission. Jesus hints at this sense of purity immediately after He has delivered the Beatitudes.

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. (Matthew 5:13 NAS)

We must suppose that Jesus knew a thing or two about salt (having created it along with the rest of the universe). Didn’t Jesus know that salt is a stable compound and cannot become “unsalty”? Surely He did! So the question is, do we know what Jesus knew? Salt can become so contaminated the dirt from which it is extracted that it barely tastes like salt at all and is good for nothing but hardening roads. In fact, in a famous parable Jesus talks about hard-packed roads and a similar problem of getting so caught up with the cares of this world that we are not heavenly minded. (see Matthew 13) The problem of unsalty salt is actually a reference to single-mindedness or “purity of heart.”

Jesus was indeed single-minded. When His mother came and asked Him to make more wine at the wedding in Cana, His response was something in the order of, “Mom, that’s not what I’m here for.” (see John 2.4) Luke records a specific moment when the disciples noticed His focused vision:

And it came about, when the days were approaching for His ascension, that He resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51 NAS)

In truth, as David prophesies to the innocence of the King at birth, Jesus’ mission-mindedness was an all-consuming fire, even at the moment of His arrival on earth:

Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "Sacrifice and offering Thou hast not desired, but a body Thou hast prepared for me; in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast taken no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come (in the roll of the book it is written of me) to do Thy will, O God.'" (Hebrews 10:5-7 NAS quoting from Psalm 40)

Follow Me: Jesus demonstrates His character

When He came into the world, His only intent was to do the will of His Father! That is purity. That is a driving force that kept Him from sinning and losing His essential innocence. Sometimes, we try to keep people from sinning by telling them “it is wrong.” That is very dubious motivation – and it seldom works. The example from Jesus’ life is that good behavior stems from knowing what you are on this earth for in the first place. Jesus pursued the will of His father with purity every day of His life. The best example of that is also one of the most well known encounters Jesus had – with the woman at the well.

The account of Jesus conversation with Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well is given in John 4. (It is worth reading completely now or immediately after reading this section.) At the historic well of the Jewish forefather Jacob, Jesus asks for water from a Samaritan woman. Jews typically did not speak to Samaritans, but this scene has added bite to it. We won’t say that the woman was a prostitute or a woman of “easy virtue”, but she certainly had “some issues” with traditional morals. We can at least say that she was a serial monogamist, having been married five times and awkwardly working through a present situation without the benefit of marriage.

One of the men who traveled with Jesus, who would be called His disciple, and would lead Christendom for Christ, was nothing less than perplexed with Jesus’ encounter with the woman. John and the other disciples had gone grocery shopping and left Jesus alone. When they returned to Him, they were startled. The woman must have given very clear signs of her moral attainment. Perhaps she dressed the part or gave other indications that she was readily available to most men. Whether she dressed, spoke, or just looked the part of a woman on the prowl, the disciples were convinced. And they were none to sure about Jesus, either. John writes:

And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He had been speaking with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why do You speak with her?" (John 4:27 NAS)

If there was ever a situation of needing one’s mind washed out with soap, this was it. Although this took place early in Jesus ministry, it is still shocking to us (after the fact) that any one could have ever questioned Jesus’ motives. But they did!

John’s ears must have sizzled with embarrassment when he learned the truth of Jesus and the woman’s conversation. The answers to the unasked questions reveal not only Jesus’ innocence, but also His pure sense of purpose. John learned from Jesus and the woman that they had been discussing man’s ultimate spiritual purpose – how best to praise God. Jesus dialogue had been purposeful and specific. I note with interest that He established the spiritual nature of the conversation before the subject moved to her personal, moral standards. Once again, Jesus has practiced His own preaching. Indeed, He has sought first the kingdom of heaven and His Father’s righteousness.

Jesus’ purity of heart is exciting. When we are honest about the fact that He faced all the temptations we face and still remained innocent (see Hebrews 4.15), fully satisfied to be found righteous in the eyes of God, we should be excited about what He did. If it were not for His pure sense of purpose, His biography would read like a million other men’s – great prospect tragically impaled upon the of spike of misguided self-interest. What’s more, because Jesus is willing to take our tragedy and give us His purity – we will see God!

Be Perfect: Applying the Beatitude

I have developed the theme of purity as focused sense of purpose because I believe it is true of what Christ wanted us to know about Himself, but also because that is one of the great challenges of our life. The victory of Christ over temptation was not won simply by a monastic vow or great personal discipline. His victory came as a result of knowing what to do instead of lusting for the woman at the well. That is also our key to effective living for Christ.

What is our mission? It can’t be put more clearly than this: “The people whom I formed for myself, will declare My praise.” (Isaiah 43:21 NAS) Not surprisingly, that was the topic of conversation Jesus had with the woman. If it is our focus, then all our encounters will begin to remind us and others of John 4.

A key strategy in applying this pure mission of praising God is to begin every day (and reinforce it throughout the day) with a pleading prayer to God to remind you of His mission with every person you encounter. Most of us have the luxury of knowing whom we’ll see on a given day. How wonderful to be able to begin your day by praying by name for those people and asking God in prayer how He wants you to minister to them today. For all the people that we can’t pray for by name, the content of our conversation will already be shaped by the familiar faces we have met.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

You have heard it said: Prophecies revealing Christ

It is wonderful to know that when our Messiah reigns, He will reign over a world of peace. Isaiah promised as much when he foresaw:

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:6-7 NAS)

Isaiah emphasizes the thought by telling us there will be “no end” to the increase of this peace. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, the Son of God, then speaks to us, telling us – autobiographically, I believe – that peacemakers will be blessed. “They shall be called sons of God.” This is compelling testimony that Christ first refers to Himself in the Beatitudes and then extends the blessings out to those who will be called Christians.

Peacemaking is the outward function of purity of heart. If one has pure motives and pursues them without malice, then many good things should flow out of that. Such may be true in God’s ideal world, but we all know it is far from true here in this real world in which we find ourselves constantly embroiled in controversy. It was true in Jesus ministry. There was hardly a day of His recorded ministry life that was not marred with someone quite out of sorts with Him.

Follow Me: Jesus demonstrates His character

Many of Jesus problems came at the hands of agitators who contributed nothing to life but distress. They incited the crowds by accusing Jesus of breaking rules and traditions. Others were ill at ease with Jesus because their own personal habits and practices were being denounced. Still others were confused by the deep thoughts and plain talk of the Galilean. Their world was changing, perhaps in a good way, but change made them uneasy.

In a way, it is comforting to see that Jesus disturbed everybody in some way. If there were one group that He left alone, we would have cause to be suspicious of Him. But even His detractors saluted His fairness, albeit insincerely:

And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any. (Matthew 22:16 NAS)

You would think that the legacy of such an impartial man would be the epitome of peacefulness. But it was not. It is only when the Prince of Peace reigns over His kingdom that our peace is assured. Until then, strife is virtually guarantedd. Not surprisingly, that strife is the result of our own partiality, our struggle to have our way in the world. Peace will come when there is only one Way and all are in accord with it.

In the passage just cited (see Matthew 22.15-22), the men who praised Jesus for His impartiality, were actually trying to antagonize Him and to draw Him into one of the most raging questions aflame in Jesus’ day (and ours!) – the question of taxes. In this problem, we discover the key to earthly peace and our hope for eternal heavenly peace. When asked if taxes should be paid to Caesar, Jesus simply responded with the famous line, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's" (Matthew 22.21 NAS).

The theological and the socio-political issues that usually attend this scene need to take a back seat for a moment and let the peaceful wisdom of Jesus appear. To see how Jesus avoided offending either side of the argument is instructive to us as we seek peace.

Jesus did act impartially in answering this thorny question. Partiality leads to compromise as easily as it leads to extreme measures to defend one’s cause. Partiality is a loaded dice – it never rolls evenly. What partiality misses is an appreciation of all sides of the issue. What parent doesn’t know that for every indignant child whining about some offense, there is another somewhere in the house or yard with quite another story to tell. Impartiality doesn’t suppose that all participants or innocent or guilty; it just knows that there is more than one side.

In the tax debate, Jesus was right on target. No one likes to pay taxes, but a government has obligations to its citizenry that can’t be met without the means to do so. Jesus in no way suggested that the tax system was fair, He simply cited Caesar’s authority to do things His way. And He affirmed God’s authority likewise. What the interested learner can glean from this encounter is that all parties have an interest in an issue. To dismiss or diminish one side’s interest is to aggravate the problem, perhaps beyond solution. Jesus demonstrated Himself to be a righteous judge because He took into account both sides in the conflict. Of course, as we have said, peace will break forth when God is sovereign over all. Short of that, fairness and impartiality is our only hope to minimize disputes.

Be Perfect: Applying the Beatitude

Not many of us are as skilled in thought or speech as Jesus. Not many of are in a position to take the bold risk that Solomon did when he proposed that a disputed child be cut in half. (see I Kings 3.16-28) But there are two things that we can do when we are confronted with a seemingly unsolvable dilemma.

First, be impartial. Understand the unique role and perspective of each person in the conflict. Our tendency to defend the one’s we are closest to is a faulty approach to problem solving. Sometimes family members and friends are simply wrong. Being regarded as a fair and impartial person is a higher honor than being an easy mark for a weak defense.

Second, if at all possible, put the resolution of the problem back on the combatants. Many times, problems are compounded as more people get involved in them. The disputants are the ones who are going to have to live with the solution – let them work it out instead of being mad at each other and you! This also recognizes that the resolution of the problem lies within the problem itself. Jesus pointed to this when He asked whose image was on the coin. The problem was solved before it ever got to Him. And He let the agitator “confess” that there was no true problem anyway.

Putting the problem back in the hands of the people involved also has a way of dowsing a raging fire. Two stick rubbed vigorously together still can’t produce a fire without oxygen. The sad truth is that many of our world’s arguments persisted so long as someone got attention. When the attention went away, so did the problem.

And above all, we should pray for the coming of the King and for His peace to reign over us. Then it will be good to be called a son of God.

"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

You have heard it said: Prophecies revealing Christ

The sad history of human nature, and especially of believers in God, is that we tend to reject that which is intended for our own good. At the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus looks back at His life and at the scope of God’s dealing with Israel and opines:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.” (Matthew 23:37 NAS)

Consider also how David and Isaiah speak together to form a view of the Messiah that is quite tragic:

My times are in Thy hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me. (Psalm 31:15 NAS)

For they have persecuted him whom Thou thyself hast smitten, and they tell of the pain of those whom Thou hast wounded. (Psalm 69:26 NAS)

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:3-4 NAS)

It is apparent that the Old Testament writers realized that if the Messiah was anything like past leaders of Israel, He, too, was going to suffer persecution and rejection by the people He sought to save.

Follow Me: Jesus demonstrates His character

Unlike positive characteristics of gentleness, mercy, and humility, persecution is something that happens to you because of the character of others. So, while Jesus did not “be persecuted,” He certainly taught the righteous to expect persecution and how to endure it.

A person is not likely to do things that incite persecution unless they are humble and dedicated to causes that foment change. Such is the true story of Jesus. Pride would lead a “normal” person to stop doing things that brought so much risk. While that is rational in human terms, it is hardly God’s way of changing lives. A self-sacrificing life is the most significant speech that we will listen to. It is also the most dangerous way to live a life. Hypocritical prophets can be easily discredited and dismissed. But an honest and persuasive prophet who threatens our sin-filled comfort must be handled in another way – he must be persecuted until he shuts up.

It is not surprising that the first and last beatitude are thoroughly linked – both in how they reveal the purest nature of Christ and that the reward of each is identical – “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Humility is necessary, in the first place, to make one available to deliver God’s message. And humility is essential, in the second place, to sustain one while being persecuted for delivering that message. For both “be-attitudes”, the reward is joy in the heavenly kingdom of which the prophet so boldly spoke. (Note: Our world has mistakenly assumed that one who is bold cannot also be humble. That is a complete falsehood. Show me a timid prophet and I’ll show you someone who is ineffective. Pride boldly proclaims one’s own message. Humility boldly proclaims God’s message!)

It is sufficient to say that Jesus humbly endured persecution. Even before His death on the cross, He withstood constant badgering from the Pharisees and rejection by the people He came to save. He was denounced for healing on the Sabbath and even picking grain to eat on the Sabbath. He was accused of speaking against the Law of God, which He had actually come to fulfill. He was accused of threats to destroy the temple, which He came to be the perfect sacrifice for. He was accused of disturbing the peace, associating with unsavory characters, and inciting anti-government, anti-religious, anti-social revolution. He spent His entire life in peril of arrest, stoning, excommunication, and public humiliation. The only thing Jesus was never accused of waspassiveness with respect to the Love and the Will of God. And we know how the story ends.

Rather than elaborate on the ultimate persecution of Christ and His eventual death, I want to think on a very brief moment in His life that must have brought Him much sadness.

And coming to His home town He began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they became astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom, and these miraculous powers? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?

"And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?"

And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his home town, and in his own household." And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. (Matthew 13:54-58 NAS)

Don’t most of us love our hometowns most? Don’t most of us wish to see our own families and dear friends blessed the most? Although, in many ways, Jesus lived as a visitor among us He still had very deep and very real connections to Nazareth and His heart ached to minister to them. Rather than a hero’s welcome, he got the bum’s rush. He was treated harshly, rudely. In front of His own mother, His father’s identity was called into question. This Babe in the manger is now called a bastard and a stranger. Crucifixion was more lethal, but it was no more painful.

Why did the Son of the Living God, not wheel around and wither them away them as He would do to a fruitless fig tree? Why did the King of all kings not call down fire and brimstone down to consume them in a timeless example as He had done centuries before to Sodom and Gomorrah? Why did He withstand this cruel rejection and not respond in some righteous indignation?

The answer to why is found, not in what He didn’t do, but in what He did do.

And He wondered at their unbelief. And He was going around the villages teaching. And He summoned the twelve and began to send them out in pairs (Mark 6:6-7 NAS)

There is no more compelling evidence of the unsurpassed love of God than this. At the depth of personal rejection, Jesus sextupled His effort to spread the Gospel! In the face of disparaging persecution He threw more coal on the fire and opened the throttle wide. Jesus knew what we all need to learn – people tend to be unattractive in their area of greatest need. They rejected Him because they were too embarrassed to fall at His feet and beg for mercy. But instead of responding to their callous pride, He responded to their need and sent the message of mercy and salvation to those who were humble enough to accept His offer. I could not possibly be more profoundly in awe of my Savior than I am now through this miniscule vignette. How grand He is when all of His life is taken in view!

Be Perfect: Applying the Beatitude

It is no great feat to behave poorly and to be ridiculed for it. It is altogether another thing to devote yourself to serving others and to be persecuted for it. The application of this beatitude is not in being persecuted but in how the persecution comes about and how we endure it.

There is no more worthy cause (in the Christian ethic) than working to spread the Gospel message. To suffer harassment, ridicule, rejection, and persecution for doing so is to be intimately identified with Christ. Likewise, the only possible way to endure such ill treatment is by wearing the same cloak of humility that shrouded Christ through to His last breath. As Paul found out, humility is the key that sets the captive free. As the writer of Hebrews exhorts us, there is joy awaiting as reward for being a witness for Christ:

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 NAS)

The Conclusion of the Matter:

Jesus was humble in spirit, compassion in our mourning, gentle in our affliction, righteous in His appetite, merciful towards our sins, peaceful in the midst of our disputes, and He was persecuted because He thought more of His Father than He did of Himself. Jesus fulfilled what the prophets told us to expect of Him. And, just as importantly, He showed us how to live out the things He expects from us. Whether the Beatitudes are the autobiography of Christ is immaterial. We know that He didn’t ask us to live in a way that He was not willing to live. We know that the only way he considered worthy of living was to glorify the Heavenly Father. So, let it be. Amen.

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