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Blessing of Salvation, Healing, and Wholeness (Matthew 5:1-16)

The Beatitudes, which we are looking at today, is Jesus’ introduction to his most famous sermon, the Sermon on the Mount. In this sermon He tells us that we are now citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven and, as such, we will interact with the world in a whole new way, even while we are still living and working in Canada or wherever we happen to be.

 

The word ‘beatitude’ comes from the Latin word for blessing which makes sense since each line of the beatitudes begins with, ‘blessed is so and so…” Now, of course, the word ‘blessed’ can mean ‘happy’, ‘at peace’, ‘experiencing well-being’ or even ‘saved’. This is what is available to us even here and now as Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

This is important: By ‘Kingdom of Heaven’, we don’t mean what it will be like ‘when you die and go to heaven’; this passage speaks very clearly that these blessing occur here on earth. It says the meek will inherit the earth (v. 5) and further on in this sermon Jesus speaks about marriage, adultery, an end to divorce… and –of course- Matthew tells us, that there is no marriage, let alone divorce, remarriage and adultery in heaven (Matthew 22:23-30, Mark 12:24-26, Luke 20:34-36). This whole sermon speaks to what life is like when we are citizens of Heaven living here, living now.

 

Reading on: Verse 3, Jesus says, ‘Blessed (saved and peaceful) are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven’. Who are these ‘poor in spirit’ and why are they blessed, saved, and peaceful as they inherit the Kingdom of Heaven? ‘Poor in spirit’ in a unique phrase. It does include those who are monetarily poor but not only them: it also includes everyone who is not self-reliant. It can refer to anyone who realizes that they cannot make it on their own; those who inherit the kingdom of heaven as the ‘poor in spirit’ are those who realize that they are not actually independent: financially, socially, emotionally… Jesus is saying that those of us who do not buy into the cult of the individual but rather lean on Him (and others), we are the ones who are blessed, saved, and peaceful as we inherit the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

Verse 4: The next group Jesus’ says are blessed, peaceful, and saved are those who mourn. Jesus says we will be comforted. This is speaking about all those who are suffering in our world today and there are many.[4] That Christianity is about comfort shouldn’t be a surprise to us. I am often reminded around Christmas time of the power of God to comfort those who mourn. I receive Christmas cards, emails, and comments from people whose relatives’ funerals I have officiated over the years telling me how much they have appreciated comfort received during the memorial and how they continue to draw on the Lord’s comfort at Christmas as at other times. In the Kingdom of Heaven, blessed, peaceful, and saved are those who mourn for they are comforted. And our whole ministry here is actually about comforting our friends as they go through so many struggles

 

Our next group, Verse 5, that is blessed, peaceful and saved are the meek for they will inherit the earth. Meek is very much a synonym for the ‘poor in spirit’; meek people are gentle. We gentle folk who inherit eternal life are blessed, peaceful and saved and, as an extra bonus, we will inherit the earth!

 

Verse 6: Blessed, peaceful and saved are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. The word righteousness in this context includes the concept of justice. It speaks to those who long for wrongs to be made right and for those who cry out for salvation from the injustices of our current socio-economic-political structures.  I am Vice President of the Justice Committee here; I studied Restorative Justice through Simon Fraser University. Did you know that in the US one in three Black men has been locked in a jail at least once. This is just one symptom of the myriad racial injustices south of the line. We also have injustices here: racial, other and especially economic discrimination. Jesus says that those of us who stand against injustice and those of us who stand for His righteousness will be filled. We will be satisfied. As Jesus’ reign takes hold in our life and our world, those of us who intercede for those in need will be satisfied. Blessed, peaceful and saved are we as we hunger and thirst for justice and righteousness for we will be filled.[5] These are God’s promises to us today!

 

Verse 7: Always accompanying true justice is mercy (cf. 5:38-48, 6:14-157:1-5,12). There is no justice without mercy; therefore blessed, peaceful and saved are the merciful for they will be shown mercy. Jesus says in this sermon, ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ (7:12). As citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven living here and now, we’ll need not fear retribution from one another as we confess our sins and as we love our enemies because we will forgive and we will be forgiven; blessed, peaceful and saved are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.

 

Verse 8: Blessed, peaceful and saved are the pure of heart for they will see God. Pure of heart “denotes one who loves God with all his heart (Deut. 6:5), with an undivided loyalty, and whose inward nature corresponds with his outward profession” (cf. Isa. 29:13).[6] Those of us who love God with all of our heart will see Him and experience Him in our life. This is what it is like to be a Christian.

 

Verse 9: Blessed, saved, and peaceful are those who make peace for they will be called children of God. We who belong to the Kingdom of Heaven will defuse conflict rather than contribute to it. This is corporate as much as individual.[7] I still remember the day that Canada’s armed forces turned from an army of peacekeepers to an army of war-makers. I was working at CFB Esquimalt when Canada invaded Yugoslavia, like Russia is invading Ukraine today. I spoke with some of our service people who until that point had spent their whole military careers standing between warring factions, protecting civilians; now they were ordered to be prepared to even kill innocent civilians (as collateral damage) if necessary, in an illegal, internationally condemned war. It tore at the minds and hearts of many of these soldiers.

 

We who are saved will contribute to peace in the world. So many of our people working at the TSA shelter and BofL soup kitchen keep the peace everyday between people who are struggling in so many ways. Blessed, saved, and peaceful are those who make peace for we are the ones who will be called children of God.

 

Verses 10-16: Now as we come to our last beatitude, I have a question for us. Those of us who are Christians, who are part of the Kingdom of Heaven, will experience blessings. My question is, what is the opposite of a blessing? (A curse.) If we choose not to live in God’s blessing, then we are choosing to live a life that is cursed and that is the choice before us today. We know how horrible the world can be. We know there is misery. We have been looking today at blessings that come during very real trials, tribulations, and problems in our world. Christians are surrounded by all of this. We are not spared any more than anyone else but if we belong to the Kingdom of Heaven then we will be blessed even in the midst of it and that is Good News. This is the Good News: Jesus was born, lived, died, and rose again so that we can all live out our salvation forever and for now – even in terrible times. We can experience God’s Salvation in the midst of all that is surrounding us.

 

Our last beatitude, Matthew 5:10-16:

“blessed, [peaceful and saved] are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven; blessed, [peaceful and saved] are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in the Kingdom of Heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You [as you stand up under persecution] are the salt of the earth but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You [as you stand up under persecution] are the light of the world, a city built on a hill [that] cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others [even as you are persecuted], so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in Heaven.”

 

These wonderful beatitudes conclude with the good news that we will probably be persecuted (vv. 10-12). And, Jesus says, even though we may lose our lives, our jobs, our family and/or our friends; no matter what happens, we are encouraged to keep strong for the Good News of Jesus’ Kingdom is so good, so important and so valuable that it must be shared. If – as Christians - we do not share the Good News of Jesus Christ, we are as useless as a nightlight hidden under a cup (vv.13-16). If we don’t share the Good News then we are no more useful than adding tasteless flavouring to God’s recipe of eternal salvation. But as we share the Good News of Jesus and as we invite other people to experience the blessings of God even in the midst of all of the troubles of our world today, as we invite people to enjoy the peace and salvation that is found in Christ then they and we will be truly blessed, peaceful and saved for ours will be citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven; then no matter what else happens, it will all be okay. We will be okay. Everything will be okay. Let us continue to offer peace and blessings to our world. 

Let us pray.

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