The Religious Nerd

The Sermon on the Mount is undoubtedly the greatest sermon that has ever been preached.  The language scattered throughout the Sermon has even managed to enter into the non religious vernacular.  Concepts and ideas have been pulled directly from this famous sermon, and implemented in a variety of areas including speech, law, and philosophy. Most Westerners are familiar with this sermon to some extent.  Most Americans likely know someone who has dropped the “judge not” defense when they felt they were under attack for a certain behavior.   The words contained in this section of scripture are magnificent and leave the reader mystified as to whom exactly Jesus is, and what His ministry looked like prior to His death, burial, and resurrection.

Who is the Sermon on the Mount for?  The sermon makes reference to two groups of people; the followers of Jesus (and potential followers), and those who claimed to be righteous on their own merit due to their superficial religious observances and traditions.  The sermon is 3 chapters long, and contains a variety of subjects which Jesus says encompasses who a Christian is.  The people who listened to this powerful sermon probably could not walk away without considering the radical implications of what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus.

What is the setting of the Sermon on the Mount? In Matthew 5:1 we encounter Jesus, who apparently went up on a mountainside after noticing crowds were forming around Him.  The text states that the disciples were present which indicates they were expecting Jesus to speak.  Just one chapter earlier in Matthew 4 we encounter the beginning of Jesus’ public preaching ministry. Chapter 4 ends with an explanation of who exactly the crowds referenced in Matthew 5:1 were.  “Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and the region across the Jordan followed Him” (Matthew 4:25).  It is clear from this text that Jesus’ preaching ministry was met with an enthusiastic response.  It is also clear from the text that there was diversity in the ethnicity of those who formed the crowd.  Since Jerusalem and Judea are mentioned specifically, we can assume that a large portion of Jesus’ audience were Jewish.

More info than you probably want to read, but for context purposes: The Judaism of Jesus day did not necessarily reflect the Judaism that we remember from the Old Testament.  In the Old Testament, we are met with a people group, the Jews, who enter into a special covenant relationship with God.  They became God’s chosen people, and God blessed them and allowed them to prosper and multiply in numbers.  As part of God’s covenant with the Jewish people, He instituted law and expected perfect obedience.  As we progress through the Pentateuch, we quickly discover that the Jewish people were “Stubborn” (Deut 9:6,13,27) and continually fell into sin.  This sin broke the covenant between Israel and God, and God required atonement because of it.  The Levitical priesthood was established, and animal sacrifices were made frequently in order to make atonement for the people’s sins.  Repentance and reconciliation were the theme behind these sacrifices, and God forgave the people for their sins as they repented and went through the process demonstrating it.

Later on in the Bible we discover that the temple, which housed the Ark of the Covenant and was the center of this priestly process, was destroyed.  The people were deported from their land, and foreigners moved in.  Eventually the Jewish people repopulated the region and subsequent temples were built.  However, as time passed by, the Jewish religion had been exploited by elitist members of the Jewish society.  Politicians, royal families, and powerful religious lawyers became the face of the Judaism of Jesus’ time.  These elitists cornered the market on Judaism, and Judaism became increasingly corrupted by men who exploited it for their own gain.  Laws were added to “the Law” by the scribes and Pharisees, and they proudly and shamelessly enforced their religion on the Jewish people.  Somewhere along the way, the idea of works based righteousness became prevalent, and since new laws were being written, sin could be rendered legal at a religious lawyer’s discretion.  Because of this, it is clear why Jesus spends a good portion of His sermon contrasting authentic faith, with the inauthentic legalistic religion that was being promoted throughout Judaism.

The Sermon contains material that is absolutely shocking when understood properly.  Towards the end of the sermon Jesus said “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it” (Matt 7:13-14 NIV).   Jesus makes it perfectly clear that the path to eternal life is an excruciatingly difficult one and that many who think they are on the right path won’t end up in the Kingdom at all.

Understanding that sinful man has many misconceptions about his spiritual standing with God, Jesus starts the Sermon off boldly by identifying what authentic Christian character looks like.  Well known Evangelical theologian John Stott wrote: “The beatitudes set forth the balanced and variegated character of Christian people.  These are not eight separate and distinct groups of disciples, some of whom are meek, while others are merciful and yet others are called upon to endure persecution.  They are rather eight qualities of the same group who at one and the same time are meek and merciful, poor in spirit and pure in heart, mourning and hungry, peacemakers and persecuted”.[1] The words in the beatitudes leave the reader considering whether or not he or she fits the descriptions laid out by God Himself.  All of the beatitudes are connected to each other, and the Christian – as described by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount – should manifest these attributes.

Each beatitude begins with the statement “Blessed are”.  Before diving into the beatitudes it is worth taking a look at what “blessed are” means.  What does “blessed are” mean?  Many Christians assume that “blessed are” simply means “happy are”.  While some translators do indeed render the Greek word Makarios to mean “happy”, there is only one instance within the Greek New Testament where makarios is translated into English as “happy”.  Most renderings of Makarios are “blessed”.[2]  Out of the 49 times that makarios is used in the Greek New Testament; 46 out of 49 times the rendering is “blessed”.  Stott wrote:  “…it is seriously misleading to render makarios ‘happy’.  For happiness is a subjective state, whereas Jesus is making an objective judgment about these people.  He is declaring not what they may feel like (‘happy’), but what God thinks of them and what on that account they are: they are ‘blessed’.[3]  Dr. Bill Mounce, in his sermon podcast on Matthew 5:3 summarized what Jesus meant when He said “blessed”.  “To be blessed by God means you are approved by God”[4].  God’s approval is the Christians ultimate blessing.

Many Western Christians consider blessings to be tangible things such as health, wealth, and prosperity.  While these tangible things may create a seemingly “happy” life for a person, they do not provide the “blessing” that Jesus was preaching about in this text.  God is not necessarily concerned with how wealthy, healthy, or happy we are (though there is often nothing wrong with having wealth, health, or happiness); however, He is zealously concerned with His children living lives that are pleasing to Him.  Jesus is concerned with change in the life of the believer.  He is concerned with the motives behind that change.  One chapter earlier Jesus began His preaching ministry with a message of repentance. “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt 4:17 ESV).

Bible scholars, professional theologians, and laymen alike spend much time pondering what heaven will look like.  The beatitudes give us a glance as to what people will be like in heaven.  Heaven will be made up of people who have a perfectly ‘blessed’ relationship with God.   These residents of heaven have reached the pinnacle of their sanctification process, and therefore, perfectly manifest the supernatural characteristics mentioned by Jesus in the beatitudes.  They are without sin.

Prior to this heavenly experience, which theologians call “glorification”, the Christian possesses the Holy Spirit which enables him to live a life that is pleasing to God.  It is by the power of the Holy Spirit that the Christian is able to live a life that reflects the beatitudes.  Professor Bill Mounce writes: “All of the qualities of the beatitudes are the result of the work of the Holy Spirit”.[5]  It is a good thing for a Christian to seriously consider whether or not he has the Holy Spirit if his life does not reflect any of the characteristics of the beatitudes.  All authentic believers should possess the various elements covered in the beatitudes (to some extent).  Again, all Christians will perfectly possess these characteristics in their glorified state.

A Quick Analysis of the Beatitudes: 

The first beatitude mentioned by Jesus talks about being poor in spirit.  Jesus said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:3 ESV).  Who exactly are the poor in spirit?  For a western thinker, the word poor is largely used to reference people who lack money and material possessions.  People in the affluent West think of those who are living in housing projects and wear old and dirty clothes, or the homeless, as being poor.  Jesus does not have material possessions in mind when he said “blessed are the poor in spirit”. John Stott identifies who the poor in spirit are.  He writes: “Thus, to be poor in spirit is to acknowledge our spiritual poverty, indeed our spiritual bankruptcy, before God”. [6]

Stott quotes John Calvin: “He only who is reduced to nothing in himself, and relies on the mercy of God, is poor in spirit”.[7] Thus, the poor in spirit are those who recognize that they are sinful beings who are in desperate need of rescue.  The idea of spiritual brokenness permeates throughout the rest of the beatitudes, and for that matter, Jesus’ teachings in general.  Jesus wants his audience to know that they need the Gospel in order to be saved.  Jesus wants people to understand that they must come to Him spiritually bankrupt.  Stott writes: “As C.H. Spurgeon expressed it, ‘the way to rise in the kingdom is to sink in ourselves’”.[8]  While this may be tough, the reward Jesus promises is worth it, “the kingdom of heaven”.

In the next beatitude Jesus said: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt 5:4 ESV).  The connection between verses 3 and 4 is nearly self explanatory.  If a person understands the concept of being spiritually broken, it only seems natural that the person will experience mourning over their sin.  Stott writes: “This is the second stage of spiritual blessing.  It is one thing to be spiritually poor and acknowledge it; it is another to grieve and to mourn over it.  Or, in more theological language, confession is one thing, contrition is another”.[9]

If a person has no mourning experience when they sin, they should spend some time reflecting on whether or not they are “poor in spirit”.  As humans we experience mourning in a variety of ways.  When a loved one dies, we mourn their death.  When we get in trouble at work, we get upset about it.  We are mournful when our relationships are falling apart.  Too often, however, the Christian does not mourn his or her sin.  As he continues on in the sin, he becomes cold and complacent in it.  By the power of the Holy Spirit, this does not have to be.

All Christians need to mourn over their sins on a regular basis.  Stott appropriately points out that: “It is not only the sins of others, however, which should cause us tears; for we have our own sins to weep over as well.  Have they never caused us any grief?” [10]  Christians do a great job of identifying and labeling the sins that our neighbors commit, however, most Christians avoid any sort of self examination with the motive of discovering sin within.  This self examination can be painful as it exposes are faults and weaknesses, yet Jesus promises that those who mourn will be comforted.  The ultimate comforting will take place in the glorified state.

In the next beatitude Jesus said “5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt 5:5 ESV).  Meek is not a common word in the modern vocabulary.  Meek essentially means gentle, humble, considerate, or courteous.  The world does not consider meekness to be an essential characteristic of the ideal person.  Instead, in popular culture, people are told to do whatever it takes to get ahead, step on anyone who gets in the way, be proud of one’s achievements, and seek to obtain greater achievements at any cost.  The quality of meekness is rarely included in any “how to be successful” bestsellers.  Stott writes: “I believe Dr. Lloyd-Jones is right to emphasize that this meekness denotes a humble and gentle attitude to others which is determined by a true estimate of ourselves”.[11]

The meekness that Dr. Lloyd Jones is advocating for coincidences with Jesus’ own words when he said “‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31a).  Stott continues: “Dr. Lloyd-Jones sums it up admirably: ‘Meekness is essentially a true view of oneself, expressing itself in attitude and conduct with respect to others…The man who is truly meek is the one who is truly amazed that God and man can think of him as well as they do and treat him as well as they do’.  This makes him gentle, humble, sensitive, patient in all his dealings with others”.[12]  Jesus said the meek will inherit the earth.  This is ironic because in the worlds eyes, the man who is opposite of meek, should inherit the earth.  Again, this demonstrates exactly how counter-cultural Jesus’ teachings are!

In the next verse Jesus said:  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matt 5:6 ESV).  Stott writes: “Such spiritual hunger is a characteristic of all God’s people, whose supreme ambition is not material but spiritual.  Christians are not like pagans, engrossed in the pursuit of possessions; what they have set themselves to ‘seek first’ is God’s kingdom and righteousness”.[13]  What is this righteousness?  Saint Peter wrote: “since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16 ESV).  All Christians are called to live lives that are holy and pleasing to God.  Because of Jesus’ life, death, burial and resurrection, the Christian is able to stand before God righteous.

Christians are called to live out their faith in a righteous way, and as the Apostle Paul wrote, “shine as lights in the world” (Phil 2:15 ESV).  Stott goes on to quote Martin Luther: “ The command to your is not to crawl into a corner or into the desert, but to run out, if that is where you have been, and to offer your hands and your feet and your whole body, and to wager everything you have and can do”.[14]  Christians are called to fulfill the great commission (Matt 28) by, as Luther eloquently wrote, offering our whole body.

We have looked at the first four beatitudes.  Regarding those first four, Stott writes: “Looking back, we can see that the first four beatitudes reveal a spiritual progression of relentless logic.  Each step leads to the next and presupposes the one that has gone before…In the second half of the beatitudes (the last four) we seem to turn even more from our attitude to God to our attitude to our fellow human beings”. [15] This brings us to take a brief look at the remaining verses:

“7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

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

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you”. (Matt 5:7-11 ESV).

In verse 7 we are told that the merciful are blessed and that they will receive mercy.  Again, this is a counter-cultural concept.  People are often merciless in how they deal with each other.  People are quick to state “pull the plug on him” though equally quick to beg for mercy if put in a treacherous situation.  Who better than Jesus to teach on the subject on being merciful?  God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins.  That was an act of mercy on God’s part.  Christians are supposed to be merciful in their dealings with each other and the world.  Often times those who are merciful receive mercy in return.  Even if a Christian has lived a particularly hard life, they can rest assured that by God’s mercy, they will get to enjoy peace for eternity.

In the next verse Jesus brings up those who are pure in heart.  Stott writes: Their (the pure in heart) whole life, public and private, is transparent before God and men.  Their very heart – including their thoughts and motives – is pure, unmixed with anything devious, ulterior or base.  Hypocrisy and deceit are abhorrent to them; they are without guile”.[16]  Some think their pastor alone should be subject to this particular verse.  Jesus, however, teaches that all Christians should work towards purity in heart.  All Christians are called to have pure motives in how they go about life.  Whether it is in how we treat the opposite sex, or how we handle money, or for that matter practically anything, purity of heart is an essential quality that should be manifest throughout.

In a world full of violence, war, oppression, racism, and genocide, Jesus’ words in verse 9 are especially difficult to grasp.  It is difficult to be peaceful when bombs are going off around you.  It is difficult to be peaceful when someone sues you and attempts to take everything you have.  Nevertheless, Jesus makes it clear that being a peacemaker is an essential characteristic of being a Christian.  The Apostle Paul wrote encouraging the Christians at Thessalonica: “and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves” (1 Thes 5:13 ESV).  The Christian will experience ultimate, perfect peace in heaven.

Next, Jesus acknowledges that the Christian life isn’t going to be easy by saying “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake” (Matt 5:10).  The authentic Christian life shouldn’t be easy.  In fact, Jesus touches on this topic over and over again throughout the Gospels.  Living a radically counter-cultural life will always result in some form of persecution.  While Christians in the West don’t experience very much persecution, there are forms of persecution present, especially in the lives of those who live lives that are passionate for Jesus.  In verse 12 Jesus tells the persecuted Christian to “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven”.

Stott points out that: “We may lose everything on earth, but we shall inherit everything in heaven – not as a reward for merit, however, because the promise of the reward is free.  Partly because persecution is a token of genuineness, a certificate of Christian authenticity”.[17]  Genuine Christianity, authentic in motives and actions, is what Jesus commands.  Thankfully, the Christian does not have to do it alone.  He couldn’t do it alone if he tried.  The Christian has the Holy Spirit, which enables him to live a life that reflects Jesus’ teachings in the beatitudes.

If a person identifies as being Christian while not having personally experienced being “poor in spirit” he ought to spend some time considering whether or not his Christian faith is authentic.