Matthew 5:1-6 — Sermon on the Mount
The King's Children Are Blessed
This sermon introduces the Sermon on the Mount by establishing Jesus as the perfect King and believers as his children called to reflect his character. The first three Beatitudes—blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, and the meek—reveal that God's favor rests on those who recognize their spiritual need, grieve over sin, and embody humble strength.
Introduction
What does the word “kingdom” bring to mind? If there is a kingdom then there must be a king. And if there is a king there must be those who are under the rule and authority of the king. There are different types of kings. There are harsh, egotistical kings who rule recklessly and selfishly. There are kings who are benevolent dictators—no doubt who is in charge but they do try to do things for the people from time to time, just don’t cross the benevolent dictator. Then there are those passive kings who accept the position without thinking about the people. And then there are those kings that are rare indeed—the ones who think about the people, who rule in terms of what is best for the people and who try to keep their selfish desires out of the way.
While the American culture has no king, we understand the principle. We understand as well that as believers in Jesus, we are part of a kingdom whose ruler is God. Our king is one who is holy, perfect, and without flaw. He is giving, and he also has high expectations for those who are part of his kingdom. For to be part of the kingdom one voluntarily chooses to be in submission to the king. Our God does not conquer us; he does not force us at the edge of the sword to bow down to him. Instead, he defeated the one who had power over us, leaving us with the ability to choose our allegiance. In fact, he allows us to choose allegiance to the one who had power over us previously. If one wants to follow the ways of Satan, we may. But God has defeated him and allows us to choose our “king.”
If we choose to follow our King who has all power and authority rather than a pretender like Satan, then our King calls us his people. In fact, he calls us his children. He created us in the flesh and then he adopts us into his spiritual kingdom. We belong to him. We are the King’s children. To belong to God’s kingdom comes with expectations. Our king wants us to show others what it looks like to live as part of his kingdom. Being the King’s children is an honor. And as the King’s children we want to honor our Father.
No text points to how we are to do this more than Matthew 5—7. The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ teaching about how the King’s children will live. Notice in 5:16 that our actions are to help others praise our Father. And in 5:48 that we are to be perfect or mature as our Father is perfect or mature. In 6:18 we are told that our Father rewards us as we refuse to call attention to ourselves. In 6:32 we are told our Father will provide what is necessary for us to live in this world. And in 7:21, only those who do our Father’s will belong to him and his kingdom.
When we come to the Sermon on the Mount, our inclination is to look at it in isolation. We do not necessarily see it in context of Matthew’s entire writing. But to take it away from Matthew is to fail to see how Matthew intends his readers to see Jesus. Notice in 5:1 that Matthew doesn’t use the name of Jesus: “He went up on a mountainside; His disciples came to him; he began to teach.” Who is this “he?” Of course, it is Jesus but Matthew intends for us to understand who is teaching.
In 1:23, Matthew says his name is Immanuel which means “God with us.” In 2:10, wise men from the East bow down to him—he is king. In 3:1—3, John announces that a new king and kingdom are coming. In 3:17, at his baptism, Jesus is confirmed as God’s Son. In 4:1—11, Satan cannot overcome him. In 4:17, he announces that God’s kingdom is near. In 4:18—22, he begins a new community of believers. In 4:23, he preaches the good news of the kingdom. In 4:24—25, he heals the sick.
This is the one who sits down on a mountainside to teach. This is the Jesus that Matthew brings to our attention. It is this Jesus about whom the people will declare that he teaches with real authority. This is the King’s Son coming to declare the intent and purpose of the King. And by adoption we as the King’s Children listen anew to the words with an intent to honor our Father. Let’s praise this Jesus.
The Beatitudes
The first 12 verses of Matthew 5 are called the Beatitudes. Each one begins with the word “blessed.” The word “blessed” has often been defined as “happy” and that is not wrong. But in our language, the word happy translates the wrong idea from what Jesus meant. For us the idea of happy means to be pleased or some kind of internal emotion which signifies that something has happened to bring pleasure—that makes me happy we may say, or I was happy about such an experience. But to understand the word “blessed” as happy in our cultural understanding is to miss the point of the word.
The word “blessed” means to be the recipient of divine favor. It means to be aligned with the purposes of God. It means to belong to God’s kingdom. To be blessed in God’s kingdom means to find meaning and purpose in being a reflection of the Father. It means to have God’s approval. And as the King’s children, we want his approval. So let’s look at the first three beatitudes and next week we will look at the other five.
Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The word for poor carries the idea of poverty—it is the image of a beggar who cringes before those with money and seeks a handout. Combine that with the word spirit and it is the idea that the person who acknowledges their spiritual bankruptcy and spiritual poverty are the ones who receive God’s approval.
It is the idea that the King’s children recognize how much they need God. There is a belief that we cannot do it on our own, but must have God’s intervention in order to make things happen. God’s favor is given to those who do not trust in their wealth, strength, or spiritual wisdom. God’s favor falls on those who have the attitude that life is worthless without God, who understand that their confidence is in God not in themselves. This poverty of spirit has to do with recognizing the depth of our sin and crying out to the Father. And the favor is that the kingdom is given to us.
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. To mourn means to know our sin and to groan both for self and for the world. The King’s favor is given to those who grieve about their sin and the social ills of life; whose heart is broken and aching because of the evil in their life and the world. The King’s favor comes to those whose compassion erupts from an intense caring for the hurts and sorrows of others. This compassion acts on behalf of other people.
And the favor is that comfort will be given to us as we mourn. Recognizing our own sin and the sin of the world, we long for change—not merely justice but mercy as well. We recognize that our own sin separated us from God and we recognize that the sin of others also separates them from God. And we mourn. Where does the comfort come from? John 14:16—17 tells us that when Jesus left he would send the Comforter. The Comforter is the Holy Spirit. As the Spirit convicts us about sin and the need to change, so he comforts us when we repent. He is the seal that we belong to the King. He assures us that we are sons and daughters of the King.
Blessed Are the Meek
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. The word meek means to be gentle and humble. But more than just to take a backseat to everyone else, it is the idea of recognizing your strength and using that strength to benefit others. It is to deflect praise so that only God will be seen.
Divine favor is given to those who are humble and gentle. Those whose individualistic spirit and bent have been brought under control; those who are calm when surrounded by an emotionally charged situation; those who have a calming effect on someone who is angry. Such an attitude is used to describe Jesus in Matthew 11:28—29 in which Jesus describes himself as gentle, bringing rest to troubled souls. The King’s children bring rest to troubled hearts. The favor is to inherit the earth. Some believe this is the physical earth. But if we see the three beatitudes working together rather than separately we get a different flavor. There is a parenthesis around the Beatitudes with the “kingdom of heaven” phrase. But look at how God’s favor comes in these first three: heaven, comfort within, and the earth. I think the idea is that God’s favor covers all areas for his children. The eternal, the internal, the external—what the king gives to his children covers all areas of life.
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