The Latin word for “blessed” is “beatus” from which we derive the English word “beatitudes.” Some have termed these the “Be-Attitudes,” correctly defining the fact that they’re primarily concerned with what’s inward. God desires my heart before my hands, my attitude before my actions, and any reversal of this actually denies us the blessing He intends. As noted in our previous article, these “blessings” result in a deep joy that far exceeds what can be obtained from mere “happenings”; it is to be divinely, supremely and eternally well off!
Drawing from various commentaries on these beatitudes, it’s clear that there are diverse interpretations regarding the intended recipients. Was it for Jews only, or is the Church included within its scope? For numerous reasons, the present writer suggests that these instructions are cross-dispensational, resulting in a three-fold application. Clearly, it was for the disciples of our Lord’s day (Mat 5:1; Luk 6:20). However, our Lord also knew that those same disciples would form the backbone of the Church, and, unsurprisingly, such instructions permeate the writings of the Apostles. Thirdly, this teaching will have a direct application to any believers in tribulation days after the Church is gone; they will certainly take much comfort from these beatitudes. As to the duration, whilst the outcome of these blessings extends into millennial days, the instructions themselves cannot apply to that time. In that day, “disciples” of Christ will not “mourn,” be “persecuted,” nor “sued” in a court of law. It therefore aptly refers to the time of the three audiences mentioned. As we briefly consider each challenge, let us do so carefully, listening for the voice of God and seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit.
Blessed Are the Contrite
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 5:3).1
Any Bible student will recognise that believers of this mystery Church dispensation are the primary beneficiaries of the coming millennial Kingdom. The “beatitudes” for Israel in millennial days are found in Deuteronomy 28:1-13, resulting in its becoming the “head [of the nations], not the tail.” As for the Church, we will be uniquely joined to Christ Himself in marriage, universally reigning as joint-heirs (Rom 8:17). Like all the instructions for the Church in the New Testament, these beatitudes are not optional but are to be obeyed if we are to receive the intended blessing and place God intends for us in the kingdom.
As our Lord sat teaching, He was fully aware that opposing Him were spiritual critics. These self-centred scribes and Pharisees had positioned themselves “in Moses’ seat” (Mat 23:2), and our Lord stood to expose their hypocrisy. Priding themselves in their self-claimed superiority, they despised the humble carpenter from Nazareth. Imagine their astonishment when our Lord stood to declare with authority, “Blessed” and supremely well off are the “poor in spirit,” those who through recognising their own spiritual poverty have found present acceptance into the “kingdom of heaven.”
Why did the Lord commence with this beatitude? Oswald Chambers aptly wrote concerning the Sermon on the Mount, “Beware of placing our Lord as a Teacher first instead of Savior. That tendency is prevalent today, and it is a dangerous tendency. We must know Him first as Savior before His teaching can have any meaning for us.” Yes, before any person can ever have hope of seeing or entering the kingdom of God, they must be “born again” (Joh 3:3-5). To be poor in spirit is to recognise one’s own spiritual bankruptcy. It is to humbly accept and rely wholly upon the Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is precisely why the present tense is used for the outcome of this blessing – “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” At the very moment of trusting Christ, we are “translated into the kingdom of his dear Son” (Col 1:13).
This instruction does not cease once we are saved. The Lord was addressing “disciples,” and this exhortation is needed on a daily basis. We all dwell in self-obsessed societies, relentlessly attacked by “the pride of life” (1Jn 2:16). Humility in the Christian life is the key and is the only pathway to true and eternal blessing. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, those who chose first place will realise they are actually last, “for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time” (1Pe 5:5-6).
Blessed Are the Concerned
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted” (Mat 5:4).
The teachings of Christ were never random or incoherent, so in a masterly flow, every statement here links perfectly to what precedes and succeeds it. To “mourn” is to experience inward grief accompanied with the outward expression of sorrow. Having truly comprehended one’s own spiritual dearth, it would be impossible not to be moved with compassion concerning the desperate plight of others. Our Saviour Himself was a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isa 53:3), one who entered into the feelings of humanity. Not only did He silently weep at the death of His friend but He openly sobbed over the coming judgment of His own people. Here was a Man who, “in the days of His flesh … offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears” (Heb 5:7).
I think we would all readily admit that there’s a tendency to “get used” to being saved, and a once-flaming zeal cools, endangering us to forsake our “first love” (Rev 2:4). Having been rescued by God and brought into His eternal kingdom, how then can we see that passion continue? First, we must never stray far from the cross! Only there can we correctly comprehend something of the infinite wonders of Christ, the reality of what we deserved, and the terrible judgment that awaits those who reject the Saviour. In this place, our passion for Christ will be revived, perspective of self will be gained and “concern” for others will be increased. Though we may struggle to understand “comfort” in the midst of our mourning, especially in relation to unsaved loved ones, Christ’s promise remains sure. The future tense “shall” emphasizes that it will be the coming day when we fully understand.
Come with me next time to discover the infinite blessing of the controlled, the craving, the compassionate, the clean, the conciliator and the Christian.
1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV.
