Jesus came to proclaim an unseen kingdom that would become visible in his gospel message with accompanying signs & wonders. The concepts and principles he taught were contrary to the views and understanding of the Jews of that time. In general, they interpreted Old Testament Messianic themes in this way:
- God would establish a literal earthly kingdom that would end their exile from the promised land (by the first century the large majority of Jews did not live in Palestine).
- The promise of the new kingdom would coincide with their deliverance from the oppression of gentile nations (e.g. Rome).
Jesus often confounded them, because his message did not promise what they desired nor did his identification of the real oppressor (i.e. sin) align with their views. Instead, a heavenly kingdom was promoted that was present in person of Jesus. He tells the Pharisees, “the kingdom of God is not coming with signs that can be observed, (21) nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you (Lk 17:20-21).”
Jesus ascended back to Heaven after his resurrection to sit at the right hand of the Father. He sent his Spirit to live in his believers who make up a community of faith that is comprised of all nations, tribes, and tongues. The Jews and many today desire an earthly kingdom that features ethnic and nationalistic affiliations and societal system that reinforces superiority complexes. Only those who place their faith for salvation in Christ inherit an eternal kingdom established by God who shows no partiality (Gal 3:28-29). God offers the world a preview of his kingdom through the witness and gospel living of his believers. We (the church) are tasked to make his invisible kingdom observable on earth.
The Beatitudes describes what it means to blessed in accordance with the values of kingdom of God. It reveals a God who is primarily concerned with the heart (inward disposition) towards him and obedience to his Word. In contrast, the world of men primarily focus is outward conduct. The problem with this approach is man’s definition of truth changes to align with his unstable sinful inclination. If truth is relative man’s heart, so will his ethic/morality change like the wind that informs his behavior. The Beatitudes are timeliness teachings that still apply to the church community today.
In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus juxtaposes what it means to be blessed in God vs the prophetic warning (woe) to those who reject the gospel message. Here are some highlights of our focus text:
- Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is not communicating that being physically poor is a virtue. Having money and possessions is not evil, but rather our love for it is sinful. It is what we do with our worldly goods that can be God-dishonoring (Lk 12:15-21). Here, Jesus is teaching that those who are aware of their spiritual poverty and therefore the riches granted them in God through salvation are blessed. Our blessings are not focused on earthly things, but that which is of and through Christ (Eph 1:3-14).
- Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied. Spiritual nourishment is in view here: A thirst for righteousness…. that is a desire to draw closer to God. Jesus referred to himself as the “Bread of Life” that has come down from heaven. Those who hunger for God feed on his righteousness and are satisfied (Jn 6:35). Faith grows our appetite (i.e. affections) for God. Being born again (new creation) is required and when we are in Christ, God gives us a hunger for him (cf. Ez 36:26-27). His Word is lifegiving and resurrects us into eternal life (cf. Ez 37:1-14). 1Bible scholar N.T. Wright put it this way, “…resurrection is not temporary resuscitation; it is, rather, the overthrow and reversal of death…”
- Blessed are those who weep now, for you shall laugh. In general, laughing is not sinful. The weeping Jesus speaks of brings a couple of thoughts to mind:
- Grieving over our individual sin. This is important step because godly sorrow leads to true repentance (2 Cor 7-10).
- Grieving over the power the wicked use to oppress the righteous (Ps 119:53, 136).
- Our weeping in his life will be rewarded with rejoicing in the new creation. How? The corrupt body of sin will be put away (1 Cor 15:50-58) and the enemies of God will be judged and destroyed by his Word.
- Blessed are those who are persecuted for the witness of Jesus and proclamation of his Gospel. Jesus describes what has and will happen to his followers when he ascends back to heaven. Contrary to distortions of the Gospel (e.g. prosperity, WoF, etc..) that is popular in the mainstream church having health, wealth, and possessions are not signs of the blessings of God. God provides us some of these things according to his will, but he does not promise them nor are such earthly fleeting things a focal point of the Gospel (Jn 16:33). We should have realistic expectation of what being a follower of Christ in our earthly existence looks like (1 Pt 4:12-16). We are blessed and rejoice because our reward is future-leaning and found wholly in the person of Christ. When we suffer according to God’s will, we entrust our souls to Him while doing good. We suffer in hope (Jam 5:7-8). We know that our current existence is temporary and a “light affliction” in comparison to the glory in Christ to be revealed to us in the new creation.
In summary, the primary message of the Beatitudes is simply this: How fortunate and happy are those who lay their hearts solely on God by faith in Christ and therefore enjoy his favor.
Blessings,
Dr. Jason S. Price, Th.D
www.springoflivingwaters.com
1Wright, N.T., The New Testament In Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, & Theology of the First Christians (Zondervan Academic, 2019)
Beautiful message.