BEHOLD
THE LAMB OF GOD (Part VIII)
In
our attempt to develop an admittedly limited portrait of the PERSON and WORK of
JESUS CHRIST, we will delve further into his TEACHING
MINISTRY. Perhaps, there can be
no better starting point than the gospel message that is regarded by so many as
the greatest in human history, the Sermon
on the Mount. (Matthew, chapters 5-7, et al)
The Sermon on the Mount commences with Matthew’s simple introduction: “And seeing the multitudes,
he [JESUS] went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came
unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying…” (Matthew 5:1-2) Some Bible scholars believe this sermon might
not have been rendered in one setting, suggesting alternatively that it is a
composite of the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Whatever the case, the Sermon on the Mount is certainly a comprehensive
overview of Christ’s teachings on the Kingdom
of God. Throughout Christ’s
public ministry, he offered further elaboration on every spiritual principle presented
within this message. For ease of
understanding, His sermon may be divided into five sections: (1) The Beatitudes,
(2) The New Laws, (3) Teachings on Prayer and Worship, (4) Teachings on
Possessions and Money, and (5) Spiritual Warnings.
Today, we will highlight a few of
the nine Beatitudes or Blessed Sayings of Jesus Christ. Each refers to a desirable spiritual state or
spiritual discipline that would be manifested in the actions and attitudes of
believers through the ongoing operations of the Holy Spirit. Let’s briefly consider each while bearing in
mind that thousands of extensive sermons have been written on each one.
(1) Blessed are the poor in spirit: for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)
Jesus refers here to
people who sense their insufficiency in the presence of the All-Sufficient One. GOD, alone, is able to satisfy the deepest
yearnings of the empty human heart. Jesus
described two totally opposite approaches to God. The Pharisees exhibited self-righteousness
based upon their perceptions that they both understood and observed The Mosaic
Law. On the other hand, the publican (a
sinner) was keenly aware of his need for divine grace and forgiveness. (Luke
18:9-14) Since all of our righteousness
is tantamount to “filthy rags” when viewed by a holy God, it is evident that
the publican’s approach, i.e. absolute dependency on the righteousness of God, leads
him into the Kingdom. (Isaiah 64:6) There
can be no doubt. God “resists the proud
and gives grace to the humble.” (I Peter 5:5)
(2)
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)
The Psalmist David penned these memorable words: “Weeping may endure for a
night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Psalm 30:5) mourning,
the result of personal loss, is not (in and of itself) a blessing, but for every
believer it invariably leads to one. When
Jesus references mourning, He does so in the context of the comforting presence of His Holy Spirit
which is dispatched posthaste to any believer who, for example, might be
shrouded in excruciating pain due to the loss of a loved one. The blessing
in the mourning is the promise of
the morning! For those who are in Christ, nighttime surely
leads to daytime – dusk to dawn. Jesus
assures us, “I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you.” (John
14:18)
(3)
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5)
According to Dictionary.com, being “meek” means being “humbly patient or
docile, as under provocation from others.”
It is synonymous with an emotional state that we can describe as “forbearing,
unassuming, pacific, gentle and calm.” In
our age of self-promotion and braggadocio, meekness is a truly rare commodity. Christ uses this beatitude to portray the
believer’s position within a spiritually opposing world system. We are in
the world, “not of the world.”
(John 17:14) Therefore, our hopes and
dreams are not aligned with this world system.
Rather, our focus is eternal and our real “inheritance is among them which
are sanctified by faith” in Jesus Christ. (Colossians 3:1-2 – Acts 20:32) Our actions, attitudes and allegiances must always
be reflective of this. (Acts 20:32)
Therefore, our only “boast” is “in the Lord.” (Psalm 34:2 – Romans 3:27) We have a blessed assurance that, ultimately,
we win. Happily, our victory will be awesome
and apparent to all.
(4)
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they
shall be filled. (Matthew 5:6)
Only those who possess a genuine and sustained “hunger” and “thirst” for
the things of God will be sufficiently motivated to search until they discover,
covenant and fellowship with Him. Consider
the following scriptures:
When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your
face, Lord, I will seek.”
My soul longs, yes, even faints for the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
And
you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your
heart.
If you are not communing regularly
with the King of Kings, please be
aware that you are missing out on the incomparable privilege of entering
(daily) into His Throne Room! Make up your mind today to start practicing
the presence of God. David said it so
well: “YOU will show me the path of life; IN YOUR PRESENCE is FULLNESS OF JOY;
at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11) Stay tuned…more to come tomorrow. Until then, sister and brothers, be
continually blessed!
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