How to Make the Beatitudes Good News Again

Let's stop turning Jesus' blessings into objectives

The Sermon on the Mount (Jan Brueghel the Elder, 1598)

Imagine reading the New Testament for the first time in search of Jesus and his teachings. What does Jesus have to say?

There are six statements from Jesus before the 109 verse sermon on the mount pops up in chapter 5. They are short; more summaries than conversations. They only take up 6 of the 92 verses. In order,

• Jesus asks his cousin John for baptism

• Jesus thrice rebuffs the devil’s temptations

• Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near”

• Jesus calls some fishermen to follow him

Notice that the first 92 verses of the New Testament tell us almost nothing of what Jesus expects for and from his disciples? They frame up Jesus’ ministry and report that he was preaching good news and healing people. Also, the ministry is effective; so much so that large crowds gather. Now, finally, a full four chapters into the New Testament, Jesus sits down (ancient teacher posture) and his disciples gather around and he speaks about 20 times as many words as he has yet spoken.

He’s about to start giving good news.

Jesus’ begins with 9 blessings, aka “beatitudes”

Blessed are the poor in spirit, 
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
Blessed are those who mourn, 
for they will be comforted. 
Blessed are the meek, 
for they will inherit the earth. 
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 
for they will be filled. 
Blessed are the merciful, 
for they will be shown mercy. 
Blessed are the pure in heart, 
for they will see God. 
Blessed are the peacemakers, 
for they will be called children of God. 
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, 
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:3–12 NIV

But what is a beatitude for?

Ah! Careful reader, you have asked the right question. So much has been said and written on the beatitudes that it is surely a folly that I’ve staked my flag here to launch my humble newsletter. (I think a professor of mine would measure the books on his shelf on this topic in feet, as one is wont to do).

Nevertheless, the 9 blessings are so often mistreated and misunderstood I feel compelled to share how God uses them to form us to the imago filii.

A beatitude is a blessing statement. It means the described persons have something good to look forward to from God; God has marked them down to receive an inheritance. It is an announcement of favor-to-come. It is a loving move of God toward people.

I hope you will read that description again. If you want to interact with me on it, cool. I’m a pastor and you only have 5 minutes or so, so I won’t quote all the scholars who have said this or that to define “beatitude,” but I do hope you will read it again and let it sink in.

The beatitudes are not an ethic to maintain or objectives to achieve or attitudes to perform: they are blessings for people who are in a way they probably do not want to be in.

Consider the list again,

• who wants to be down in their spirits, depressed, or deflated?

• who wants to be in mourning?

• do you think under Gentile oppression Jews were well liked who were meek, peacemaking, merciful?

• do the pure in heart always get treated well, get ahead, or get a fair shake?

• and then there is the group that hungers for justice and can’t get it (a legit meaning for the Greek word in verse 6) and the group who tries to do justice like they learned from the prophet Micah but get persecuted for it (verse 10)

• and there’s the group who are insulted, persecuted, and slandered for associating with Jesus

And all of these people, people who are in a place they probably don’t love, who wonder if God has forgotten them or if God has anything for them, all of these people are promised an inheritance for no other reason than that God smiles upon them.

It is the movement of God toward people and it is wildly good news. The kingdom of heaven does have ethics and Jesus does teach his people how to act; he instructs them in right living versus (there is plenty about right living in the sermon on the mount). There are attitudes and spiritual fruit to grow into. All of that is also true. But the first part of the first sermon from the baptized, tested-and-passed-with-flying-colors, good-news preaching rabbi is that God has something for you. Precious one, he is keeping it for you.

Could we take a minute to let this belief of Jesus sink in? And could we stop over-spiritualizing and incentivizing “poor in spirit” and “meek” and the others before someone gets the idea to try earning God’s gracious first step toward them?

Peace to you on the Way,

Josh