Painting by Hyatt Moore
This is a message I shared today on Zoom with some of the ladies from my Church.
Before we start *here’s a little bit of trivia:
In Bible times the Rabbis would stand in the Temple to read from the scrolls. The scrolls were very expensive to make. It took long hours to make them, because they were hand written on parchment or materials made from animal skins and most of them were quite ornate. So not all Synagogues could afford more than the Torah (the first five books) and out of respect for the makers of the scrolls they would stand to read from them so they didn’t get damaged.
After reading they would sit down. This showed that they would not be quoting from the old prophets, and then the people would know the teaching would be coming from their own interpretation. The rabbis would discuss the scripture and be open for questions. So, this became their custom.
Message Translation: Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes
1 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down
2 and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:
3 “You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
4 “You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
5 “You’re blessed when, you’re, content with just who you are – no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
6 “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.
7 “You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘carefull,’ you find yourselves cared for.
8 “You’re blessed when you get your inside world – your mind and heart – put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.
9 “You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.
10 “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.
11 “Not only that – count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable.
12 You can be glad when that happens – give a cheer, even! – for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.
In the Strong’s Concordance #3107, the word for Blessed, makarios (mak-ar-ee-oss) is an adjective suggesting “happy” supremely blessed, a condition in which congratulations are in order. It is a grace word that expresses the special joys and satisfaction granted the person who experiences salvation. (I like that, it’s a grace word.)
Knowing, that today, I was going to be giving a message, I asked the Lord to show me what he wanted me to speak about and, The Beatitudes popped into my mind.
I was reminded of how my mom had spoken on the Beatitudes when she was a little girl. She was number six out of seven children. Her dad died when she was 9 months old, leaving her mom to raise her children alone.
I want to share with you this story my grandmother used to tell me. She was very poor and times were hard in those days. It was around 1939. Granny’s, son, Dan, came down with the croup and couldn’t even drink a sip of water without struggling. She didn’t have money for a doctor so she used home remedies but it wasn’t working and he was getting worse. Granny’s neighbor told her about a holy man who was in town that would pray for people and they would be healed. So, granny sent for the man to come and pray for Dan, her son, he was just a boy at the time.
This “HOLY” man came to granny’s house and he said to her, “Maim, it’s just like praying through a brick-wall.” She turned to heaven and said, “Lord, tear that brick wall-down.” There was no air-conditioning in those days, they didn’t even have screens on the windows but she kept them propped up. The man knelt down by the bed and began to pray. He prayed for over an hour and when he got up, he was drenched in sweat… Dan said, “Mama, I want a drink of water.” He recovered and lived to be an old man and he never suffered with the croup again.
When my mom was about 11 years old, she joined the Salvation army, her and her older brother RL. They were asked to speak at one of the meetings. They weren’t told it was a contest. Mom spoke on the Beatitudes and won first place. She had lots of trials in her life but later in her life she became an ordained minister and pastored a church for two years. Even in the seventies, women Pastors weren’t accepted. But that didn’t stop mom, she would say, “the Holy Spirit does the preaching.” She went on to become an Evangelist. She obeyed God and she gave away what God gave her, and she never lacked. She was 83 when she was called home.
As I was wondering about what to talk about, the Holy Spirit reminded me about the Beatitudes, by reminding me, that mom had spoken on the Beatitudes as a little girl. I looked up the scriptures and read in Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
I repeated the words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” what does that mean LORD? What does it mean to be poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven?
I had this picture in my mind of Jesus sitting down on the side of the mountain and began to teach his disciples and the people. These people, were the poor, and lowly. They came to hear this Rabbi, teacher, teach. He was like them but different. He didn’t wear fancy robes, he didn’t ask them for money or goods, he was kind, and he, walked among them. He even touched them when he prayed for them. He fed them and asked for nothing in return. Here the King of heaven was sitting in their midst and taught them freely. He didn’t come to take anything from them, he came to give himself away…you can only keep what you give away!
I knew there was more to be uncovered and so last week I prayed and said, “Holy Spirit will you show me what Jesus meant when he said Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven?” I began to ask, seek, and search for the meaning. I mean I’ve read this passage many times but this time I knew there was a deeper meaning.
I took notes from my Spirit Filled Bible and from the website: “Hebrew for Christians.”
• Jesus sat down on the side of the mountain and began to teach the attitudes we are to have as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.
• “Don’t read them as statements, read them as exclamations:
“O the blessedness of the poor in spirit!”
The poor in spirit are those who recognize their spiritual poverty and casting aside all self-dependence, seek God’s grace.
• Each initial phrase therefore does not function as a conditional statement but rather expresses a present reality:
“O the joy of the poor in spirit, of the mourners, of the gentle, of those who sincerely care for what is right, of those who are merciful, of those pure in heart, of those who make peace, of those who are persecuted.”
You see it’s suggesting that the Beatitudes are presented in a progressive order, with each preceding one preparing for what immediately follows. The poor in spirit become mourners over their sinful condition.
• Humbled, we then deeply care for righteousness and find it in the sacrifice of Jesus who shows us mercy.
• As we become merciful, we learn to see beyond appearances to behold inner beauty in everyone.
• Hatred and strife, grieve our hearts, so we become peacemakers.
• Ultimately, however, our passion makes us misunderstood and mistreated, and therefore we become subject to persecution…
• It’s quite different from the world’s values.
What is highly esteemed among the world is of little value to God, and, what is of value to God, is often scoffed at by the world.
The Apostle Paul says it so beautifully in scripture “For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Cor. 1:25)
And so, we find that Humility is the keynote of the Beatitudes, just as pride is the keynote of fallen human nature.
We see Jesus sitting down, as he begins to teach. The Kingdom of heaven is a redeemed community of the righteous who practice sacrificial love for the welfare and honor of others.
Jesus is the true King and Source of this Kingdom. And as he goes on to expound in the Sermon on the Mount, the heart, of the law, is love, and love, is the law of the Gospel.
It’s The Blessing of Brokenness…
“O the blessedness of the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 5:3
• The term translated “the poor in spirit” is derived from a word that means “to crouch as a helpless beggar.”
• This word provides an image of someone in abject poverty, totally dependent on others for help.
