Matthew 5:1-12
I. \\#Matt 1:1-3:17\\ The Presentation of the King
A. \\#Matt 1:1-2:23\\ The Offering of the King
1. \\#1:1-17\\ The King is Offered to the Reader
2. \\#1:18-25\\ The King Is Offered to Joseph
3. \\#2:1-12\\ The King Is Offered to the East
4. \\#2:13-23\\ The King Is Offered to Herod
B. \\#Matt 3:1-17\\ The Announcement of the King
1. Announced by John
2. Announced by the Father
II. \\#4:1-7:29\\ The Person of the King — This King is different. Israel had
many kings—some godly, some not, some more powerful, some less; but
Israel has never had a King like this!
A. \\#Matt 4:1-4:29\\ Powerful but humble
1. \\#4:1-11\\ Powerful but humble before Satan.
2. \\#4:12-17\\ Powerful but humble before government.
3. \\#4:18-22\\ Powerful but humble in the selection of His
disciples.
4. \\#4:23-25\\ Powerful but humble in ministry.
B. \\#Matt 5:1-7:29\\ Wise and Godly - We find ourselves at the Sermon on
the Mount, perhaps the most powerful and practical sermon every
preached. Some believe this sermon was preached in anticipation of
the kingdom being established. While that may be true, it is not
limit the instructions given to millennial saints alone. This sermon
is the standard of behavior for all saints in all ages.
We need to also note that while this sermon was preached at length
on this occasion, it was preached, at least in part, at other times.
\\#Luke 6:17-49\\ records Jesus giving portions of this message to
a crowd gathered in a plan. As the crowds following Jesus were often
different, it is logical to suppose that Jesus might have repreached
many of His sermons or retaught many of His lessons.
1. \\#5:1-2\\ The Setting
2. \\#5:3-12\\ Be All You Can Be
(a) \\#3\\ Be beggarly in spirit
(b) \\#4\\ Be mournful
(c) \\#5\\ Be meek
(d) \\#8\\ Be pure
(e) \\#6\\ Be hungry for God
(f) \\#7\\ Be merciful
(g) \\#9\\ Be a peacemaker
(h) \\#10-12\\ Be longsuffering
I. \\#Matt 5:1-7:29\\ Wise and Godly
A. \\#1-2\\ The setting
1. \\#1\\ "he went up into a mountain" - If Matthew is giving us
anything close to a chronological order (and he may not be doing so),
then we would suppose Jesus is near Capernaum and this is near the
beginning of Jesus’ ministry.
2. "his disciples came unto him" - This message is not directed to the
lost but to the saved.
B. \\#3-12\\ Be All You Can Be
1. Better known as the Beatitudes. So called because the attitudes
described in this sermon teach the way a disciple of Christ should
BE.
2. Every beatitude has some things in common.
a. Each of the beatitudes contains three parts: a heavenly standing,
an attitude/action to be practiced by the Christian, and a reward.
(1) The heavenly standing is one’s standing before God.
(a) God is describing how He will take notice of those who
display the proper attitude.
(b) They will stand before God blessed.
(c) Most accept that the word "blessed" means HAPPY.
i. While it would be foolish for me to think to correct
Greek dictionaries, I would simply say that the
world means more than just being HAPPY.
ii. In fact, since HAPPINESS depends on HAPPENINGS,
there will probably be times when obeying these
commands does not bring immediate happiness,
although it certainly will in eternity.
iii. Consider as an example \\#10-11\\. Most people
being persecuted, reviled, or spoken against are
not going to be HAPPY.
(d) I think Jesus intended us to understand that BLESSED
means to be approved by God, to find favor in His sight.
i. When we are displaying these attitudes, God is
pleased with us.
ii. We may experience God’s joy while obeying these
attitudes, but having an emotional experience is
not our main desire for obeying them.
iii. The main desire is to have God’s favor.
iv. I believe that is the promise of that we have as we
obey.
(2) The attitude and reward for each beatitude will be unique,
with the reward usually being an opposite of the attitude.
That is, the follower receives as a reward the very thing he
had to give up to develop the attitude.
b. The Beatitudes seem to be a hybrid of attitudes and actions.
(1) All of the Beatitudes require a spiritual attitude, but once
that attitude is in place, they would all manifest themselves
in some kind of visible action.
(2) Studying the Beatitudes, it would seem that the warranted
action could never be had without the spiritual attitude, but
it would also seem that one could never have the spiritual
attitude if it did not manifest the correct action.
(3) In some cases, Jesus started by recognizing the attitude
\\#Matt 5:3, 8\\ and in others by recognizing the
manifesting action \\#Matt 5:4, 7\\. Both are to the same
end—being different.
3. The Beatitudes
a. \\#3\\ The first correct attitude is to be beggarly in spirit.
(1) "in spirit" - Notice that this attitude immediately takes
us to the heart of the matter, our spirit.
(a) Each of these attitudes relate to the inner man.
(b) Although I do not completely understand the relationship
of soul and spirit, both of them together describe the
inner workings of a human.
i. Every person IS a soul.
Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
aa. The soul is that part of a person that thinks,
loves, remembers.
bb, The souls is eternal.
ii. Every soul HAS a BODY and a SPIRIT.
aa. The body and the spirit greatly influence
the soul.
bb. The body is the soul’s extension into the
physical world.
cc. The spirit is the soul’s extension into the
spiritual world.
iii. The spirit of the lost does not reach out to God.
Rather, it reaches out to Satan and so the soul can
be greatly influenced by satanic spirits.
Luke 4:33 And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean
devil, and cried out with a loud voice,
iv. The spirit of the saved reaches out to God.
Acts 10:19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold,
three men seek thee.
v. Our spirit helps us to reason and understand.
1 Corinthians 2:11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of
man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of
God.
(c) Every decision of a soul is influenced by his spirit.
(d) Having the right kind of spirit will determine
how much God’s Holy Spirit can influence us.
(2) The one who will be favored by God will have a poor spirit.
(a) Poor means beggarly, one destitute, one needy.
(b) The one whom God will notice and favor will realize in
his spirit that he has nothing.
(c) He or she will be totally dependent upon God for
guidance, for counsel, for understanding.
(d) In their actions, this person will like be humble toward
others as well.
(3) This person will be rewarded by God.
(a) "theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
(b) This reward is an example of an opposite. This person
goes from knowing that they have nothing to having
everything in God’s kingdom.
(c) This reward is granted in two ways.
i. In eternity, the Christian who learned to be poor
in spirit on earth will inherit all that is God’s.
aa. God’s kingdom will be his not only to enjoy,
but to use.
bb. As this is a reward to the Christian who
actually achieves a level of spiritual
growth, it would stand to reason that not all
Christians will enjoy God’s kingdom to the
same extend.
ii. This reward begins on earth.
aa. This is not merely an eternal reward.
bb. Although poor in this life’s good, this person
will have dialogue and power with God.
cc. John the Baptist’s personal power is a recent
example of one who was dependent upon God.
b. \\#4\\ The second correct attitude is to be mournful.
(1) We remember that some things are the same for all of these
attitudes:
(a) They all deal with the spirit.
i. Mourning is an ability of the spirit or the inner
man.
ii. This is a hurt which reaches deeper than the flesh
or even the mind.
(b) Obedience with this attitude gives us the "blessed"
standing before God; that is, God takes notice of
it and approves.
(c) This reward is also an opposites. In one manner or
another, the rights and statuses that we surrender
now, God will restore (with interest) to us later.
(2) To mourn in the spirit is to be sorrowful, to lament, to wail.
(a) This attitude is normally brought on by two conditions.
i. A deep loss or heartbreak can bring on mourning.
aa. This would be an involuntary mourning, perhaps
associated with a death or tragedy.
bb. The Bible tells us of the benefit of such
difficulties.
Ps 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy
statutes.
Jer 31:9 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I
will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they
shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
13 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together:
for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them
rejoice from their sorrow.
ii. A person can choose to mourn.
aa. This is also spoken of Scripture.
Jas 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to
mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Romans 12:15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Ec 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of
feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart
is made better.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in
the house of mirth.
bb. This would typically be a situation where a
person chooses to set their joy aside to join
in another’s mourning.
cc. This would be the spirit of a sympathetic
person.
dd. While it might seem a strange act to choose a
sorrowful heart, doing so is the essence of
intercessory prayer.
ee. We cannot carry a burden we do not feel.
(b) Regardless of whether the condition is involuntary or
not, our Lord promises a reward to those who spirit
mourns.
i. "they shall be comforted" - The implication is that
God will comfort the mourner.
ii. The question to ask would be, "When will this
comfort come and what form will it take?"
aa. No doubt there will be great comfort when we
get to heaven. That would be obvious. One
must believe that the intended meaning of the
promise is there will be comfort here and now,
comfort for the brokenhearted to aid and
strengthen them.
bb. As to the form that comfort might take, the
promise does not say. Through experience, I
have seen times when God remedies the
situation that caused the mourning. I have
also seen times when God sent His presence in
a supernatural way, a way which even though my
heart was still heavy, I could rejoice, not
only in my Savior but even in the problem that
He had allowed in my life.
c. \\#5\\ Another correct attitude is to be meek.
(1) The word "meekness" means having a mild disposition, a gentle
spirit.
(a) Here again, we see this attitude deals with our spirit,
our inner man, but it will manifest itself outwardly.
(b) A person who is meek in spirit will be a person who has
authority, power, or rights, but will not demand them.
(c) And we remember again that heeding to this attitude
gains us favored status before God - BLESSED.
(2) A meek spirit can be displayed in two ways.
(a) We should have a meek spirit toward God.
i. This would be a spirit that is humble before God,
realizing that He is Master, Lord, and Sovereign.
ii. This attitude will allow one to accept God’s
dealings as good, without disputing or resisting
them.
(Online Bible Greek Lexicon for word 4239.)
(b) We should have a meek spirit toward others.
i. Jesus displayed this spirit frequently.
ii. As God, Jesus had all power at His disposal,
but He did not use it toward others.
iii. He was humble, restraint, and even submissive.
Isa 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he
is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb,
so he openeth not his mouth.
iv. This kind of meekness is not a weakness. Quite
often those who display meekest have great power;
but they choose, for the sake of others and the
glory of God, not to use it.
(3) Meekness is often seen in godly people.
(a) Moses - Leader of Israel but he would not defend himself.
He let God do it.
Numbers 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon
the face of the earth.)
(b) Samuel - Samuel, a prophet and judge over Israel who never
abused the people nor took advantage of his position.
1Sam 12:1 And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your
voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you.
2 And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and,
behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto
this day.
3 Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed:
whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom
have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes
therewith? and I will restore it you.
4 And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou
taken ought of any man’s hand.
5 And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is
witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He
is witness.
A.W. Tozer once wrote, The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of
his own inferiority. Rather he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as
strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted
God’s estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God
declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is in the
sight of God of more importance than angels. In himself, nothing; in God,
everything. That is his motto."
http://christianlibrary.org/authors/Grady_Scott/matt5-5.htm
(4) The reward - "they shall inherit the earth"
(a) Those who display meekness will often deny their natural,
carnal desires to promote themselves.
(b) This will cause them to do without. Sometimes even
causing them to do without those things which should
justly be their own.
(c) So to those who are willing to do without prestige,
position, and power on earth, God will give them
the world tomorrow.
(d) What does this reward really entail?
i. While God can create a world and give it to whomever
He desires, that is probably not the intended
meaning of this passage.
ii. Rather, in the world to come, God shall most likely
give to this saint the very things he or she was
willing to sacrifice, namely, prestige, position,
and power.
iii. This reward might come through a position of
leadership or authority.
d. \\#6\\ A correct attitude is to be hungry for righteousness.
(1) To "hunger and thirst after righteousness" is to have an
insatiable appetite for righteousness.
(a) Again, Jesus is speaking of a desire within a person’s
spirit.
(b) All people know what it is a to hunger after food or to
thirst after water.
(c) Some may have experienced such a strong desire that they
would have died if they had not soon gotten them.
(d) Such a desire fills our mind, aches our body, and greatly
controls our actions.
(e) This is the kind of hunger the blessed will have after
righteousness.
(2) This will be a hunger both to be righteous and to do righteous
deeds.
(a) The one cannot be had without the other.
(b) One cannot be righteous without doing right deeds, and
one could not do right deeds without having a righteous
spirit.
(c) A drive to be righteous is an attitude of the spirit.
(d) The drive to do righteous deeds is an outward
manifestation of a righteous spirit.
(3) As with the other beatitudes, having this characteristic
will make a person blessed, favored by God.
(4) And, as with some of the others, having this characteristic
will bring a paradoxical reward.
(a) When one is hunger or thirsty, they have a lacking.
(b) Jesus’ reward is that they will be filled.
i. It is interesting that Jesus does not specify
what the hunger and thirsty spirit will be filled
with.
ii. One would have to suppose they would be filled
with that which they have hungered after, namely
righteousness.
(c) The reward seems to be that those who hunger and
thirst to be righteous and to do righteous acts
will receive what they so long after.
e. \\#7\\ Another correct attitude is to be merciful.
(1) Mercy is withholding due punishment.
(a) Mercy has a close kinship with forgiveness, kindness,
and graciousness.
(b) Throughout this life, we will have situations in
which we will have been wronged.
(c) How we deal with those who wrong us will tell a good
bit about who we are.
(d) Our Lord wants us to be merciful to those who wrong
us just as He is merciful to us.
(2) The reward for being merciful is that you will "obtain mercy."
(a) Mercy is something that you cannot receive if you
are not willing to give it.
Mt 6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses.
Mt 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your
hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
(b) Yet, to give mercy is not an action easily mastered.
(c) A spirit like the one described in the other beatitudes
is required.
(3) Again we are reminded that a correct attitudes will lead us to
do correct actions.
(a) If our spirit is right, it will influence our soul
to make correct decisions concerning how we behave.
(b) It might be that having the four attitudes Jesus gave are
the prerequisites to being able to do the actions He
expects.
f. \\#8\\ Yet another correct attitude is to be pure in heart.
(1) "in heart" - This phrase reminds us that Christ is speaking
of the inner man. If our heart can be changed, our actions
will surely follow.
(2) To be pure is to be clean, without contamination, without
defilement.
(3) So Christ is speaking of having a spirit that is clean,
without defilement, without the contaminates of this carnal
world.
(4) This type of purity would manifest itself in a righteous,
holy lifestyle, so again, the actions and attitude follow
each other.
(5) "for they shall see God" - The reward
(a) This reward is not paradoxical but climatic.
(b) Because the follower is willing to separate from the
filth of this world, he or she is granted access into
God’s presence.
(c) Since this is given as a reward to those who have a pure
spirit, it would seem likely that there is something
unique about it.
i. From a general understanding of the Bible, it seems
that all believers will see God in heaven.
ii. This "reward" would indicate that the follower then
has a closer relationship with God.
iii. This is another of those rewards which I believe
begins on earth and is completed in heaven.
g. \\#9\\ A correct attitude is to be a peacemaker.
(1) The word "peacemaker" is defined as one who bring harmony,
peace, or reconciliation between two, whether it be two
people, two nations, or two forces.
(a) The human heart is such that is common for men to stir up
strife in an attempt to widen the divide that separates
instead of attempting to narrow them.
(b) This verse makes it obvious that God’s desire is for men
to walk together in harmony not conflict.
(2) As with the previous Beatitudes, this is both an attitude and
an action.
(a) That means it is something we must do because it is
birthed from the spirit within us.
(b) Even as conflicts arise in their lives, Christians should
desire to resolve them as graciously as possible and
then set out to fulfill that desire.
(c) Christians ought to be an example of being able to
disagree politely.
i. In the years as pastor of this church, there have
been many disagreements.
ii. However, I do not recall a single conflict.
iii. Christian brother and sister should practice the
arts of tolerance, kindness, and doing what is
right with compassion.
(3) Even when all issues cannot be resolved, it is better for men
to agree to disagree politely than to argue and fight.
(a) Resolutions are not always possible. Some differences
are ideological or even more important, spiritual, and
cannot be compromised.
(b) However, anger, conflict, fighting, and wars are not
God’s usual means of resolutions.
i. Of course there are exceptions.
ii. God Himself had Israel fight with and destroy the
nations who had the land He gave to Israel.
iii. And God will ultimately cut off all of those who
come against Israel with violence and bloodshed.
iv. However, while violence and conflict may be required
to vanquish an enemy, most people are NOT our
enemy and do not need to be treated as they are.
(4) This Beatitude not only takes into account the internal desire
to make peace and the external action to practice it in
one’s own life, but it would also allow the Christian to
practice the art on others.
(a) Certainly, the first place a peacemaker ought to practice
making peace is in his/her own life.
(b) Yet there is more than enough discord to go around.
(c) The person who successfully demonstrates the ability to
make peace with others will see opportunities to bring
that peace to the multitudes as well.
(5) The reward of peacemaking is to "be called the children of
God."
(a) This is not a paradoxical or climatic reward. It is a
complementally reward.
(b) We are called after the name of our father.
i. To be called a child of God is to be called after His
name.
ii. As children take on the characteristics of their
parents, so this Christian as taken on the
characteristic of his Father.
iii. This is a great compliment.
iv. When we bring peace to ourselves and to others, we
are doing what our heavenly Father did by sending
His Son to this world to die for our sins.
h. \\#10-12\\ The last Beatitude is to be longsuffering.
(1) Our Lord devoted more time to this Beatitude than to any other
and most of what He said had to do with persecution.
(2) \\#10-11\\ Twice the Lord pronounces the heavenly standing
of those who will endure persecution, BLESSED.
(3) And twice the Lord describes the persecuted life.
(a) \\#10\\ "they which are persecuted for righteousness’
sake" - A description of the saved being oppressed for
doing what is right.
(b) \\#11\\ "when men shall revile you, persecute you, and
say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake"
A description of the saved being hated, hunted and hurt,
and lied about for belonging to Jesus.
(c) In both of these situations, the believer must simply
suffer, with no recourse but to seek the Lord.
(d) This is an illustration of longsuffering.
(4) And twice the Lord describes a similar paradoxical reward.
(a) \\#10\\ "for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" - This
is actually a repeated reward from \\#3\\, given to
those who are poor in spirit.
i. Perhaps this is because the persecuted one would have
to be poor in spirit to withstand this kind of
treatment and not recant his Lord.
ii. Having rights to the kingdom of heaven is a far cry
from being abused by the inhabitants of this world.
(b) \\#12\\ "for great is your reward in heaven" - This
reward is undisclosed.
i. The only things told us about this aspect of the
reward is that….
aa. It will be dispensed in heaven.
bb. It will be great.
cc. It is worth great joy and celebration.
ii. Since this reward is a heavenly reward of great joy,
it is similar in some ways to receiving the kingdom,
but the exact nature is keep secret until given.
(5) And there is one observation.
(a) \\#12\\ "for so persecuted they the prophets which were
before you" - Being persecuted like Jesus described puts
the persecuted in the same category as the great
prophets who have gone on before us.
(b) I suspect that most who receive this reward will think
they are worthy of it, for what others have endured
always seems more extraordinary when someone else does
it.
(c) To the shame of this world, many shall receive this
reward.
<Outline
Index> <Close Window>
