The Right Attitude With The Beatitudes
Matthew 5, which we call the Sermon on the Mount, is a very well known portion of Scripture, especially the Beatitudes, but is probably the least portion that is lived out in our walk with God.
Matthew 5:3 tells us this, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The question is do we know what poor in spirit is? How can we live it, if we don’t even know what it means? To be poor is to be depleted of the world’s goods, to be afflicted and in need, to have to rely on others or other means to be sustained. Now apply that to your spirit.
Yeshua taught His disciples that the rich will struggle to enter into the kingdom as it says in Matthew 19:24, “And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” But is this the same as being poor in spirit? In some ways yes and in other ways no. A person with money has many opportunities afforded him because of his money. This can make a person rely on himself or should I say his money. But a poor person must rely on the generosity of others. This brings us to the next Beatitude.
Matthew 5:4 continues, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” This is inner grieving, when your soul is in anguish. A poor person grieves his inability to care for himself and his family. He does not have the comforts like a rich person has. Which brings us to the next Beatitude.
Matthew 5:5 says, “Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth.” Many translations use the word humble or meek instead of gentle. Yeshua tells His disciples this story in Luke 14:7-11, “ Now He began telling a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, “Whenever you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and the one who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then in disgrace you will proceed to occupy the last place. But whenever you are invited, go and take the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are dining at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
As we see from this story that God does not favor the proud, but the humble. The one who recognizes within himself that he no matter what his circumstances are is in need. For we all lack, because we all need the Lord. We all grieve inwardly because we can never get as close to the Lord as we should. We all should realize that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. In fact all creation mourns as Romans 8:22-24 tells us, We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?”
So we begin to see what the Beatitudes are all about. Yeshua was teaching His disciples about how they should go about in this world. Romans 12:3 tells us this, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.”
Once we understand this then we can see why Yeshua concluded His story by saying this in Luke 14:12-15, “Now He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, “Whenever you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor wealthy neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you to a meal in return, and that will be your repayment. But whenever you give a banquet, invite people who are poor, who have disabilities, who are limping, and people who are blind; and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Now when one of those who were reclining at the table with Him heard this, he said to Him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the Kingdom of God!”
When we have the right perspective on life then we can go about doing the Master’s work, for then we shall be like Him.
That brings us to Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” By now you should be hungry and thirsty to do righteousness, because you have prepared your soul and your spirit to do the right thing in life, to have the right attitude and to no longer see the world through your eyes but through the eyes of the Master Yeshua. Matthew 5:7 goes on to say, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. To show mercy and to offer grace should come easy now. Godliness has grown within you and finally you are now able to have a pure heart as Matthew 5:8 tells us, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” As you should have seen by now that as you go you are reaping what you are sowing. The Laws of reciprocity are in play. Those who mourn will be comforted, those who hunger and thirst will be satisfied, those who show mercy, will receive mercy. When you grow in the beatitudes you see that you too, will receive the kingdom, and inherit the earth and you will see God. As we have walked through the beatitudes, we started with letting go of this world and depending on God, spiritually, as well as physically. He is our source. We mourn and long for the day of our adoption, the fulfilment of our salvation. Matthew 5:9 tells us, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” Yeshua told His disciples, If they hated me they will hate you also“ as John 15:18-25 tells us, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed My teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of My name, for they do not know the one who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates Me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both Me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated Me without reason.” The world will know that we are the sons of God by our love. Matthew 5: 10-11 tells us,
“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (This is where we started) “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
So now you know how it all comes together. Like each piece of the Armor of God is a lifestyle, so too, is the Beatitudes, and you too, can begin to live them out.
Be blessed with the Beatitudes when you have the right attitude.
Tweet this!