Summer Blessings: Introduction to the Beatitudes

The Beatitudes, in Matthew 5:1-12, introduce the Sermon on the Mount. 

After his baptism and subsequent testing in the desert, Jesus has begun his ministry proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”   Repent is translated from the Greek word metanoeo {met-an-o-eh'-o} meaning to turn around, to see from new point of view, to walk in a different direction.   And why should we turn around?  “The kingdom of heaven is near,” says Jesus.  Kingdom is translated from the word basileia {bas-il-i'-ah} which means having the authority and power to reign over or to rule.   The Sermon on the Mount is all about the kingdom, or more accurately understood, the Reign of God.

Jesus has called the disciples to be “fishers of people.”   He has traveled throughout Galilee teaching, preaching, and healing.  Great crowds have begun to follow him.  He leads the disciples up on a mountain and is joined by crowds … where he delivers the Sermon on the Mount.

The word Beatitude is translated from the Greek word makarioi {mak-ar'-ee-oy}.   The literary form of the beatitude had been around for a long time when Jesus created these teachings.  In the Old Testament, we find beatitudes most commonly in wisdom literature, such as the psalms and proverbs.   Modern translations today translate the word, makarios {mak-ar'-ee-os} as “blessed” which evokes the sense of the deep joy of God’s presence, even in circumstances that are less than ideal.  

In Matthew’s beatitudes we find a sense of irony through which Jesus challenges us to see from a new perspective, a “reign of God” perspective, which emerges from the spiritual realm rather than the worldly (materialistic) realm.    The focus of the beatitudes is not on any gift we receive but the Giver who gives! 
Each of the beatitudes is composed of a statement of who is blessed followed by a statement of why the person is blessed.  The main body of the beatitudes was written with a special symmetric order or pattern called a chiasm, which is a form of parallelism. 

There are 8 verses in the main body.  These 8 verses can be divided into 2 sets of 4 verses.  The first set emphasizes our vertical relationship to God (Love God), and the second set emphasizes our horizontal relationship to people (Love others as self).  

‘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 receive 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 for righteousness’ sake,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Notice the kingdom of heaven is mentioned in the first and last verse of the passage.  They are the bookend verses which hold the teachings of the beatitudes together and alert us to the theological purpose of the Sermon on the Mount overall and of the beatitudes in focus.  This purpose is centered on the reign of God.   *Please note that verse 11 is an expansion of verse 10 and does not introduce a new blessing. 
Jesus calls us and challenges us and empowers us to live in the kingdom of heaven … under the reign of God as a way of life.  The way of the world is domination and social hierarchy.  The way of Jesus is humility and egalitarianism.  

Marjorie Thompson says, “Deep inside the spiritual wisdom of the Beatitudes lies a paradox that runs through the heart of the gospel:  The power within and behind the entire universe does not assert itself as raw power; it is, rather, revealed in self-effacing humility and love.  Jesus shows us the transforming power of the self-emptying love of God.”  (Companions in Christ: The Way of Blessedness, 23)

Jesus: One Who Blesses

Who is Jesus?  A bible study through the season after Epiphany during which you use the See-Judge-Act methodology.  Aida Irizarry-Fernandez describes this way of bible study as an "action/reflection process rooted in liberation theology and thinking." (Engaging the Bible: Critical Readings from Contemporary Women chapter III "A Communal Reading" page 17)  You'll need an open heart, a willing spirit, and a creative imagination to explore the text in this way.  When you finish your study, discover your own breath prayer.  The breath prayer is an ancient form of repetitive prayer which will emerge from your engagement with the biblical text.  

Study Suggestion:  Why not consider asking a few people to join you in a "communal" reading using this See-Judge-Act method!  

"Image(s) courtesy of www.HolyLandPhotos.org"

Matthew 5:1-12          When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him.  Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
     "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 receive 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 for righteousness' sake,
              for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
     "Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and
             utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  

             Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, 

             for in the same way they persecuted the prophets  who were before you.

Movement 1/See (Read the Text closely/Examination:) We pay attention to the story, the characters, and their original context.   Re-create the scene in your mind’s eye.  Consider time, place, and people.  Consider what you learn from your five senses.    What do you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch?    Visualize what Jesus was doing as he engaged other people … family, friends, strangers and enemies.

Last week Matthew told us that Jesus was a teacher, a preacher, and a healer.  This week we begin five weeks through the “Sermon on the mount” during which we experience Jesus as he “teaches” and “preaches” to the disciples and to his followers.  It is significant that Jesus goes up on the mountain for this long discourse about living in the kingdom of God.  For the Hebrew people mountains were what Celtic Christians would refer to as "thin places" or places where one comes close to God.  Although no one knows exactly where the Sermon on the Mount was delivered, the photo above gives a view of the area tradition refers to as the "Mount of Beatitudes."  These series of blessings are called "the beatitudes."   Let us listen to the text as if Jesus were speaking to us. 

Read the text slowly with a heightened awareness of your senses … what do you see as you are make your way up the mountain where Jesus has gone?  Do you hesitate at all?  Why or why not?  What sounds do you hear on the mountain?  What animals might cross your path?   The teaching is rather strange, not what we normally think.  How do you receive this message of blessedness?  Do you feel blessed through it?   What do you think Matthew trying to communicate to the community about ethical behavior?  Do you agree?   

Movement 2/Judge (Look at your Life/Spiritual Discernment:) We seek to examine our own lives as we live in community ... search the text as you keep it in its original context and bring it into the "now" through the act of cross-cultural reading.   Consider why Jesus acted as he did and said the things that needed to be said.  Concentrate your attention on Jesus as you seek to be formed in his image and live as he lived.

Keep the context of the passage and your examination of the text in your mind and enter into a time of meditation.  In what ways does God speak to you and your community about ethical behavior through this passage?    What does the community need to change their behavior?   What is the good news we need to hear?    So does it seem like good news to you in your circumstances?  How is your community inviting others to hear this good news?

What is God’s purpose for a community that takes this passage seriously?    How does this passage challenge our way of considering our blessedenss?     How can we embody and encourage the flourishing of the kingdom of God … right where we are?

How does this passage challenge the way I behave toward other people?  What changes do I need to make in ... my behavior, my perspective, my way of thinking or my way of praying in light of what I have learned through this text?  What invitation do I hear the Spirit whispering in my soul?

Movement 3/Act (Take action in Light of your Faith/Transformation:) We are called to work so that the reign of God can be realized in the world today.  Work with creativity and compassion, follow the Spirit, meditate on the Word and expect that God will show you how to take action as you apply what you have learned.

What steps does my community or do I need to take in order to respond to the invitation God gives us to change our behavior?  Who can I invite to help me change?  How will we grow into disciples that invite others to change their behavior without coercion?   What are the benefits and the costs that our changes with bring to family, congregation, and/or community?  How can I make this world a better place for people to live?  What would my life look like if the reign of God were realized in my heart?   in my community?

Prayer:  “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required.”  (Luke 12:48b NRSV)  As we are called to act, we sincerely seek the empowerment of Spirit and we are changed.  We become more like Christ.   

I invite you to discover your breath prayer

• Take time to quiet yourself within. Acknowledge and then let go of all your busy   thoughts.
• Allow a “new” name for God to emerge or simply use the name you usually use when you pray to God
• Consider the invitation to follow Jesus that emerged during your time of study
• Work with your words until you have about 6-8 syllables which is the most comfortable to breathe … or pray this one: 

        (breath in) Sweet Jesus … (breath out) change my heart  

As you continue to pray your prayer as you breathe throughout the day, you may find that God’s invitation seeps into you and that God’s love begins to flow in to you and out from you into a world that hurts.

If Music is a Pathway to God for you, listen to this beautiful piano accompaniment as the Beatitudes scroll …