At the beginning of Matthew 5, Jesus spoke what is often referred to as the “beatitudes.” In these verses, Jesus describes the person who finds favor with God and is thus truly and richly blessed.
The Poor in Spirit: Jesus began the beatitudes with the words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3).
The one who is poor in spirit recognizes how hopeless we are without God. This is an attitude that involves recognizing we have sinned (Rom. 3:23), and thus need, but don’t deserve, His grace (Rom. 6:23).
Those Who Mourn: Jesus continued the beatitudes by saying, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4). Jesus may have been referring here to one who mourns due to persecution, or one who sorrows for the wickedness of the world. It could also be that Jesus is including one who recognizes how grievous sin is, and thus mourns with godly sorrow over his or her sins (2 Cor. 7:9-10), causing repentance.
The Meek: Jesus next said, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:5).
The meekness God commands is not a “push-over” attitude (Eph. 4:14), but an attitude related to self-control, humility, and proper submissiveness. Meekness allows one to be directed. Meekness applies to how we treat others. Foremost, though, meekness involves submission to God. Meekness means letting God mold us like clay as we receive His instruction (Jas. 1:21).
Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness: Jesus continued His teaching about our attitude toward God’s will: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6).
We should earnestly strive to be right with God by doing what He says is right, which requires us to have a great appetite for learning what He says is right (1 Pet. 2:2).
The Merciful: While the first four beatitudes focus primarily on one’s attitude toward God, the next four focus a lot on our attitudes toward others. This is seen in Matthew 5:7: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Being merciful includes having a willingness to forgive others. Jesus spoke a parable in Matthew 18:23-35 that teaches our need to be forgiving. This parable tells of a servant whose master was willing to forgive him of a debt he could not pay, but this same servant was unwilling to show mercy toward a fellow servant.
An interesting thing about this parable is that the servant owed his master about 600,000 times as much as his fellow servant owed him (verses 24, 28). This contrast has a lesson for us. No one has wronged us nearly as much as we have wronged God. If He is willing to show us mercy, how much more should we be merciful to others?
The Pure in Heart: Jesus next said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8).
Many in Jesus’ day focused on the “outward man” only, while ignoring the inward man (cf. Matt. 23:25-28). While God commands righteous actions and words, He wants us to do and speak things that come from a sincere heart.
The Peacemakers: Jesus went on to say, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God” (Matt. 5:9). In the context, it appears Jesus is foremost talking about seeking peace with others. We should do the best we can to pursue this (Rom 12:18).
Those Persecuted for Righteousness’ Sake: Jesus continued by saying “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:10).
Those who live godly will face persecution of some kind (2 Tim. 3:12). This can be mental persecution, such as being mocked, falsely accused, or un-befriended. While it is hard to consider oneself blessed in this situation, those who face this glorify God (1 Pet. 4:14), and those who endure will receive eternal life (Rev. 2:10). May we be among those who fit Jesus’ description of the one who is blessed.
– Michael Hickox