Expounding Sermon on the Mount
Key Verses: 3, 13, 15, 17, 20, 28, 32, 37, 48
The beatitudes present us with such a contrast that it is often hard to understand what Jesus is saying in these words. I think the key is that the first attitude is poverty of spirit and the result happens in the current time. The remaining of the attitudes have a future reward, except the last one about persecution. When we are poor in spirit we recognize our inability to gain God’s favor. We are poor spiritually, in fact we are broke! When we acknowledge this, the result is that God is able to fill the void with Himself. We join His kingdom. Then the other attitudes take their place in our lives and we move toward the corresponding reward. But none of these attitudes are natural to the human condition. None of us like mourning, or meekness, or exercising mercy on their own. In fact, we tend toward the opposite of these things. So, in order to overcome them, we must recognize and acknowledge our inability, our poverty of spirit.
When we face the possibility of persecution, and even death, we must really make a commitment. Not too many sane people will die for something they don’t really believe in wholeheartedly. Like salt, persecution tests us. The character inside becomes evident. If we only have the appearance of belief, persecution will make that obvious. Tasting makes worthless salt known. Persecution makes our character known, shining like a light, or blazingly dark.
The standard for Christian behavior is much higher than that of the religious superstars of Jesus day. Each of the standards that they kept and taught and took great pride in keeping, each one is raised by Jesus. It is not enough to not murder, you must not even have a judgmental attitude. Lust, unbridled sexual desire, has no place in the believer’s life. We can’t treat someone as an object for our pleasure. Jesus wants more than justice: He wants generosity of spirit.
We are called to be perfect! That word in Greek means mature, at the end of the process of growth, complete in all its parts. An apple is an apple even when it is small and not ready for eating. But it is not perfect. It needs to grow more to become fully an apple, ready for its intended purpose. God is calling us to this kind of maturity. It is not enough to get “saved” at the altar. Our commitment must change our character so that we can become one who is fully useful as God intended.
The Arnold Journey 