There are many theological threads in this introduction to the Sermon on the Mount, here I want to settle on just three points which will resonate through the rest of the Sermon.
The Kingdom of God. There is an eschatological promise in the beatitudes; there is coming a time when the people of God will experience a reward for their oppression and perseverance (Allison, The Sermon on the Mount, 42). These promises are all related to the hope for a restored kingdom for Israel in the future.
Here is but one example of dozens of texts in the prophets with similar expectations. The conclusion to the first half of the book of Isaiah begins with a judgment of the nations using Edom as a model of Israel’s enemy. Isaiah 34:2-4 describes an apocalyptic judgment on the nations. The Lord will utterly destroy them, they will wither like leaves on the vine. But in 34:16-16 the Lord gathers his people back to their allotment and “they will possess it forever.” Feeble hands will be made strong, the eyes of the blind will be opened, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap, and the mute will speak (35:5-6). The way to Zion will be opened and the redeemed will travel this “way of holiness” in gladness and joy (35:9-10). The prophets anticipate Israel’s liberation from her enemies but also a time of Edenic peace and prosperity.
Although the kingdom is in many ways still future (from both the perspective of Jesus and the present church), there are some aspects of that kingdom immediately present in the ministry of Jesus. Immediately following the Sermon, Matthew collects a series of stories which indicate the Kingdom of God is in some ways present in Jesus’ ministry. For example, the first story is the healing of a man with leprosy. Jesus makes him clean, the verb (καθαρίζω) is cognate to the noun used in Matthew 5:8, the “pure (καθαρός) in heart.” Although this man is made clean physically, he has “seen God” in Jesus.
In Matthew 11:1-5 disciples of John the Baptist ask Jesus if he is the messiah, and Jesus responds by pointing to the many miracles and healings which bear witness to a messianic outpouring of the Spirit of God. In 11:6 he concludes by pronouncing a blessing on those who do not stumble on account of him.
The kingdom is therefore present in the ministry of Jesus in a very real way. People are experiencing the presence of the king. These are a foretaste of the kingdom expected in by prophets in the Hebrew Bible.
Reversal of Expectation. “The beatitudes “present true human flourishing as entailing suffering as Jesus’s disciples await God’s coming kingdom that Jesus is inaugurating” (Pennington, Sermon on the Mount, 153). In each of the beatitudes there is a reversal of what the outside might think is the way to receive blessing from God. The obvious example is the blessing pronounced on those who suffer for the sake of Jesus.
Suffering is not usually something people rejoice in, so to say, “the way to flourish as a human is to suffer for the sake of Jesus” would have surprised, even shocked the Jewish listener who would see suffering as a sign of judgment for sin. A later Greco-Roman reader would also consider this a strange saying since the pursuit of honor in the Roman world left little room for suffering on account of a crucified criminal!
Redefining Happiness. The form of a beatitude implies the one who does part one of the saying will be happy because part two of the saying will make them happy. But as Scot McKnight observes, these sayings are not descriptions of happiness in the modern sense of the word. Just google “how to be happy” as see all the pages listing “fifteen ways” to be happy: smile, meditate, spend time outside (on the warm day) or with friends, practice gratitude, etc. Although these are all very good things to consider, they are not at all what these eight beatitudes describe as happiness. Modern happiness tends to be focused on my personal happiness, feeling good about myself.
These eight beatitudes are all other focused, being a peacemaker is not about your personal happiness but rather reconciling others; one cannot “show mercy” without acting on behalf of others.
In addition, these beatitudes redefine happiness as future oriented. Even if this exact moment seems oppressive and difficult, the person truly seeking the will of God always has confidence the struggle is worth it because God is working in history to re-establish his order on the chaos of creation. If we focus our happiness on ourselves and this particular moment, then we will probably not be total happy.
Reblogged this on James' Ramblings.
The beatitudes are a very interesting way for Jesus to start off his sermon. Obviously, it is a very effective intro, perfectly communicating not only the point of the message, but also why the people around him should listen. However, when it comes to their theology, how often do we as Christians really understand what he is saying and live in a way that reflects it? rarely do I feel blessed because of my mourning, or because poorness or meekness. I often pray in those times for God to save me from those things, to deliver me so that I can be comfortable again, so I can feel safe again.
The theology of the beatitudes is not only shocking to the Jewish listener of the time, but to every reader and listener after. What would it be like to live in a way that reflected the beatitudes? To live like the beatitudes were true and real and actually mattered? Are we meant to go out and throw away everything we have so that we can be blessed? No, God calls us to be good stewards of what we have, so that can’t be the call. (1st Peter 4:10) No, the beatitudes are not talking about seeking the blessing, seeking to be happy, seeking to become these things that Jesus lists so we can be blessed from that. The beatitudes are all about James 1, saying that “count it pure joy when you go through trials of many kinds.” (James 1:2) When we are poor, know that we will be blessed. When we are mourning, know that we will be comforted. When we are meek, know that we will inherit the earth.
When looking at the theology of the beatitudes it can be easy to get bogged down on all of the ‘blessed’ statements, but there are other important messages that we can easily overlook. The first section of your blog centers on the eschatological promise in the beatitudes. While the result of the Fall is present throughout Scripture, hope for the Kingdom of God is present, as well. The life of Jesus alone and His entire ministry is proof that His Kingdom can be restored no matter how fallen the world is. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).The second thing that I found interesting was the reversal of expectation. In modern Christianity it is popular to assume that we will be blessed in this world. The beatitudes remind us that the suffering we experience on earth is preparing us to be blessed after our earthly life. As you say, suffering is not something we normally rejoice in, but Jesus calls us to rejoice in the suffering because it will be worth it eternally. “But rejoice in as much as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:13). The third thing is redefining happiness. Modern happiness focuses on the personal feeling of fulfillment or happiness, but the happiness that is discussed in the beatitudes is that of communal joy felt when living life for the Lord. “And that’s the tea sis (or bro…).” (Lauren MacDonald, 2024).