Tackling The Beatitudes

[Beetow]

Our subject material is located in a section of the so-called Sermon On The Mount (Matt 5:1-7:29). There's also a so-called Sermon On The Plain too (Luke 6:17-7:49) but it doesn't contain a complete list.

When I was a growing boy, the church I attended typically recited the beatitudes at the end of services; but with no accompanying explanations. As a result, they meant nothing to me in a personal way. It was just more rote drilled into my head like everything else I was taught back in those days.

I discovered later on that the beatitudes are not something to be admired; no, they're something to be feared because according to Christ's testimony, as an expert witness in all matters pertaining to piety; failure to exemplify the beatitudes will result in disaster.

● Matt 7:26-27 . . Everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house; and it collapsed and was completely ruined.

» I'm a strong believer in giving viewers a second opinion; so if somebody out there would like to chime in with views that oppose mine; more power to them because Jesus' little one-liners are not all that easy to interpret sometimes; at least not for me anyway.
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[Beetow]

● Matt 5:3 . . Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

That's a fairly easy beatitude to analyze because it's taken from the Old Testament.

"But on this one will I look: on him who is of a poor and contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word." (Isa 66:2)

People poor in spirit as per the first beatitude, don't presume to approach God as His equal nor on their own terms; nor do they take Him for granted; no, they approach Him as a serf approaches a monarch rather than an equal. In other words: they don't complain about the Lord's wishes; instead, they go along with them.

People poor in spirit would never think of standing up to God and asserting their independence; no, that's the attitude of a demon seed: an insolent child; viz: someone who has made themselves their own God.

"A people that provoke me to anger continually to my face . . .which say: Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day." (Isa 65:3-5)

It's almost beyond belief how some people react to God. In my lifetime I've met more than I care to who regard the Lord as a tyrant, a rival, an opponent; and a despotic, thoughtless, sadistic bully. When people like that finally appear before Him in judgment; I seriously doubt they'll be inclined to kneel or bow and talk to Him in soft respectful tones.

No: they will be indignant, assertive, loud, confrontational, insulted, and furious; and they will argue vehemently, pointing out where it is actually He who is the one in the wrong. At that time they will no doubt insist, as they do even now, that the Bible's God is a heartless monster who has no clue about the meanings of peace, love, and understanding. And of course they'll accuse Him of product liability for deliberately creating a species of intelligent creatures with the capability to go bad and do terrible things.

When those kinds of people are brought up out of hades to face justice at the Great White Throne event as per Rev 20:11-15, I rather suspect they will be shackled in body chains and escorted by angelic corrections officers to prevent them from lunging at the man appointed by God to pass judgment on their behavior.

"Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22)

"God has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all by raising him from the dead." (Acts 17:31)
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[Beetow]

● Matt 5:4 . . Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

The Greek word translated "blessed" doesn't necessarily indicate the hand of God; it just simply means fortunate, viz: possessing something worth having, e.g. a high IQ, good looks, noble birth, lots of friends, the ability to read and write, courage, beauty, etc.

The Greek word translated "mourn" means to grieve, i.e. sorrow; which can be the result of something lost and/or something wished for that's nigh unto impossible to attain, viz: the impossible dream.

The difference between ordinary mourners and fortunate mourners is that the fortunate ones take the initiative to share their grief with God, and look to Him for relief.

"Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise" (Ps 55:1-2)

Matt 5:4 is underwritten by a passage in the Old Testament that says:

"The spirit of The Lord God is upon me, because The Lord has anointed me; He has sent me as a herald of joy to the humble, to bind up the wounded of heart, to proclaim release to the captives, liberation to the imprisoned; to proclaim a year of The Lord's favor and a day of vindication by our God; to comfort all who mourn-- to provide for the mourners in Zion --to give them a turban instead of ashes, the festive ointment instead of mourning, a garment of splendor instead of a drooping spirit." (Isa 61:1-3)

According to Luke 4:16-21, Jesus claimed that passage pertained specifically to himself; therefore:

● Heb 4:15-16 . .We have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

The Greek word translated "boldly" means to be out-spoken, viz: candid, frank, blunt, and confident. In other words: God prefers conversational prayer rather than the memorized rote chanting practiced by some. When folks are able to share their problems with heaven as if confiding in a friend, then they are on to something worth keeping.
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[Beetow]

● Matt 5:5 . . Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

The third beatitude is another that comes from the Old Testament.

"For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."

Some of the beatitudes contain both a present tense clause and a future tense clause in the same sentence.

"blessed are" is present tense.

"shall inherit" is future tense.

"blessed" is an ambiguous word. Depending upon the application, and/or the context; it can mean fortunate, happy, favored, approved, venerated, contented, honored, respected, successful, prosperous, praise-worthy, privileged, endowed, and/or protected.

According to Christ, the meek are fortunate because it is they who shall inherit, not heaven, but rather, the earth: that's an important distinction.

Why won't they inherit heaven? Because, as every instructed Israelite already knew in Christ's day; the long-anticipated theocratic kingdom won't be up in the celestial regions; but rather, down here on the ground, headquartered in Jerusalem; whose monarch will be one of David's sons; better known in the Old Testament as The Branch and/or the Sprig of Jesse.

So then, among the Israelites; who qualifies as meek? Well; Moses was meek (Num 12:3) and Christ was meek (Matt 11:29, Matt 21:5). Personally I wouldn't categorize either of those two Israelite men as meek. So then, what really is meekness?

The Greek word translated "meek" in the third beatitude is praus (prah-ooce') which means mild.

Webster's defines "mild" as gentle in nature or behavior; viz: temperate; in other words: agreeable, approachable, reasonable, calm, mellow, and self-controlled.

Non-temperate people could be characterized as moody, grudging, irritable, emotional, thin-skinned, belligerent, militant, pugnacious, brawling, defensive, confrontational, and reactive; around whom everybody has to walk on egg shells all the time to avoid setting them off.

A temperate person, though mellow in demeanor, should never be assumed lacking in strength, courage, conviction, or self confidence. Anybody who's studied the lives of Moses and Jesus can easily testify that neither of those men were either timid, wimpy, or vacillating.

Jacob and his dad Isaac were temperate men; but could be assertive when the situation called for it. Temperate people like Jacob and Isaac pick their battles carefully, and avoid getting all riled up over trifles.

Can you just imagine the pleasure of living in a global society composed entirely of temperate people? No more protests, no more demonstrations, no more civil disobedience, no more riots, no more vandalism, no more marches, and no more bullies. That alone would be Nirvana to me.

( This past Flag Day we didn't display our stars and stripes due to fear of violent reprisals by gone-mad political activists. )

The 37th Psalm also promises peace; which implies not only the absence of war; but also the absence of training for war; viz: martial arts and standing armies.

"They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." (Isa 2:4)

"They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid." (Mic 4:4)
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[Beetow]

● Matt 5:6 . . Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

The Greek word translated "righteousness" is dikaiosune (dik-ah-yos-oo'-nay) which basically means equity; roughly defined as the application of law without passion, bias, favoritism, disparity, or prejudice.

In the world we live in today, it is very difficult to find equity; even the nine judges sitting on the US Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, are incapable of it; evidenced by their chronic lack of unanimity on many of the issues that they pick and choose for themselves to take into consideration. And no surprise seeing as how they are typically nominated for the position primarily on the basis of their politics.

I strongly suspect that the blessing spoken of in this beatitude is qualified. In other words; it doesn't pertain to just any wish for equity; rather, to equity as it's predicted in the Old Testament. In a nutshell, there's coming a day that inequity will cease to exist on this planet when Messiah takes over to rule it with fairness across the board regardless of where people fit on the totem pole-- no matter their age, race, or gender, nor how well connected they might be, nor how wealthy, nor how intelligent, nor how beautiful, nor how important, nor how highly positioned, nor how highly esteemed they may be in public opinion.

"Shout joyfully to Jehovah, all the earth; break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises. Sing to Jehovah with the harp, with the harp and the sound of a psalm, with trumpets and the sound of a horn; shout joyfully before Jehovah, the King. Let the sea roar, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell in it; let the rivers clap their hands; Let the hills be joyful together before Jehovah, for He is coming to judge the earth. With righteousness He shall judge the world, and the peoples with equity." (Ps 98:4-9)

"Jehovah is great in Zion, and He is high above all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name-- He is holy. The King's strength also loves justice; you have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob." (Ps 99:2-4)

"With righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked." (Isa 11:4)

So then, the fourth beatitude's blessing pertains to all who long for Messiah's oversight in world affairs.

"The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire : there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." (Matt 13:41-43)

"In keeping with his promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth: the home of righteousness." (2Pet 3:13)
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[Beetow]

● Matt 5:7 . . Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Christ wasn't talking about forgiveness in that beatitude. The word for "merciful" is eleemon (el-eh-ay'-mone) which means: compassionate (as an adjective). And the word for "mercy" is eleeo (el-eh-eh'-o) which means: to pity (as a verb).

So then, what Christ says is: if somebody is by nature cruel, hard hearted, thoughtless, and insensitive; then they will get no sympathy from God.

Webster's defines "cruel" as: (1) disposed to inflict pain or suffering, (2) devoid of humane feelings, (3) causing or conducive to injury, grief, or pain, and (4) unrelieved by leniency.

A well-known example of cruelty is North Korea's Kim Jong-Un, a dictator who squanders billions of dollars on national defense while the growth of something like 30 to 40 percent of North Korea's children is stunted by malnutrition. Adequate health care is available only to a relatively privileged few. There are actually hospitals in North Korea without electricity, medications, and anesthetics. Potable water is another scarcity in North Korea.

But Kim is a red herring because are cruelties far more common than his; for example: demeaning comments, thoughtless remarks, carping criticism, relentless ridicule, bullying, sniping, denigrating labels, hounding, stalking, grudging, needling, perpetual fault-finding, gossip, slander, social sabotage, obnoxious behavior, computer hacking, toxic rejoinders, et al.

There are actually kids right here in the USA growing up in homes where their parents never give them even one atta-boy. As a result, they grow up feeling ugly, unwanted, stupid, useless, marginal, expendable, and unnecessary. There are also kids growing up in homes where mothers never hug them nor bother to take the time to forge a bond between mother and child. Thus they grow up with reactive attachment disorder; feeling convinced that no one could possibly ever love them or be their best friend forever. RAD kids grow up to become adults with some serious trust issues.

"But go and learn what that means: I will have mercy, and not sacrifice." (Matt 9:13)

In order to properly understand Christ's statement; it's necessary to go back into the Old Testament from whence he got it.

"What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears. Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets, I slaughtered you with the words of my mouth; My judgments flashed like lightning upon you. For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." (Hos 6:4-6)

In other words: God accepts Temple sacrifices when they're offered by people who exemplify the milk of human kindness, and He fully rejects the offerings of insensitive clods, which is exactly what the Pharisees of his day were. They knew, and they practiced, the letter of Moses' covenanted law-- they dotted all the I's and they crossed all the T's. But they utterly failed to exemplify the spirit of the law; which is summed up in just one simple statement:

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." (Matt 7:12)

The spirit of Israel's covenanted law applies to Christians too. Maybe your record of church attendance is 100%, and you tithe faithfully every week; but let me tell you something: God is rejecting every last bit of your superficial worship if you are by nature callous and insensitive. You'll be better off spending Sunday morning at a sports bar rather than wasting God's time at church.

"He has told you, O man, what is good-- and what does Jehovah require of you but to love kindness." (Mic 6:8)

Conclusion: Callous people shall be judged with neither kindness, sympathy, nor pity, and then afterwards; slammed with cruel and unusual punishment. Fair's fair.

"For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy." (Jas 2:13)
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[Beetow]

● Matt 5:8 . . Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

A rough-hewn definition of "pure in heart" is when someone is the same on the inside as they are on the outside; which is just the opposite of dissembling; defined as: to put on a false appearance, i.e. conceal facts, intentions, or feelings under some pretense.

Dissembling is a very common form of dishonesty which is practiced by just about everybody at one time or another. Most of us do not always want others to know what we are actually thinking and/or feeling about certain things. The very opposite of that is transparency, which most of us want from others, but prefer not to reciprocate with transparency of our own.

Here's a really good example of someone pure in heart.

"When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." (John 1:47)

Jesus was pure in heart too.

"No deceit was found in his mouth." (1Pet 2:22)

I think we may safely assume there are no exceptions to the sixth beatitude, i.e. no one is exempt; in other words: sincerity and forthrightness aren't optional with God; they're a must.

"Who may ascend into the hill of The Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has . . . a pure heart . . . he shall receive a blessing from The Lord." (Ps 24:3-5)
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[Ivan Chamurliev]

● Matt 5:7 . . Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Christ wasn't talking about forgiveness in that beatitude. The word for "merciful" is eleemon (el-eh-ay'-mone) which means: compassionate (as an adjective). And the word for "mercy" is eleeo (el-eh-eh'-o) which means: to pity (as a verb).

So then, what Christ says is: if somebody is by nature cruel, hard hearted, thoughtless, and insensitive; then they will get no sympathy from God.

Webster's defines "cruel" as: (1) disposed to inflict pain or suffering, (2) devoid of humane feelings, (3) causing or conducive to injury, grief, or pain, and (4) unrelieved by leniency.

A well-known example of cruelty is North Korea's Kim Jong-Un, a dictator who squanders billions of dollars on national defense while the growth of something like 30 to 40 percent of North Korea's children is stunted by malnutrition. Adequate health care is available only to a relatively privileged few. There are actually hospitals in North Korea without electricity, medications, and anesthetics. Potable water is another scarcity in North Korea.

But Kim is a red herring because are cruelties far more common than his; for example: demeaning comments, thoughtless remarks, carping criticism, relentless ridicule, bullying, sniping, denigrating labels, hounding, stalking, grudging, needling, perpetual fault-finding, gossip, slander, social sabotage, obnoxious behavior, computer hacking, toxic rejoinders, et al.

There are actually kids right here in the USA growing up in homes where their parents never give them even one atta-boy. As a result, they grow up feeling ugly, unwanted, stupid, useless, marginal, expendable, and unnecessary. There are also kids growing up in homes where mothers never hug them nor bother to take the time to forge a bond between mother and child. Thus they grow up with reactive attachment disorder; feeling convinced that no one could possibly ever love them or be their best friend forever. RAD kids grow up to become adults with some serious trust issues.

"But go and learn what that means: I will have mercy, and not sacrifice." (Matt 9:13)

In order to properly understand Christ's statement; it's necessary to go back into the Old Testament from whence he got it.

"What can I do with you, Ephraim? What can I do with you, Judah? Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears. Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets, I slaughtered you with the words of my mouth; My judgments flashed like lightning upon you. For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." (Hos 6:4-6)

In other words: God accepts Temple sacrifices when they're offered by people who exemplify the milk of human kindness, and He fully rejects the offerings of insensitive clods, which is exactly what the Pharisees of his day were. They knew, and they practiced, the letter of Moses' covenanted law-- they dotted all the I's and they crossed all the T's. But they utterly failed to exemplify the spirit of the law; which is summed up in just one simple statement:

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." (Matt 7:12)

The spirit of Israel's covenanted law applies to Christians too. Maybe your record of church attendance is 100%, and you tithe faithfully every week; but let me tell you something: God is rejecting every last bit of your superficial worship if you are by nature callous and insensitive. You'll be better off spending Sunday morning at a sports bar rather than wasting God's time at church.

"He has told you, O man, what is good-- and what does Jehovah require of you but to love kindness." (Mic 6:8)

Conclusion: Callous people shall be judged with neither kindness, sympathy, nor pity, and then afterwards; slammed with cruel and unusual punishment. Fair's fair.

"For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy." (Jas 2:13)
_

Hi Beetow. You are right on the most of the things you wrote about the beatitudes. Just on this thread you wrote "if someone by nature is cruel..". I think that most of us by nature are cruel and unbelieving, prideful etc. To fulfill most of the requirements of these beatitudes would be a miracle I would say. And this is what we need in our life. This kind of a miracle. A result of His work in our life. Then we will be transformed and we will be really merciful, pure in heart and we will be able to feel poor in the spirit. If we look at our nature itself, then we will be rather scared. This is what happens to me at least. But if I look at Him with faith and I let Him transform my life, then I can experience this beatitudes in my life. Because the Spirit and the flesh (which is my nature) are opposite. They fight each other. And I need to leave the Spirit work in my life and have faith in Him.

 

[Beetow]

● Matt 5:9 . . Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

The Greek word translated "peacemakers" is eirenopoios (i-ray-nop-oy-os') an ambiguous word that can indicate people who effect peace, and also people who are peaceable in nature. Precisely which is meant in Matt 5:9 is difficult to tell since there's only two places in the entire New Testament where eirenopoios appears-- here and in the passage below :

"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other." (Mark 9:50)

An unrelated passage may shed some light on the correct application of eirenopoios in Matt 5:9 and Mark 9:50.

"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." (Col 4:6)

In other words; speech seasoned with salt indicates a civil tongue in one's head-- a tongue that goes easy on people's nerves rather than a tongue that deliberately grates, stirs the pot, chafes, antagonizes, denigrates, humiliates, demoralizes, ridicules, injures, provokes, demeans, discourages, and tears people down and makes them feel bad about themselves.

There are some people in this world who are simply implacable. They're indignant over everything, For them rivalry, conflict, revenge, retaliation, quarrelling, and grudging are a way of life: every disagreement is an act of war-- their egos are fragile; they're defensive, they're reactive, they're irritable, and they're easily insulted.

They thrive on criticism, carping, finding fault and pointing out mistakes, tattling, bickering, retorts, rejoinders, recriminations, endless debate, telling other people off, and giving people a piece of their mind. And some of them are bullies, meddlers, domineering, imperious, and rumor mongers. And they foster ill will and disharmony by starting a conversation with "you should hear what so-and-so said about you".

Those kinds of people are definitely not of the peaceable genre so they are neither suitable nor acceptable for a room of their own in God's home and a place around His table.

You know, some people don't know it but the Bible's God not only has His standards; but He also has some very strong feelings about the kinds of people with whom He prefers to allow within His inner circle. Do you reserve the right to pick your own friends? Well; so does God; and He definitely does not enjoy being with people who are always ready to fight at the drop of a hat over every perceived injustice, and every trivial little thing that annoys them.

Below are qualities that easily qualify as peaceable.

Cordial stresses warmth and heartiness

Affable implies easy approachability and readiness to respond pleasantly to conversation or requests or proposals

Genial stresses cheerfulness and even joviality

Sociable suggests a genuine liking for the companionship of others

Generous is characterized by a noble or forbearing spirit; viz : magnanimous, kindly, and liberal in giving

Charitable means full of love for, and goodwill toward, others; viz : benevolent, tolerant, and lenient.

Altruistic means unselfish regard for, or devotion to, the welfare of others; viz : a desire to be of service to others for no other reason than it just feels good to do so.

Tactful indicates a keen sense of what to do, or say, in order to maintain good relations with others in order to resolve and/or avoid unnecessary conflict.

The seventh beatitude alone easily disqualifies a good many people from deserving to be honored as sons of God.
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[PloughBoy]

● Matt 5:9 . . Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

The Greek word translated "peacemakers" is eirenopoios (i-ray-nop-oy-os') an ambiguous word that can indicate people who effect peace, and also people who are peaceable in nature. Precisely which is meant in Matt 5:9 is difficult to tell since there's only two places in the entire New Testament where eirenopoios appears-- here and in the passage below :

"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other." (Mark 9:50)

An unrelated passage may shed some light on the correct application of eirenopoios in Matt 5:9 and Mark 9:50.

"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." (Col 4:6)

In other words; speech seasoned with salt indicates a civil tongue in one's head-- a tongue that goes easy on people's nerves rather than a tongue that deliberately grates, stirs the pot, chafes, antagonizes, denigrates, humiliates, demoralizes, ridicules, injures, provokes, demeans, discourages, and tears people down and makes them feel bad about themselves.

There are some people in this world who are simply implacable. They're indignant over everything, For them rivalry, conflict, revenge, retaliation, quarrelling, and grudging are a way of life: every disagreement is an act of war-- their egos are fragile; they're defensive, they're reactive, they're irritable, and they're easily insulted.

They thrive on criticism, carping, finding fault and pointing out mistakes, tattling, bickering, retorts, rejoinders, recriminations, endless debate, telling other people off, and giving people a piece of their mind. And some of them are bullies, meddlers, domineering, imperious, and rumor mongers. And they foster ill will and disharmony by starting a conversation with "you should hear what so-and-so said about you".

Those kinds of people are definitely not of the peaceable genre so they are neither suitable nor acceptable for a room of their own in God's home and a place around His table.

You know, some people don't know it but the Bible's God not only has His standards; but He also has some very strong feelings about the kinds of people with whom He prefers to allow within His inner circle. Do you reserve the right to pick your own friends? Well; so does God; and He definitely does not enjoy being with people who are always ready to fight at the drop of a hat over every perceived injustice, and every trivial little thing that annoys them.

Below are qualities that easily qualify as peaceable.

Cordial stresses warmth and heartiness

Affable implies easy approachability and readiness to respond pleasantly to conversation or requests or proposals

Genial stresses cheerfulness and even joviality

Sociable suggests a genuine liking for the companionship of others

Generous is characterized by a noble or forbearing spirit; viz : magnanimous, kindly, and liberal in giving

Charitable means full of love for, and goodwill toward, others; viz : benevolent, tolerant, and lenient.

Altruistic means unselfish regard for, or devotion to, the welfare of others; viz : a desire to be of service to others for no other reason than it just feels good to do so.

Tactful indicates a keen sense of what to do, or say, in order to maintain good relations with others in order to resolve and/or avoid unnecessary conflict.

The seventh beatitude alone easily disqualifies a good many people from deserving to be honored as sons of God.
_

i did notice that you did address the Greek word "peacemakers" which was nice. BUT, you did not address the english syntax or the "greek syntax" in "for they shall be called sons of God. meaning: "when that "shall" will take place. The full adoption? so in essence, will that garment of "Peacemakers" a future event with certainly. Is that a 'Position" that is to be occupied in the "Millennium Kingdom" but preparations was made down here on earth. of being shaped and molded into the image of the Son of the Living God.

I know you are trying to make well of the text. and may God continue to bless your heart. What i am saying is, it means a whole lot more, than what you are implying to the text. And your approach does not come short, for it is similar to a catalyst to the "Revelation" of Jesus Christ. for in which, we all, are partakers.

My little input: and riding on your shoulders.


One reason I address that, because Christ 1st event was not to bring peace but a Sword. He came to divide a man's household, a man's enemy will be his own household. And that is a "promise"! And His second coming and joint "REIGN" [not the rapture] He will rule with a "Iron Scepter"! His eyes will look like "Flaming Fire"!

11I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” a He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

The end is not yet! we will Rule with Him A Thousand years! Then the following war and God destroy the enemies with the words of His mouth, Then The White Throne Judgment. and Heaven and earth fled away, then He made all things, "Brand New"! No more Heaven and no more Universe! Behold All things NEW!


New American Standard Bible
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.

 

[Beetow]

● Matt 5:10 . . Blessed are those persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The Greek word translated "persecute" is dioko (dee-o'-ko) which means: to pursue; viz: to hound.

The kind of persecution particular to this beatitude is malicious in that it's akin to making it one's mission in life to aggressively oppose, stalk, harass, grieve, chafe, criticize, nit pick, find fault, attack, contradict, pester, and/or annoy somebody.

This kind of persecution is spiteful, and actually goes out of its way to vex its target and ruin their day, get them upset and/or prevent them from having any success or making any progress.

This isn't necessarily religious persecution. It's the kind of grief everyone has to expect if and/or whenever they stand up for what's right; and I think it goes without saying that if someone is strong enough to stand up for what's right in a world gone mad with evil, they will have no difficulty standing up for what's right in the kingdom of heaven because there they'll have lots of support.
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[Beetow]

● Matt 5:11-12 . . Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The kind of abuse that Christ spoke of comes with the turf of being known as his followers.

"For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me." (Phil 1:29-30)

There is a curious passage in the book of Revelation that goes like this:

"But for the cowardly . . . their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (Rev 21:8)

The cowardly are people who avoid any hint of either alliance with, or allegiance to, Jesus Christ because they don't want to be branded with the social stigma, and/or endure the indignity and the mockery, that comes with being one of his followers.

"If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name." (1Pet 4:15-17)

» One of the unavoidable negative aspects of Christianity is that when the world finds out we believe in it, they immediately begin watching to see how well we live up to it: in other words; they look for opportunities to peg us as hypocrites. Well; that comes with the turf too so we just have to bite the bullet and learn to roll with the punches, so to speak.
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[Br. Bear]

i did notice that you did address the Greek word "peacemakers" which was nice. BUT, you did not address the english syntax or the "greek syntax" in "for they shall be called sons of God. meaning: "when that "shall" will take place. The full adoption? so in essence, will that garment of "Peacemakers" a future event with certainly. Is that a 'Position" that is to be occupied in the "Millennium Kingdom" but preparations was made down here on earth. of being shaped and molded into the image of the Son of the Living God.

I know you are trying to make well of the text. and may God continue to bless your heart. What i am saying is, it means a whole lot more, than what you are implying to the text. And your approach does not come short, for it is similar to a catalyst to the "Revelation" of Jesus Christ. for in which, we all, are partakers.

My little input: and riding on your shoulders.


One reason I address that, because Christ 1st event was not to bring peace but a Sword. He came to divide a man's household, a man's enemy will be his own household. And that is a "promise"! And His second coming and joint "REIGN" [not the rapture] He will rule with a "Iron Scepter"! His eyes will look like "Flaming Fire"!

11I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” a He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

The end is not yet! we will Rule with Him A Thousand years! Then the following war and God destroy the enemies with the words of His mouth, Then The White Throne Judgment. and Heaven and earth fled away, then He made all things, "Brand New"! No more Heaven and no more Universe! Behold All things NEW!


New American Standard Bible
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 14:27

 

[Beetow]

A number of beatitudes aren't included in the so-called Sermon On The Mount and/or the Sermon On The Plain. I'm thinking it might be fun to take a look at some of those; beginning with the one below.

● Matt 13:16-17 . . Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear. Assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not, and to hear what you hear, and did not.

To put that blessing in perspective: just imagine what an amazing stroke of good fortune it was to be alive in the decade of the 1960's, and near a television watching live as the first man ever to walk on the moon descended a ladder to the surface.

Thousands of generations preceded that decade, Those of us who witnessed Neil Armstrong take mankind's first step on the moon were extremely fortunate beneficiaries of a chance confluence of time and circumstances.

We today read about Christ as history; we didn't see him when he was here because we were born too late. It's sort of like kids in school reading about the space race but never experiencing any of it for themselves because they came along later. What's history to them, was at one time daily current events for many of us.

But did the Jews at the time of Christ appreciate their good fortune? Some did; but many did not because they somehow failed to discern his significance.

● Luke 19:41-42 . . And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it; saying: If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
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[Beetow]

● Luke 11:28 . . Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

The Greek word translated "keep" is phulasso (foo-las'-so) which means, variously: to watch, to be on guard, to preserve, to obey, and/or to avoid (viz: evade)

Phulasso is just the opposite of letting something slip from one's grasp either by neglect, indifference, carelessness, or distractions; for example:

"Soil that drinks in the rain often falling on it, and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed, receives the blessing of God. But soil that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned." (Heb 6:7-8)

Field burning used to be common in Oregon's Willamette Valley to rid the soil of viable weed seeds in preparation for the next round of planting. Those weed seeds aren't the result of neglect; in point of fact, they're to be expected. The danger lies in allowing weed seeds to germinate because the adult plants will compete with crops for soil, water, and sunlight resulting in a poor crop, or worse; no crop at all.

In those cases, the entire field, weeds and crops both, have to be incinerated in order to start from scratch; and a whole season's work is for naught so Oregon's farmers stand guard over their soil against noxious species. That is truly a real-life example of the old proverb: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

"Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed . . . some seed fell among thorns that shot up and choked out the tender blades so that it produced no grain . . .The thorny ground represents those who hear the word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for nice things, so no crop is produced." (Mark 4:3-8)

We have an invasive species of thorn bush up here in Oregon called Himalayan Blackberry. That stuff is very aggressive and lets nothing stand in its way. Left uncontrolled, Himalayan will proliferate with huge bramble patches that easily smother perfectly good soil and render it useless for growing food.

Ironically, even legitimate chores like housekeeping can become "Himalayans" if not kept in check; for example: one day the Lord was over to some friends for dinner and one of the two sisters in the home complained to the Lord that the other wasn't making herself useful out in the kitchen. His response?

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.

. . . She came to him and asked: Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!

. . . Martha, Martha; the Lord answered: you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is truly needful. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42)

You see, it's all a matter of prioritizing one's activities in order to insure a time slot for the Lord even if you have to put something else on hold. But if you keep putting the Lord on hold, it's only a matter time before life's brambles completely block him out. If people can make time for other things, then it really shouldn't be all that difficult to make time for him.

Samuel is a good case in point of "keeping" the word of God.

"So Samuel grew, and Jehovah was with him; and did let none of His words fall to the ground." (1Sam 3:19)
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[Beetow]

● Luke 12:35-38 . . Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.

. . . Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

The man in the parable isn't the bridegroom of the mentioned wedding because he returned home alone without a bride in tow.

But don't they usually serve alcohol at wedding receptions? I think we can safely assume that a single guy returning from a wedding party is going to be a bit unsteady on his feet; and if not, then at least tired and sleepy and ready for bed after dancing all night with the ladies.

The point is, his servants expected their master's return sometime that night and so stayed up to open the house and get him inside quickly and safely. Their lanterns would come in very handy for illuminating his path in order to avoid stumbling and possibly falling down in the dark.

It appears to me, from the tenor of the parable, that what the man's servants did was above and beyond the call of duty. They didn't have to stay up late waiting for him to come home. No, they did it because they had a genuine concern for their master's welfare just like the moms and dads who stay up late waiting for their teens to come home from dates, proms, cruising the mall, and/or late-night movies.

I really have to hand it to the master of the house. Rather than take his servants for granted; his gratitude really shows in reciprocating their caring concern by treating them like royalty. I think the blessing in that parable comes from the servants' good fortune to have a master with a heart of gold like that.

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls: for my yoke causes no discomfort, and my burden isn't heavy." (Matt 11:29-30)
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[Beetow]

● Luke 14:12-14 . .When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

At the time that Christ spoke those words, he was attending an exclusive dinner party, hosted by a prominent Pharisee. Whether it was "black tie" isn't stated; but then, not all such events are black tie. Some are informal back-yard barbecues. (catered, of course)

So anyway, it looks to me like Christ wasn't recommending opening your home to down-and-out strangers for Sunday dinner. The mixer he was attending was an event: one of those you'd likely find reported next day on the society page of your local newspaper. Personally, I have neither the wherewithal, the status, nor the ambition to host those kinds of parties.

In his day, there were no agencies set up to provide for people whose health prevented them from earning a living. Nor were there any welfare services for people down on their luck. So the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind were pretty desperate for their daily needs.

A good way to obtain the blessing that Jesus spoke of is to support a Mission. Every city has at least one located somewhere near the downtown area. You might get their address and begin sending them a monthly donation. Quite a few deprived folk depend on Missions for their very survival.

"He who is kind to the poor lends to The Lord, and He will reward him for what he has done." (Prov 19:17)
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[Nicola Jane]

● Matt 5:5 . . Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

The third beatitude is another that comes from the Old Testament.

"For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."

Some of the beatitudes contain both a present tense clause and a future tense clause in the same sentence.

"blessed are" is present tense.

"shall inherit" is future tense.

"blessed" is an ambiguous word. Depending upon the application, and/or the context; it can mean fortunate, happy, favored, approved, venerated, contented, honored, respected, successful, prosperous, praise-worthy, privileged, endowed, and/or protected.

According to Christ, the meek are fortunate because it is they who shall inherit, not heaven, but rather, the earth: that's an important distinction.

Why won't they inherit heaven? Because, as every instructed Israelite already knew in Christ's day; the long-anticipated theocratic kingdom won't be up in the celestial regions; but rather, down here on the ground, headquartered in Jerusalem; whose monarch will be one of David's sons; better known in the Old Testament as The Branch and/or the Sprig of Jesse.

So then, among the Israelites; who qualifies as meek? Well; Moses was meek (Num 12:3) and Christ was meek (Matt 11:29, Matt 21:5). Personally I wouldn't categorize either of those two Israelite men as meek. So then, what really is meekness?

The Greek word translated "meek" in the third beatitude is praus (prah-ooce') which means mild.

Webster's defines "mild" as gentle in nature or behavior; viz: temperate; in other words: agreeable, approachable, reasonable, calm, mellow, and self-controlled.

Non-temperate people could be characterized as moody, grudging, irritable, emotional, thin-skinned, belligerent, militant, pugnacious, brawling, defensive, confrontational, and reactive; around whom everybody has to walk on egg shells all the time to avoid setting them off.

A temperate person, though mellow in demeanor, should never be assumed lacking in strength, courage, conviction, or self confidence. Anybody who's studied the lives of Moses and Jesus can easily testify that neither of those men were either timid, wimpy, or vacillating.

Jacob and his dad Isaac were temperate men; but could be assertive when the situation called for it. Temperate people like Jacob and Isaac pick their battles carefully, and avoid getting all riled up over trifles.

Can you just imagine the pleasure of living in a global society composed entirely of temperate people? No more protests, no more demonstrations, no more civil disobedience, no more riots, no more vandalism, no more marches, and no more bullies. That alone would be Nirvana to me.

( This past Flag Day we didn't display our stars and stripes due to fear of violent reprisals by gone-mad political activists. )

The 37th Psalm also promises peace; which implies not only the absence of war; but also the absence of training for war; viz: martial arts and standing armies.

"They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." (Isa 2:4)

"They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid." (Mic 4:4)
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so lovely you have wrote all this on the beautitudes

● Matt 5:5 . . Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

The third beatitude is another that comes from the Old Testament.

"For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace."

Some of the beatitudes contain both a present tense clause and a future tense clause in the same sentence.

"blessed are" is present tense.

"shall inherit" is future tense.

"blessed" is an ambiguous word. Depending upon the application, and/or the context; it can mean fortunate, happy, favored, approved, venerated, contented, honored, respected, successful, prosperous, praise-worthy, privileged, endowed, and/or protected.

According to Christ, the meek are fortunate because it is they who shall inherit, not heaven, but rather, the earth: that's an important distinction.

Why won't they inherit heaven? Because, as every instructed Israelite already knew in Christ's day; the long-anticipated theocratic kingdom won't be up in the celestial regions; but rather, down here on the ground, headquartered in Jerusalem; whose monarch will be one of David's sons; better known in the Old Testament as The Branch and/or the Sprig of Jesse.

So then, among the Israelites; who qualifies as meek? Well; Moses was meek (Num 12:3) and Christ was meek (Matt 11:29, Matt 21:5). Personally I wouldn't categorize either of those two Israelite men as meek. So then, what really is meekness?

The Greek word translated "meek" in the third beatitude is praus (prah-ooce') which means mild.

Webster's defines "mild" as gentle in nature or behavior; viz: temperate; in other words: agreeable, approachable, reasonable, calm, mellow, and self-controlled.

Non-temperate people could be characterized as moody, grudging, irritable, emotional, thin-skinned, belligerent, militant, pugnacious, brawling, defensive, confrontational, and reactive; around whom everybody has to walk on egg shells all the time to avoid setting them off.

A temperate person, though mellow in demeanor, should never be assumed lacking in strength, courage, conviction, or self confidence. Anybody who's studied the lives of Moses and Jesus can easily testify that neither of those men were either timid, wimpy, or vacillating.

Jacob and his dad Isaac were temperate men; but could be assertive when the situation called for it. Temperate people like Jacob and Isaac pick their battles carefully, and avoid getting all riled up over trifles.

Can you just imagine the pleasure of living in a global society composed entirely of temperate people? No more protests, no more demonstrations, no more civil disobedience, no more riots, no more vandalism, no more marches, and no more bullies. That alone would be Nirvana to me.

( This past Flag Day we didn't display our stars and stripes due to fear of violent reprisals by gone-mad political activists. )

The 37th Psalm also promises peace; which implies not only the absence of war; but also the absence of training for war; viz: martial arts and standing armies.

"They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." (Isa 2:4)

"They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid." (Mic 4:4)
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so wonderfull you have wrote all this on beatitudes and scriptures ive read but not seen really light up now is blessed x
God bless you x

 

[Beetow]

so lovely you have wrote all this on the beautitudes

Fortunately it's a hobby I love doing otherwise this would've been a tiresome chore. In point of fact, I would've been tempted to plagiarize in order to make things easier on myself.
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[Beetow]

● John 13:17 . . If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

In other words: Bible reading, Bible study, Bible discussion, Bible classes, Bible debate, and/or Bible memorization without any intent of allowing the information to sink into one's skull, or reform one's life, or influence one's thinking, speaking, or feeling; is of little more value blessing-wise than comic books and romance novels.

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

. . . But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives liberty, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-- he will be blessed in what he does." (Jas 1:22-25)
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