The Beatitudes - The Beginning

I'm excited about starting the study of the Beatitudes this morning. Just as a FYI, the resources used for study, information gathering and fact citing are The Amplified Bible, The Complete Jewish Bible, Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible and the in-depth study I'm doing on Jesus called The Gospel According to Jesus. Oh yes, there is also the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. I hope you find this study as insightful and thought provoking as I. It may challenge and/or expand your understanding as it did with me. Maybe I'm the only one that this study is intended for, I do not know, but I hope you read it with spiritual eyes and a teachable spirit. Everyday I ask God to give me such as I read and study his Word.

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

1. And when He saw the multitudes, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
2. And opening His mouth He began to teach them saying,
3. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5. "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
6. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied,
7. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy,
8. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,
9. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10. "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs in the kingdom of heaven.
11. "Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me.
12. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Luke recorded The Beatitudes Chapter 6, as well. The word 'beatitude' is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible and, in fact, is not mentioned in many Bible versions at all. The only time we see it is as a subtitle for the Sermon on the Mount.

According to Webster, beatitudes means "utmost bliss" or "any of the declarations made in the Sermon on the Mount." (Interesting to find that in the dictionary.) Utmost means: 1: situated at the farthest or most distant point : extreme 2: of the greatest or highest degree, quantity, number, or amount  and bliss is defined as: 1: complete happiness 2: paradise, heaven  In today's language, utmost bliss would mean: it just doesn't get any better than this! It is the highest point of complete, satisfying joy and contentedness of the true believer in righteousness; the qualities Jesus defines as necessary for entering the kingdom of heaven. As such, Jesus reveals the character of true faith.

We are not given a timeline in either Matthew or Luke but it is after He called His disciples (mathetes- Greek – a learner, pupil, follower of a teacher); twelve of which He called apostles ( apostolos –Greek- a delegate, an ambassador of the gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ[with miraculous powers] )  to follow Him. Luke records that many disciples were with Him. Additionally, multitudes of people who heard of the healings Jesus performed came seeking their own healing, and to hear Him teach. They, too, followed; trying to touch Him. Can you imagine how it must have felt to have throngs of people pushing in trying to touch you, to receiving power from you? It would have overwhelmed mortal men yet in the face of the crowds, Jesus turned to His Disciples and started teaching. Amazing!

Though not stated in the Bible, I imagine a hush fell over the crowd, starting with those closest to Him and washing like a wave throughout, as they strained to hear His voice over the din of confusion and chaos. Picture the scene, the craggy rocks along the mountain path, the dust from all those trailing along behind Him. The sun shining down and sounds of desperate people pushing and jockeying for position so they, too, can touch Him and receive. Tired babies cry out in frustration, birds sing their songs as Jesus turns to His hand picked students and shares with all authority the character traits mandatory for entering the long awaited kingdom of heaven.

And when He saw the multitudes, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And opening His mouth He began to teach them saying,