Matthew 5:1-12—The People God Blesses; blessed are those
with spiritual qualities
Blessed are those with spiritual
qualities. The Beatitudes. They describe the condition of a person in a
right relationship with God through faith in Christ. “Blessed” is often
translated as “happy.” It is more than what the world considers happiness —
possessions, satisfaction, and peace. The blessed one is in favor with God and
man. However, the Beatitudes are applicable to the present, their promises look
to the future for fulfillment. The Beatitudes are God-oriented: kingdom of
heaven, see God, on my account. The blessed estate does not depend upon
secular well-being for its fulfillment.
It
is conceivable a Christian can be perfectly miserable on earth and yet blessed.
Poor in spirit. Luke omits “in spirit.” Certainly Matthew is not
neglecting the physically poor. There is no blessing in poverty. Poor people
are not necessarily blessed. The economically poor can be godly or godless. “Poor in spirit,” moreover, does not mean
a lack of spirit. Rather, the phrase describes a state of being which we might
call humility, unworthiness, a dependence on God for the fulfillment of needs.
The New English Bible helpfully translates 5:3: “How blest are those who know their need of God.”
The
Beatitudes in verses 3-11 are numbered. Commentators ask us to consider the
first seven Beatitudes (Vv.3-9) as a unit and the last three verses as a
threefold conclusion describing the response of the world to the Christian
brand of citizenship. The first seven Beatitudes can be divided into two
groups. The first four describe the internal qualities that characterize the
citizens of God’s kingdom and the last three the manner in which the inner
dispositions express themselves in the Christian’s relation to his neighbor.
Father, You revealed Your Son to the nations by the guidance
of a star. Lead us to Your glory in heaven by the light of faith. We ask this
through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the
Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever. [2]
Collect for Friday of
the week of Epiphany 3: Almighty God, who
art away, but not far; and silent except for the sound of footsteps on the path
beyond, and this ceaseless knocking at the door of our hearts; do Thou reveal
Thyself to us, to each in the way Thou seest fit; that for all our darkness it
may be light again, out of our troubles granting us that peace which makes all
things peaceful. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen [3]
-27 January, 2023
[2] An Epiphany Collect, Lutheran Service Book, © 2006, Concordia Publishing House. St. Louis
[3] Collect for Friday of the week of Epiphany 3, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. III © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
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