Red Letter Edition: Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount (The Beatitudes)
Today, I unpacked a box of books Sherry and I recently carried from Burundi to Uganda in our luggage. Among those books was a Bible that reminds me of God’s faithfulness.
On February 1, 1978, my Sunday School teacher, Aunt Norma, handed me a new King James Bible. I am not sure why I received this gift. It probably had something to do with a Sunday School milestone. My pastor and uncle, Bill, wrote this inscription on the inside cover:
May the Lord bless you real good. May this Bible, God’s word, find a place in your heart, and it will benefit you all your life. - Bro. Bill
To the best of my knowledge, it was my first Bible. That Bible has traveled all around the world with me. Though its pages are fading, and the hardback cover carries some scars, this copy of the Scriptures holds a dear place in my heart. Pastor Bill’s prophetic words have come to pass. I am a much better man because of God’s word.
I was only 7 (almost 8) when Aunt Norma presented the Bible to me. Printed in gold leaf letters on the spine were the words “Red Letter Edition.” I remember wondering, “What does that mean?” After church, I proudly carried my Bible to the car and opened it. I made a profound discovery that day – the words of Jesus were written in red. Ok, so it’s not that profound, but at my age, it seemed revelatory. (Read a brief history of the Red Letter Bible here).
This trip down memory lane sparked an idea. Why not write a series of Bible Studies/blogs about the “words in red found in Matthew chapters 5 to 7?” This portion of the Bible, often referred to as The Sermon on the Mount, is filled with powerful and practical teaching. Oswald Chambers reportedly said,
The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of principles to be obeyed apart from identification with Jesus Christ. The Sermon on the Mount is a statement of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is getting His way with us.
Jesus opens his sermon with a series of statements that begin with Blessed are the […]. We commonly refer to this collection of declarations as The Beatitudes. But what does that mean? What is a beatitude? Simply put, it is a pronouncement of blessing. When Jesus says, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” He pronounces blessing over them based on their position as God’s children and not their economic predicament.
Jesus repeats the word blessed nine times in Matthew 5:3-11 (NIV). That word gets thrown around in Christian circles today. But what did Jesus mean when He said, blessed?
Matthew’s gospel was written to a Jewish audience between 60-65 AD. His readers lived under Roman rule and were heavily influenced by Roman and Greek philosophy. This reality impacted how even Jewish people went about doing the everyday stuff of life.
When a Greek used the word blessed, they had in mind the idea of “good fortune.” Greeks had the gods in mind when using this word, not human beings. Unlike the gods, humans were subject to the ups and downs of their earthly existence. On rare occasions, if someone had really “good luck” and got a great wife, wonderful kids, wealth, fame, and (or) honor, the Greeks called them blessed (because they had the favor of the gods).
So, in a culture greatly influenced by this way of thinking, Jesus should have said, “Blessed are the rich, for he has a good wife, his kids honor him, and he is famous.” But that’s not what Jesus says, right?
The Jewish or Old Testament concept of blessed is like the Greeks and Romans. Someone was blessed because they “did the right thing” and they were “being rewarded” or receiving “divine favor.” Numerous beatitudes in the Psalms reflect this general idea: Blessed is the man…
Who has God as Lord (Ps 144:15)
Who fears God (Ps 112:1-3)
Who trusts in God (Ps 84:12)
Who dwells or takes refuge in God (Ps 2:12; 84:4)
Who prudently obeys God (Ps 119:1-2)
If you do the things above, then you are rewarded with…
A full quiver of sons as heirs (Ps 127:3-5)
A full life and a good wife (Ps 128:1-4)
Prosperity & honor (Ps 1:1-2)
Lives under the protection of God (Ps 41:2)
I am not suggesting one should abandon doing right. Nor am I advocating that God withhold reward for those who walk in obedience. There is no question that God is able and desirous to bless His children. It does, however, seem that Jesus purposefully begins His sermon by dealing with the general attitude about blessing held by His hearers.
Here’s the problem: people are measuring another person’s relationship with God by looking at external things instead of the position of the heart!
No sons, then you’re not blessed. Short life, then you were not blessed. Problems with your wife, then you’re not blessed. Poor? Then God has withheld blessing. Difficulty in life? God must be against you! (This sounds vaguely similar to some hyper-charismatic teachers in the church today).
Jesus’s idea of what it means to be blessed is radically different than what culture or religion taught.
Culture said: Blessed are the wealthy and famous
Jesus said: Blessed are the poor
Culture said: Blessed are those with joy!
Jesus said: Blessed are those who mourn.
Culture said: Blessed are those who are in charge!
Jesus said: Blessed are the meek.
Culture said: Blessed are those who have the favor of men!
Jesus said: Blessed are you when people hate you.
Jesus is not teaching that having wealth, being famous, or being joyful excludes one from the blessings of God. No! That would just be the same argument as above in reverse. Remember, the Beatitudes are Jesus’s sermon opening statement before expounding the values of the Kingdom.
In my estimation, the Beatitudes are less about a code of conduct and more about making sure Jesus is given a proper place in our hearts. People are blessed because of Jesus, nothing else. Blessing is not a result of what you do or how much you earn. It doesn’t hinge on your fame or the esteem of others.
You are blessed because of Jesus! Even the hungry, poor, and hated are blessed because they have stepped into the presence of the King of kings, Whose incarnation, death, and resurrection will make it possible for all who are weary and heavy-laden to find rest.
We do not measure the heart by looking at someone’s external circumstances. The Christian’s blessedness or, dare I say, happiness is not rooted in the temporary or earthly. We are blessed for no other reason than God loved us and send His Son to be our substitute. That’s it! To offer any other measure that grace and faith does a disservice to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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