>>>

Matthew 5:3-10 - The Beatitudes.

THE FIRST BEATITUDE

Matthew 5:3 (NLT) God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

COMMENTARY PEARL

   Everybody wants to be a somebody, or so it seems. So many people want to be a star, to be out in front, and they think that will make them happy.
   Yet Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3 NKJV). In other words, "Happy are the nobodies." To be poor in spirit has nothing to do with how much you have in your bank account. This is about your attitude toward God.
   Here's another way to translate this: "Happy, or blessed, is the person who sees his or her real spiritual condition."
   And what is your real spiritual condition? You are spiritually destitute. You are spiritually impoverished. You are desperately in need of God.
   If you want to be a happy person, it starts with knowing that about yourself. Blessed are those who see themselves as they really are, which is spiritually bankrupt.
   Jesus also said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4 NKJV). Here the idea of mourning is being sorry for our sin. It's mourning over our sin.
   We see our condition before God as sinners, but it isn't a hopeless situation. There is a Savior who died on the cross for me and shed His blood for every sin I've ever committed. He's ready to pardon and forgive us.
   The Bible says that "godly sorrow produces repentance" (2 Corinthians 7:10 NKJV). So, we must say, "Lord, I'm a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin."
   If you're really sorry for something, you'll change. The sorrow the Bible talks about is being sorry enough to change your behavior. You see God, His holiness, and the life that He wants you to live. And you see how far you have to go.
   Blessed or happy, are those who mourn over that condition. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com]

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY

Matthew 5:3: What It Means to Be Poor in Spirit.:
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20191028-0739.html

THE SECOND BEATITUDE

Matthew 5:4 (NLT) God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

COMMENTARY PEARL

   A man in my neighborhood was robbed and beaten to death. I saw the report on the evening news. While I did not recognize the man's name or face, I grieved the loss of his life. I grieved for my city that is plagued with high rates of unemployment, poverty, and crime. I have considered packing up and moving to another neighborhood or another city and state. Each time I make this proposal to my husband, he reminds me that unemployment, poverty, and crime are problems across the nation. He is right.
   There is nowhere to run from these problems. My protection or safekeeping is not a place. My protection is a person, and His name is Jesus. Gospel artists sing, "Jesus is a fence!" And what is considered the Psalm of Protection says, "Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust'" (Psalm 91:1-2, NIV).
   Newspaper headlines make it clear that no city is without the presence of evil. While school students engage in community service and volunteer work, school shootings are at an all-time high. While police officers serve and protect, incidents of police brutality also occur with saddening regularity. In life, we have a myriad of reasons to mourn, and by all means, let us freely mourn because there is a promise in our tears. When our hearts are heavy, Jesus comes quickly to comfort us. His arms embrace us. He is our safe harbor and rock for all the ages. by Alice Thompson
   Faith Step: Throughout the day, softly say the name of Jesus. Feel the power of His name seal you in His peace and protection. [Mornings With Jesus 2020 Devotional by Guideposts and Zondervan]

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY

Matthew 5:4 - Blessings in Grief and Sorrow:
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2020/20200617-0837.html

THE THIRD BEATITUDE

Matthew 5:5 (NIV) Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

COMMENTARY PEARL

   No person is meek by nature. We insist on our own way (even if we are mild-mannered by nature), and if anyone blocks our path we react with hurt, anger, resentment, and even revenge.
   Moses was meek, but he was not meek by nature. God worked meekness into his life over a forty-year period.
   Peter was certainly not meek by nature. He was impetuous, saying and doing the first thing that came into his mind. But little by little, the Holy Spirit of God transformed Peter after the resurrection of Jesus.
   Before his conversion, Paul was not meek. His job was to persecute Christians! Yet Paul wrote to the church at Galatia, The fruit of the Spirit is ... gentleness, goodness,... meekness" (Gal. 5:22-23 KJV).
   It is our human nature to be proud and self-assertive, not meek. Only the Spirit of God can transform our lives through the new birth experience and then make us over again into the image of Christ. He is our example of true meekness.
   Teach me, Lord, to live for the One and not number one.  Help me overcome by human nature and yield to the Holy Spirit.  I long to live in Your image.  [Hope for Each Day by Billy Graham]

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY

Matthew 5:5 - Blessed Are The Meek, For They Will Inherit The Earth.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220301-0944.html

THE FOURTH BEATITUDE

Matthew 5:6 (NIV) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

COMMENTARY PEARL

   No human agent can supply that which will satisfy the hunger and thirst of the soul. But Jesus says, "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to Me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst." Revelation 3:20; John 6:35....
   As we need food to sustain our physical strength, so do we need Christ, the Bread from heaven, to sustain spiritual life and impart strength to work the works of God. As the body is continually receiving the nourishment that sustains life and vigor, so the soul must be constantly communing with Christ, submitting to Him and depending wholly upon Him....
   As we discern the perfection of our Saviour's character we shall desire to become wholly transformed and renewed in the image of His purity. The more we know of God, the higher will be our ideal of character and the more earnest our longing to reflect His likeness....
   The words of God are the wellsprings of life. As you seek unto those living springs you will, through the Holy Spirit, be brought into communion with Christ. MB18-20

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY

Matthew 5:6 - Craving and Yearning for God; The Ultimate Relationship.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20221111-0835.html

THE FIFTH BEATITUDE

Matthew 5:7 (NIV) Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

COMMENTARY PEARLS

The best explanation I've heard of the difference between the words grace and mercy is this: Grace means "receiving what is not deserved"; in other words, grace is God's unexpected blessings on our lives. Mercy means "not receiving what is deserved"; in other words, mercy is God's amazing compassion on us as we flail about in life, struggling and sometimes failing miserably. Beth Moore Devotionals Daily

The heart of man is by nature cold and dark and unloving; whenever one manifests a spirit of mercy and forgiveness, he does it not of himself, but through the influence of the divine Spirit moving upon his heart. "We love, because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19, R.V. God is Himself the source of all mercy. His name is "merciful and gracious." Exodus 34:6.... The merciful are "partakers of the divine nature," and in them the compassionate love of God finds expression. All whose hearts are in sympathy with the heart of Infinite Love will seek to reclaim and not to condemn. Christ dwelling in the soul is a spring that never runs dry. Where He abides, there will be an overflowing of beneficence.... The merciful are those who manifest compassion to the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed.... And every word or deed of unselfish kindness is an expression of the love of Christ for lost humanity. MB21-24

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY

Matthew 5:7 - The Blessing of Mercy.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220302-0940.html

THE SIXTH BEATITUDE

Matthew 5:8 (KJV) Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

COMMENTARY PEARL

When Christ abides in the heart, there will be purity and refinement of thought and manner. But the words of Jesus, "Blessed are the pure in heart," have a deeper meaning--not merely pure in the sense in which the world understands purity, free from that which is sensual, pure from lust, but true in the hidden purposes and motives of the soul, free from pride and self-seeking, humble, unselfish, childlike. MB25

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY

Matthew 5:8 - People of Purity.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220826-0824.html

THE SEVENTH BEATITUDE

Matthew 5:9 (KJV) Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

COMMENTARY PEARLS

Christ is "the Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6), and it is His mission to restore to earth and heaven the peace that sin has broken. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:1. Whoever consents to renounce sin and open his heart to the love of Christ, becomes a partaker of this heavenly peace.  There is no other ground of peace than this. The grace of Christ received into the heart, subdues enmity; it allays strife and fills the soul with love. He who is at peace with God and his fellow men cannot be made miserable. Envy will not be in his heart; evil surmisings will find no room there; hatred cannot exist. The heart that is in harmony with God is a partaker of the peace of heaven and will diffuse its blessed influence on all around. The spirit of peace will rest like dew upon hearts weary and troubled with worldly strife.  Christ's followers are sent to the world with the message of peace. Whoever, by the quiet, unconscious influence of a holy life, shall reveal the love of Christ; whoever, by word or deed, shall lead another to renounce sin and yield his heart to God, is a peacemaker. MB27-28

   To have peace with God and to have the peace of God in our hearts is not enough. This vertical relationship must have a horizontal outworking, or our faith is in vain. Jesus said that we were to love the Lord with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves.
   This dual love for God and others is like the positive and negative poles of a battery - unless both connections are made, we have no power. A personal faith is normally useless unless it has a social application. (A notable exception would seem to be the thief on the cross, who repented only moments before his death - and yet countless people have been touched over the centuries by his example of faith.)
   If we have peace with God and the peace of God, we will become peacemakers. We will not only strive to be at peace with our neighbors, but we will be leading them to discover the source of true peace in Christ. Is the peace of Christ in your life overflowing to others? [Hope for Each Day by Billy Graham]

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY

Matthew 5:9 - Blessed Are The Peacemakers.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220304-0825.html

THE EIGHTH BEATITUDE

Matthew 5:10-12 (NLT) God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 11 "God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too.

COMMENTARY PEARL

   Through trials and persecution, the glory - character - of God is revealed in His chosen ones ... they are purified in the furnace of affliction....
   While the Lord has not promised His people exemption from trials, He has promised that which is far better. He has said, "As thy days, so shall thy strength be." "My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Deuteronomy 33:25; 2 Corinthians 12:9. If you are called to go through the fiery furnace for His sake, Jesus will be by your side even as He was with the faithful three in Babylon....
   Satan could torture and kill the body, but he could not touch the life that was hid with Christ in God. He could incarcerate in prison walls, but he could not bind the spirit. They could look beyond the gloom to the glory,....
   It was this joy that filled the hearts of Paul and Silas when they prayed and sang praises to God at midnight in the Philippian dungeon. Christ was beside them there, and the light of His presence irradiated the gloom with the glory of the courts above. MB29-35

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY

Matthew 5:10-12 - There Is Blessing In Persecution For Righteousness.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220305-0907.html

QUESTIONS WITH AI COMMENTARY

Do The Beatitudes Reveal The Character Of Christ?

   Yes, the Beatitudes are widely understood as a direct self-portrait of Jesus's character, revealing the virtues and spiritual dispositions that define Him, such as humility (poor in spirit), compassion (mourning), meekness, hunger for righteousness, mercy, purity of heart, and a pursuit of peace, showing His ideal inner life and how His followers should also live as citizens of His kingdom.
   How the Beatitudes Reflect Christ's Character:
      o Humility (Poor in Spirit): Jesus demonstrated dependence on God, not worldly power, acknowledging His need for the Father.
      o Compassion (Mourning): He mourned over sin and suffering, showing deep empathy (e.g., weeping at Lazarus's tomb).
      o Meekness (Gentleness): Christ exemplified gentleness and submission to God's will, even in agony (e.g., Gethsemane).
      o Righteousness (Hungering & Thirsting): He had an intense desire for holiness and justice, living it out fully.
      o Mercy (Merciful): Jesus showed profound compassion and forgiveness, even to His crucifiers.
      o Purity of Heart (Pure in Heart): His motives were sincere, single-minded, and devoted to God.
      o Peacemaking (Peacemakers): As the "Prince of Peace," Jesus sought reconciliation between God and humanity and among people.
      o Perseverance (Persecuted for Righteousness): He endured persecution for His commitment to God's truth, modeling steadfastness.
   In essence, the Beatitudes aren't just a list of rules but a blueprint of Jesus's own blessed life and character, inviting His followers to embody these divine qualities as they live in His kingdom.

Do The Beatitudes Reveal The Steps Of Convertion?

   Yes, many Christian traditions view the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10) as revealing a progressive path or steps of conversion and spiritual growth, outlining a journey from acknowledging spiritual need (poor in spirit) through mourning, meekness, and hungering for righteousness, culminating in mercy, purity, and peacemaking, showing a transformation from an earthly to a heavenly mindset. Each blessing builds on the last, creating a roadmap for a new way of being in God's Kingdom.
   How the Beatitudes Map to Conversion:
      1 "Poor in Spirit" (Matthew 5:3): The starting point, recognizing one's complete dependence on God and spiritual emptiness without Him, leading to true humility.
      2 "Those who Mourn" (Matthew 5:4): Grieving over one's own sinfulness and the brokenness of the world, creating a desire for God's comfort and healing.
      3 "Meek" (Matthew 5:5): A gentle, humble, and obedient spirit, no longer resisting God but submitting to His will, leading to inheriting the earth.
      4 "Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness" (Matthew 5:6): A deep, persistent longing for moral perfection and justice, driving one toward God's satisfaction.
      5 "Merciful" (Matthew 5:7): Receiving God's mercy leads to extending compassion and forgiveness to others.
      6 "Pure in Heart" (Matthew 5:8): A singular focus on God, with motives unclouded, allowing one to "see God".
      7 "Peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9): Actively working for reconciliation and peace, reflecting God's nature as children of God.
      8 "Persecuted for Righteousness' Sake" (Matthew 5:10): The culmination, showing strength to endure hardship for faith, with the ultimate reward in heaven.
   Key Concepts:
      o Metanoia: The Greek word for repentance, often translated as a "change of mind," which the Beatitudes describe as a turning from self-reliance to God.
      o Progression: The sequence isn't accidental; each state enables the next, creating a dynamic spiritual momentum, like swinging from one gymnastics ring to the next.
      o Transformation: Jesus presents a new way of life, transforming inner nature from worldly happiness to divine blessing, notes this Facebook post.

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/