Strange Blessings
A study in Matthew 5:1-12
The Mustard Seed newsletter, Campus Ministry column
September 2015 - May 2016
Pastor Ron Friedrich
The Mustard Seed newsletter, Campus Ministry column
September 2015 - May 2016
Pastor Ron Friedrich
Part 1
Who are your heroes? What did they do that you admire?
Whom do you envy? What do they have that you wish you had? Wealth? Advanced university degrees? Public recognition and power? About whom have you said, "Wow! That person is really LUCKY!"?
The Bible has a special word that describes that kind of person. In the Greek language of the New Testament, the word is makarios -- blessed. And in one small section of the Bible, Jesus lists eight kinds of people that are makarioi, blessed, in situations that other folks can really envy. We find that list in the first 12 verses of Jesus' famous "Sermon on the Mountain" in Matthew 5 - 7. In the next several issues of the Mustard Seed, we will look at each of those kinds of people and see why Jesus called them "blessed." What we will find is not what we might expect.
#1. "Blessed are people who are poor in spirit..."
Right away we have challenges translating this text. What does "poor in spirit" mean? Here are some "easy English" interpretations of this verse:
The Bible has a few examples of people who were rich in worldly things, but their hearts were not focused on their wealth. They were focused on God. Everything they had belonged to God. If God decided to take it all away, they still were satisfied, because they realized that they really never owned anything. They had released it all to God. That's living "poor in spirit."
Who is the best example of someone who is "poor in spirit?" Jesus. He left the wealth of heaven. He was born in a stranger's barn. As an adult, was truly homeless, depending on the hospitality of friends, and the cooperation of the weather. He was even buried in a borrowed grave! "Christ was rich, but He became poor, so you can have the riches of heaven." (2 Corinthians 8:9) ...which leads us to the reason Jesus said that people who are "poor in spirit" are blessed:
"...because theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."
If you have God's promise for heaven in Christ Jesus, why does earthly junk still appeal to us? The secret to becoming poor in spirit is learning to be satisfied with the material things we already have. St. Paul wrote:
Who are your heroes? What did they do that you admire?
Whom do you envy? What do they have that you wish you had? Wealth? Advanced university degrees? Public recognition and power? About whom have you said, "Wow! That person is really LUCKY!"?
The Bible has a special word that describes that kind of person. In the Greek language of the New Testament, the word is makarios -- blessed. And in one small section of the Bible, Jesus lists eight kinds of people that are makarioi, blessed, in situations that other folks can really envy. We find that list in the first 12 verses of Jesus' famous "Sermon on the Mountain" in Matthew 5 - 7. In the next several issues of the Mustard Seed, we will look at each of those kinds of people and see why Jesus called them "blessed." What we will find is not what we might expect.
#1. "Blessed are people who are poor in spirit..."
Right away we have challenges translating this text. What does "poor in spirit" mean? Here are some "easy English" interpretations of this verse:
- Blessed are those who are spiritually needy. (NIRV)
- They are blessed who realize their spiritual poverty. (NCV)
- God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him (NLT)
The Bible has a few examples of people who were rich in worldly things, but their hearts were not focused on their wealth. They were focused on God. Everything they had belonged to God. If God decided to take it all away, they still were satisfied, because they realized that they really never owned anything. They had released it all to God. That's living "poor in spirit."
Who is the best example of someone who is "poor in spirit?" Jesus. He left the wealth of heaven. He was born in a stranger's barn. As an adult, was truly homeless, depending on the hospitality of friends, and the cooperation of the weather. He was even buried in a borrowed grave! "Christ was rich, but He became poor, so you can have the riches of heaven." (2 Corinthians 8:9) ...which leads us to the reason Jesus said that people who are "poor in spirit" are blessed:
"...because theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."
If you have God's promise for heaven in Christ Jesus, why does earthly junk still appeal to us? The secret to becoming poor in spirit is learning to be satisfied with the material things we already have. St. Paul wrote:
"I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens. I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens, when I have enough to eat and when I go hungry, when I have more than I need and when I do not have enough. I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength."
(Philippians 4:11-13 NCV. Also see 1 Timothy 6:6-17.)
Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mountain,
"Do not gather together for yourself riches of this earth. They will be eaten by bugs and become rusted. Men can break in and steal them. Gather together riches in heaven where they will not be eaten by bugs or become rusted. Men cannot break in and steal them. For wherever your riches are, your heart will be there also." (Matthew 6:19-21 NLV)
Many years ago five young missionary men died in a jungle in Ecuador, South America. The people that they wanted to tell about Jesus killed them. The widow of one of those men found in his personal journal:
He is no fool
who gives what he cannot keep
to gain what he cannot lose.
~~ Jim Elliott ~~
who gives what he cannot keep
to gain what he cannot lose.
~~ Jim Elliott ~~
Part 2
Jesus gave us a list of people who are "blessed." Today in our culture, we might say that they are "lucky"... Or maybe not! On many issues, Jesus' point of view is just the opposite from our point of view. For example, one of our goals in life is to be happy. If you ask parents what they want for their children, most will answer, "I want my kids to be happy." We even have "the pursuit of happiness" expressed in America's Declaration of Independence (1776). But when Jesus described people who are blessed, He never said, "Blessed are people who are happy." Rather, in Matthew 5:4, Jesus said...
#2. "Blessed are people who grieve..."
How can grief be a blessing? That depends on the reason we grieve.
Grief that receives a blessing is not feeling sad about lost stuff, but in regret for the things that we have done to disappoint our Heavenly Father.
"...because they will be comforted."
Please note, Jesus did NOT say, "...they will be comfortable." Even though COMFORTED and COMFORTABLE may have the same ASL Sign, the two words have very different meanings. Grief is not comfortable!
In the Old Testament we see a sharp contrast between two kings of Israel -- Saul and David. Both Saul and David disobeyed God. God sent His prophets to both kings to show them that they had done wrong. King Saul made excuses ("I had a good reason. I did it because..."). But King David grieved deeply about his sin. He fully admitted his wrong and begged God to forgive him. (Read the story in 2 Samuel 11 & 12, and read David's prayer in Psalm 51.)
In the New Testament, Jesus told a story about two men. One man was religious, and the other man was greedy and sinful. When the religious man prayed, he reminded God how good he (that man) was. But the sinful man looked down and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner!" Jesus said that the sinner went home at peace with God, but not the religious man. (Luke 18:10-14)
In Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth, Greece, we see his anger about a Christian man in the church who was bragging that he was "sleeping with" his stepmother. Then in Paul's second letter we see that the man grieved for what he had done, and Paul forgave him. (1 Corinthians 5 & 2 Corinthians 2)
We announce God's comfort to all who grieve: God loves you and He forgives you!
Jesus gave us a list of people who are "blessed." Today in our culture, we might say that they are "lucky"... Or maybe not! On many issues, Jesus' point of view is just the opposite from our point of view. For example, one of our goals in life is to be happy. If you ask parents what they want for their children, most will answer, "I want my kids to be happy." We even have "the pursuit of happiness" expressed in America's Declaration of Independence (1776). But when Jesus described people who are blessed, He never said, "Blessed are people who are happy." Rather, in Matthew 5:4, Jesus said...
#2. "Blessed are people who grieve..."
How can grief be a blessing? That depends on the reason we grieve.
- We grieve when we lose something valuable.
- We grieve when we lose our job, or we don't get hired.
- We grieve when someone we love dies.
- We grieve when family or friends reject us.
- We grieve when people we love make foolish and hurtful decisions.
- We grieve when we learn that we have done something to hurt someone.
Grief that receives a blessing is not feeling sad about lost stuff, but in regret for the things that we have done to disappoint our Heavenly Father.
- We grieve when we see our sin as Jesus sees it.
- We grieve when we realize that our actions and attitudes nailed Jesus to the cross.
"...because they will be comforted."
Please note, Jesus did NOT say, "...they will be comfortable." Even though COMFORTED and COMFORTABLE may have the same ASL Sign, the two words have very different meanings. Grief is not comfortable!
- We receive comfort when someone really understands and cares for us.
- We are comforted knowing that we will be okay.
- We are comforted when we know the heart of God.
- When we grieve about our sin, God comforts us with His promise that He completely forgives us.
In the Old Testament we see a sharp contrast between two kings of Israel -- Saul and David. Both Saul and David disobeyed God. God sent His prophets to both kings to show them that they had done wrong. King Saul made excuses ("I had a good reason. I did it because..."). But King David grieved deeply about his sin. He fully admitted his wrong and begged God to forgive him. (Read the story in 2 Samuel 11 & 12, and read David's prayer in Psalm 51.)
In the New Testament, Jesus told a story about two men. One man was religious, and the other man was greedy and sinful. When the religious man prayed, he reminded God how good he (that man) was. But the sinful man looked down and said, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner!" Jesus said that the sinner went home at peace with God, but not the religious man. (Luke 18:10-14)
In Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth, Greece, we see his anger about a Christian man in the church who was bragging that he was "sleeping with" his stepmother. Then in Paul's second letter we see that the man grieved for what he had done, and Paul forgave him. (1 Corinthians 5 & 2 Corinthians 2)
We announce God's comfort to all who grieve: God loves you and He forgives you!
Part 3
#3. "Blessed are people who are meek..."
Meek? Isn't that the same as weak? No, it is just the opposite.
Imagine yourself as a patient in the hospital. Nurses and their assistants take care of your personal needs. Do you want them to be strong? ...or gentle? Quickly you learn that weak caregivers run a risk of hurting or injuring their patients. Only the strong ones can be gentle, when they have strength under control.
Perhaps our English word meek, is a poor choice for translation. Indeed, there is NO English word which can accurately represent the meaning of the Greek word praus (sounds like "prah-OOS"). The words humble, gentle, and free of pride come close. It is a word that describes Jesus. He said,
#3. "Blessed are people who are meek..."
Meek? Isn't that the same as weak? No, it is just the opposite.
Imagine yourself as a patient in the hospital. Nurses and their assistants take care of your personal needs. Do you want them to be strong? ...or gentle? Quickly you learn that weak caregivers run a risk of hurting or injuring their patients. Only the strong ones can be gentle, when they have strength under control.
Perhaps our English word meek, is a poor choice for translation. Indeed, there is NO English word which can accurately represent the meaning of the Greek word praus (sounds like "prah-OOS"). The words humble, gentle, and free of pride come close. It is a word that describes Jesus. He said,
"Come to me, all you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest. Become my servants and learn from me. I am gentle [praus] and free of pride. You will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29 NIRV)
We learn how to be meek from Christ Himself.
The Bible describes people who are the opposite of meek as being boastful, angry, and striving for power. Jesus said,
The Bible describes people who are the opposite of meek as being boastful, angry, and striving for power. Jesus said,
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:25-28 NIRV)
The full text of this blessing comes from the Old Testament (Psalm 37:11), which describes the person who is truly meek as one who depends on God, giving up his own desires for what God wants, and waiting for God to act in His time and in His way.
People who are meek are blessed...
"...Because they will inherit the earth."
Again, we can better understand this blessing if we look back at its original source in Psalm 37. Here we see that the blessing promised to the faithful Hebrew believer is the aretz, the promised land. For the Israelite, it was that territory between the Jordan River, Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Specifically the aretz was that plot of ground which each family inherited from their fathers.
But Bible says that even our Old Testament fathers understood that the true promised land is not any place on this planet. Rather, heaven is our true homeland. We are only temporarily visiting this earth. (Hebrews 11:13-17)
People who are meek are blessed...
"...Because they will inherit the earth."
Again, we can better understand this blessing if we look back at its original source in Psalm 37. Here we see that the blessing promised to the faithful Hebrew believer is the aretz, the promised land. For the Israelite, it was that territory between the Jordan River, Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Specifically the aretz was that plot of ground which each family inherited from their fathers.
But Bible says that even our Old Testament fathers understood that the true promised land is not any place on this planet. Rather, heaven is our true homeland. We are only temporarily visiting this earth. (Hebrews 11:13-17)
Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God. Believe in me also. There are many rooms in my Father’s house. If this were not true, would I have told you that I am going there? Would I have told you that I would prepare a place for you there? If I go and do that, I will come back. And I will take you to be with me. Then you will also be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going."
Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going. So how can we know the way?"
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
(John 14:1-6 NIRV)
Part 4
The fourth blessing, however, does not seem strange at all... until we dig deeper into its meaning:
#4. "Blessed are people who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be satisfied."
(Matthew 5:5)
Righteousness? What does that mean? This is not a word we use in our every-day conversation outside our church walls.
The root of this word is "RIGHT." So some English versions of the Bible translation Matthew 5:6 as: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right..."
When the Bible talks about "righteousness," it always points to Holy God. We are not holy, but He is. Our sin separates us from God. But even in our separation, our hearts hunger to know Him. We thirst for His love. We want Him to accept us.
The Good News of this blessing is that we can know Him. We can experience His love. He accepts us, not because we are holy and righteous, but Jesus Christ became our substitute. Christ traded our sin for His righteousness. The Bible says:
The fourth blessing, however, does not seem strange at all... until we dig deeper into its meaning:
#4. "Blessed are people who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be satisfied."
(Matthew 5:5)
Righteousness? What does that mean? This is not a word we use in our every-day conversation outside our church walls.
The root of this word is "RIGHT." So some English versions of the Bible translation Matthew 5:6 as: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right..."
When the Bible talks about "righteousness," it always points to Holy God. We are not holy, but He is. Our sin separates us from God. But even in our separation, our hearts hunger to know Him. We thirst for His love. We want Him to accept us.
The Good News of this blessing is that we can know Him. We can experience His love. He accepts us, not because we are holy and righteous, but Jesus Christ became our substitute. Christ traded our sin for His righteousness. The Bible says:
Christ didn't have any sin. But God made him become sin for us. So we can be made right with God because of what Christ has done for us. (2 Corinthians 5:21 NIRV)
My dear children, I’m writing this to you so that you will not sin. But suppose someone does sin. Then we have a friend who speaks to the Father for us. He is Jesus Christ, the Blameless One. He gave his life to pay for our sins. But he not only paid for our sins. He also paid for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:1-2 NIRV)
Jesus told a story about two men who went to the temple to pray. The first man was a very religious man who tried to do everything right to please God. The second man was a liar, a cheater, and thief. He took advantage of people.
The first man prayed, "God, I thank You that I am not like other people..." Then he reminded God of all the good things he did every day,
The second man felt too ashamed to look up to heaven. He prayed, "God have mercy on me, a sinner!"
Jesus said, "I tell you, the second man went home righteous before God, not the first man." (Luke 18:9-14)
This blessing in Matthew 5 also has a practical application in our daily lives: As forgiven sinners, we now hunger and thirst to live in a way that shows Christ living in us. The promise in this blessing is that Christ Himself lives His own righteous life on earth through us. Any good we do is Christ doing it in us, as Saint Paul wrote:
The first man prayed, "God, I thank You that I am not like other people..." Then he reminded God of all the good things he did every day,
The second man felt too ashamed to look up to heaven. He prayed, "God have mercy on me, a sinner!"
Jesus said, "I tell you, the second man went home righteous before God, not the first man." (Luke 18:9-14)
This blessing in Matthew 5 also has a practical application in our daily lives: As forgiven sinners, we now hunger and thirst to live in a way that shows Christ living in us. The promise in this blessing is that Christ Himself lives His own righteous life on earth through us. Any good we do is Christ doing it in us, as Saint Paul wrote:
I have been crucified with Christ. I don’t live any longer, but Christ lives in me. Now I live my life in my body by faith in the Son of God. He loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 NIRV)
If you look up Matthew 5:6 in your Bible, there is a chance that you will find a slightly different translation that helps us understand this blessing more deeply. The Greek word that we translate as "righteousness" in this blessing has as its root a word that means "a judge's verdict." So some English versions of the Bible translate this verse this way:
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice..."
We can apply this meaning in two ways.
First, we come to Holy God, dirty with sin. But Christ takes our sin on Himself, and He gives us His holiness. So then His verdict on us is, "NOT GUILTY!"
Second, on a practical level, in the world we experience much injustice. But God is the final Judge. In eternity He will make things right with perfect justice. When people do bad things to us, we can give it to God. He will take care of it. In the meantime, He wants us to pray for God's blessings on those who hurt us, as He has blessed us. (Matthew 5:43-45)
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice..."
We can apply this meaning in two ways.
First, we come to Holy God, dirty with sin. But Christ takes our sin on Himself, and He gives us His holiness. So then His verdict on us is, "NOT GUILTY!"
Second, on a practical level, in the world we experience much injustice. But God is the final Judge. In eternity He will make things right with perfect justice. When people do bad things to us, we can give it to God. He will take care of it. In the meantime, He wants us to pray for God's blessings on those who hurt us, as He has blessed us. (Matthew 5:43-45)
Part 5
Jesus told a story...
Jesus told a story...
The kingdom of heaven is like a king who decided to collect the money his servants owed him. When the king began to collect his money, a servant who owed him several million dollars was brought to him. But the servant did not have enough money to pay his master, the king. So the master ordered that everything the servant owned should be sold, even the servant’s wife and children. Then the money would be used to pay the king what the servant owed.
But the servant fell on his knees and begged, "Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything I owe." The master felt sorry for his servant and told him he did not have to pay it back. Then he let the servant go free.
Later, that same servant found another servant who owed him a few dollars. The servant grabbed him around the neck and said, "Pay me the money you owe me!"
The other servant fell on his knees and begged him, "Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything I owe."
But the first servant refused to be patient. He threw the other servant into prison until he could pay everything he owed. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were very sorry. So they went and told their master all that had happened.
Then the master called his servant in and said, "You evil servant! Because you begged me to forgive what you owed, I told you that you did not have to pay anything. You should have showed mercy to that other servant, just as I showed mercy to you." The master was very angry and put the servant in prison to be punished until he could pay everything he owed.
This king did what my heavenly Father will do to you if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart. (Matthew 18:21-36 NCV)
Blessed are people who show mercy, because they will receive mercy.
Jesus taught us this truth in other parables (the Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan). He even included it in the Lord's Prayer: "Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us."
It is important that we understand the meaning of three related words, and how they all reveal God's character: Justice, Mercy, and Grace.
Justice means we get what we deserve.
Mercy means we don't get what we deserve.
Grace means we get from God what we don't deserve.
Read that again and notice the subtle differences in those meanings. We are all sinners. We have all broken God's holy law -- we do it every day. For that we all deserve God's eternal punishment. That's justice. But God loves us and He forgives us because Christ Jesus, His perfect Son, suffered all of the punishment we deserve. Jesus paid our debt. That's mercy. Christ's sacrifice opened heaven to us, and now daily God pours out on us the richness of His love, giving us blessings that we do not deserve. That's grace.
Now God wants us, as His children, to do for other people as He has already done for us. Notice that we do not "earn" God's mercy by being merciful -- that wouldn't be mercy! No, the servant in Jesus' story received forgiveness and mercy from the king at the beginning of the story. The servant's terrible mistake was that he was not willing to share that same mercy with others. As a consequence, the servant foolishly gave up the mercy that he had already received.
"It is because the Lord has mercy, we are not destroyed. His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness!" (Lamentations 3:22-23)
"God showed His love to us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
"We love God because He first loved us... And if we love God, we must also love our brothers and sisters."
(1 John 4:19-21)
Part 6
Has any living human ever seen God?
What about the time God appeared to Moses in the burning bush? No, the Bible says that was an angel giving Moses God's message.1
What about the time God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mt Sinai? No, the Bible says that also was an angel.2
In many instances, an angel spoke as if he were God Himself, but the angel was only communicating God's message, similar to the way a Sign Language interpreter signs or voices what another person is saying.
Today some teachers claim that God appeared in super-human form to Abraham3, Jacob4, Joshua5, and King Nebuchadnezzar6. Many describe these as appearances of "the pre-incarnate Christ" (i.e., Christ before He took on human flesh in Mary's womb). But the Bible clearly says, "No one has ever seen God," no one, except Jesus Christ.
Has any living human ever seen God?
What about the time God appeared to Moses in the burning bush? No, the Bible says that was an angel giving Moses God's message.1
What about the time God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mt Sinai? No, the Bible says that also was an angel.2
In many instances, an angel spoke as if he were God Himself, but the angel was only communicating God's message, similar to the way a Sign Language interpreter signs or voices what another person is saying.
Today some teachers claim that God appeared in super-human form to Abraham3, Jacob4, Joshua5, and King Nebuchadnezzar6. Many describe these as appearances of "the pre-incarnate Christ" (i.e., Christ before He took on human flesh in Mary's womb). But the Bible clearly says, "No one has ever seen God," no one, except Jesus Christ.
The One and Only is God and He is at the Father’s side. The One at the Father’s side has shown us what God is like." 7
"The Word [Christ] became a human being. He made his home with us. We have seen his glory. It is the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father." 8
So, yes, those who saw Christ in the flesh did indeed see God9. For those of us who have never seen Jesus, He gave us this wonderful promise:
Blessed are people who have pure hearts, because they will see God.10
Oops! We have a serious problem here! Our hearts are not pure. Jesus was not talking about the pump in your chest that pushes blood through your body. No, "heart" in the Bible means "mind" -- what we think, what we want, what we feel, what we live for. Sins we do with our body start in our mind.11 Even when we look good to other people on the outside, God sees what is really in our mind and heart.12 On our own, none of us have pure hearts.13
How can we make our hearts pure? We can't, any better than we can perform cancer surgery on ourselves! We need to be cleansed, washed, by Christ who is already pure and holy. Only He can make our hearts pure.
Blessed are people who have pure hearts, because they will see God.10
Oops! We have a serious problem here! Our hearts are not pure. Jesus was not talking about the pump in your chest that pushes blood through your body. No, "heart" in the Bible means "mind" -- what we think, what we want, what we feel, what we live for. Sins we do with our body start in our mind.11 Even when we look good to other people on the outside, God sees what is really in our mind and heart.12 On our own, none of us have pure hearts.13
How can we make our hearts pure? We can't, any better than we can perform cancer surgery on ourselves! We need to be cleansed, washed, by Christ who is already pure and holy. Only He can make our hearts pure.
The blood of Jesus, God's Son, makes us pure from all sin. If we claim we are without sin, then we are fooling ourselves. The truth is not in us. But God is faithful and fair. If we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins. He will forgive every wrong thing we have done. He will make us pure.14
Notice: Our ASL Signs for "forgive" and "pure" both come from the Sign that means "clean." How true!
My dear children, I’m writing this to you so that you will not sin. But suppose someone does sin. Then we have a friend who speaks to the Father for us. He is Jesus Christ, the Blameless One. He gave his life to pay for our sins. But he not only paid for our sins. He also paid for the sins of the whole world.15
Part 7
In September 1978 leaders of two nations at war accepted the invitation of President Jimmy Carter to meet together at Camp David in Maryland. Those leaders were President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel.
After twelve days of hard negotiations, Sadat and Begin met again at the White House to sign the Camp David Accords -- a set of agreements which led to a formal peace treaty the next year.
Other nations in the Middle East chose not to participate in this peace agreement. But the world took notice of what happened at Camp David, and three world leaders were recognized as peacemakers. The Nobel Prize committee awarded the 1978 Peace Prize to Sadat and Begin. President Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
Do you know someone in your life who is a peacemaker? Are you a peace maker? In Jesus' list of special (and some unusual) blessings in Matthew chapter 5, He said:
"Blessed are the peacemakers..."
The Bible describes two kinds of people who make peace.
(A) Mediator:
In September 1978 leaders of two nations at war accepted the invitation of President Jimmy Carter to meet together at Camp David in Maryland. Those leaders were President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel.
After twelve days of hard negotiations, Sadat and Begin met again at the White House to sign the Camp David Accords -- a set of agreements which led to a formal peace treaty the next year.
Other nations in the Middle East chose not to participate in this peace agreement. But the world took notice of what happened at Camp David, and three world leaders were recognized as peacemakers. The Nobel Prize committee awarded the 1978 Peace Prize to Sadat and Begin. President Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
Do you know someone in your life who is a peacemaker? Are you a peace maker? In Jesus' list of special (and some unusual) blessings in Matthew chapter 5, He said:
"Blessed are the peacemakers..."
The Bible describes two kinds of people who make peace.
(A) Mediator:
A mediator is a person who brings two conflicting people or groups together and helps them negotiate an agreement. Often the mediator helps each side compromise to make peace. Or the mediator helps the two sides come up with an alternative solution that fully satisfies both of them. The President of Egypt and the Prime Minister of Israel came to Camp David as two equal, opposite sides; President Carter was their mediator.
However, most mediators in the Bible intervene between two unequal sides -- one strong and the other weak. The mediator is an advocate for the weak side.
In the Old Testament, when the people of Israel gathered near Mt Sinai, the glory of God on the mountain frightened them. So Moses went up the mountain on their behalf. But Moses stayed on the mountain for over a month, and the people became restless. They foolishly made an idol, a golden calf, and worshipped it.
When God saw the people of Israel turning away from Him to worship that worthless idol, He told Moses that He was angry and He will destroy the people. But Moses asked God to remember His promises, have pity on the people, and forgive them. Moses advocated on behalf of the people:
However, most mediators in the Bible intervene between two unequal sides -- one strong and the other weak. The mediator is an advocate for the weak side.
In the Old Testament, when the people of Israel gathered near Mt Sinai, the glory of God on the mountain frightened them. So Moses went up the mountain on their behalf. But Moses stayed on the mountain for over a month, and the people became restless. They foolishly made an idol, a golden calf, and worshipped it.
When God saw the people of Israel turning away from Him to worship that worthless idol, He told Moses that He was angry and He will destroy the people. But Moses asked God to remember His promises, have pity on the people, and forgive them. Moses advocated on behalf of the people:
Moses asked the Lord his God to have mercy on the people. “Lord,” he said, "why should You destroy your people in anger? You used Your great power and mighty hand to bring them out of Egypt. Why should the Egyptians say, 'He brought them out to hurt them. He wanted to kill them in the mountains. He wanted to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn away from Your great anger. Please take pity on Your people. Don’t destroy them! Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel. You made a promise to them in your own name. You said, 'I will make your children after You as many as the stars in the sky. I will give them all this land I promised them. It will belong to them forever.' "
Then the Lord took pity on His people. He didn’t destroy them as He had said He would. (Exodus 32:11-14 NIRV)
The Bible says that Jesus is our Mediator. He is our Advocate before the throne of God (Romans 8:34; 1 Timothy 2:5-6).
(B) Forgiver:
(B) Forgiver:
When someone is angry at you, how do you respond? Our natural response is to answer back in anger. That only makes the conflict worse.
Jesus said, "Love your enemies." Jesus said the we must forgive as God has forgiven us. When we do that, Jesus said, "you will be children of your Father in Heaven." (Matt. 5:44-45; 6:14)
So when He gave us this blessing, He said,
Jesus said, "Love your enemies." Jesus said the we must forgive as God has forgiven us. When we do that, Jesus said, "you will be children of your Father in Heaven." (Matt. 5:44-45; 6:14)
So when He gave us this blessing, He said,
"Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called the children of God."
Unless God puts us in a place of authority (as parents, teachers, supervisors, etc.), we don't often find ourselves in the role of a mediator or advocate. However, we all have opportunities to forgive people who hurt us and to love those who hate us. We cannot do this with our own strength. We can bring peace only when Jesus loves and forgives others through us.
"And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7 NCV)
Part 8
Now we come to the last and strangest of the blessings Jesus gave us in His "Sermon on the Mount" (Matthew 5).
#8.Blessed are people who suffer for doing what is right...
#9. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and lie about you, saying all kinds of evil things about you that are not true, because you follow me. Rejoice and be glad....
Blessed!? Rejoice and be glad!? Why?
...because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
...because your reward in heaven is great. People also persecuted the prophets who were before you.
In other words, if you suffer persecution for Christ, welcome to the club. You are walking in the footsteps of the Bible's prophets, apostles, and even Jesus Himself. On the night before His crucifixion Jesus said, "A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you, too." (John 15:20). And because Jesus' sacrifice opened for us the way to heaven, we don't fear persecution or death. Christ has better things waiting for us in heaven.
The Apostle Paul, in his younger days, persecuted Christians to their death. Then he personally met the risen Christ and he trusted Christ. Paul immediately found himself on the other side, receiving terrible persecution. Many years later, near the end of his life, Paul wrote,
Now we come to the last and strangest of the blessings Jesus gave us in His "Sermon on the Mount" (Matthew 5).
#8.Blessed are people who suffer for doing what is right...
#9. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and lie about you, saying all kinds of evil things about you that are not true, because you follow me. Rejoice and be glad....
Blessed!? Rejoice and be glad!? Why?
...because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
...because your reward in heaven is great. People also persecuted the prophets who were before you.
In other words, if you suffer persecution for Christ, welcome to the club. You are walking in the footsteps of the Bible's prophets, apostles, and even Jesus Himself. On the night before His crucifixion Jesus said, "A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you, too." (John 15:20). And because Jesus' sacrifice opened for us the way to heaven, we don't fear persecution or death. Christ has better things waiting for us in heaven.
The Apostle Paul, in his younger days, persecuted Christians to their death. Then he personally met the risen Christ and he trusted Christ. Paul immediately found himself on the other side, receiving terrible persecution. Many years later, near the end of his life, Paul wrote,
"All who want to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12)
When we see this word "persecution," we remember how Peter, John, Stephen, Paul, Barnabas, and many others were arrested, beaten, whipped, and even stoned (see Acts chapters 4-7, and 14-17). We think of Christian martyrs in the time of the Roman Empire, who were beheaded, thrown to lions, crucified, and burned to death. We think of our brothers and sisters in Christ in Asia and the Middle East who today, while you read this, are losing their homes, their children, and their own lives at the hands of those who hate Christ and His followers. In the face of persecution, these Believers become stronger in their witness for Christ. Many obey Jesus' command, "Rejoice and be glad!"
The apostles were full of joy as they left the Sanhedrin [the Jewish Supreme Court]. They considered it an honor to suffer shame for the name of Jesus. Every day they taught in the temple courtyards and from house to house. They never stopped telling people the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.
(Acts 5:41-42 NIRV; also see Acts 4:23-31; 16:22-25)
We who live in safety and freedom are not exempt from persecution. Jesus' "blessing" in Matthew 5:10-12 lists three kinds of persecution:
"Insult you..." -- make fun of you, mock you.
"Persecute you..." -- literally: "chase you down." Someone doesn't like you and they go out of their way just to hurt you.
"Lie about you..." -- This hurts worst when the source of those lies are your own friends.
When it happens that we experience persecution for our commitment to Christ, how should we respond? That will be the focus of our final lesson in this series...
"Insult you..." -- make fun of you, mock you.
"Persecute you..." -- literally: "chase you down." Someone doesn't like you and they go out of their way just to hurt you.
"Lie about you..." -- This hurts worst when the source of those lies are your own friends.
When it happens that we experience persecution for our commitment to Christ, how should we respond? That will be the focus of our final lesson in this series...
Part 9
Jesus began His "Sermon on the Mount" (Matthew 5 - 7) with a list of nine blessings. Some of those blessings seem strange. The last two are the strangest of them all:
#8. Blessed are people who suffer for doing what is right because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
#9. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and lie about you, saying all kinds of evil things about you that are not true, because you follow me. Rejoice and be glad because your reward in heaven is great. People also persecuted the prophets who were before you in the same way.
Jesus promised that when we follow Him whole-heartedly, we can expect to receive persecution. Last month we listed examples of persecution Christians have received in Bible times and in modern times. The question we still must answer is this: When it happens that we experience persecution for our commitment to Christ, how should we respond?
(A) Check the reason for persecution.
Are we being persecuted because we truly believe and obey Christ? Or is God Himself rebuking our sinful actions and attitudes:
1. Sinful actions -- Do we have one face in public but a different face in private? I know of a Christian pastor who was falsely convicted of murder and sent to prison. Even though he was innocent of committing a crime, he was guilty of having an adulterous sexual relationship. If he did not have that secret affair, he would not have been falsely accused of doing something else wrong. God often allows us to experience punishment for something we didn't do to get our attention for something else that we did do. (Example in the Bible: Joseph's brothers; Genesis 42:21.)
2. Sinful attitudes -- Non-Christians can easily detect our own hypocrisy. Example:
A young teenager told his pastor that he had to leave home, because his unbelieving parents did not permit him to go to church. The boy felt persecuted for his faith.
When the pastor went to visit with the boy's parents, the pastor learned that at home the boy was lazy, disobedient, and irresponsible. And now that he was a Christian, the boy saw himself as superior to his parents. His parents banned him from attending religious events because they only saw his religion as an excuse for his disrespect. The pastor went back and told the teen, "Before you come to church, go home and clean your room! Show your parents the respect that they deserve. They are not persecuting you for your faith. They are responding to your bad attitude."
(B) Check our reaction
1. What is our attitude toward our persecutor?
Fear? God will provide and protect.
Hate? On the cross Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them..." (Luke 23:34)
2. What are our actions?
Pray for God's blessing on those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:43-47)
Jesus began His "Sermon on the Mount" (Matthew 5 - 7) with a list of nine blessings. Some of those blessings seem strange. The last two are the strangest of them all:
#8. Blessed are people who suffer for doing what is right because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
#9. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and lie about you, saying all kinds of evil things about you that are not true, because you follow me. Rejoice and be glad because your reward in heaven is great. People also persecuted the prophets who were before you in the same way.
Jesus promised that when we follow Him whole-heartedly, we can expect to receive persecution. Last month we listed examples of persecution Christians have received in Bible times and in modern times. The question we still must answer is this: When it happens that we experience persecution for our commitment to Christ, how should we respond?
(A) Check the reason for persecution.
Are we being persecuted because we truly believe and obey Christ? Or is God Himself rebuking our sinful actions and attitudes:
1. Sinful actions -- Do we have one face in public but a different face in private? I know of a Christian pastor who was falsely convicted of murder and sent to prison. Even though he was innocent of committing a crime, he was guilty of having an adulterous sexual relationship. If he did not have that secret affair, he would not have been falsely accused of doing something else wrong. God often allows us to experience punishment for something we didn't do to get our attention for something else that we did do. (Example in the Bible: Joseph's brothers; Genesis 42:21.)
2. Sinful attitudes -- Non-Christians can easily detect our own hypocrisy. Example:
A young teenager told his pastor that he had to leave home, because his unbelieving parents did not permit him to go to church. The boy felt persecuted for his faith.
When the pastor went to visit with the boy's parents, the pastor learned that at home the boy was lazy, disobedient, and irresponsible. And now that he was a Christian, the boy saw himself as superior to his parents. His parents banned him from attending religious events because they only saw his religion as an excuse for his disrespect. The pastor went back and told the teen, "Before you come to church, go home and clean your room! Show your parents the respect that they deserve. They are not persecuting you for your faith. They are responding to your bad attitude."
(B) Check our reaction
1. What is our attitude toward our persecutor?
Fear? God will provide and protect.
Hate? On the cross Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them..." (Luke 23:34)
2. What are our actions?
Pray for God's blessing on those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:43-47)
Show kindness and respect. If possible, live in peace with everyone. Do that as much as you can. My dear friends, don’t try to get even... Do just the opposite. Scripture says, "If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. By doing those things, you will pile up burning coals on their heads." (Romans 12:18-20 NIRV)
Seek legal protection (not revenge). The Apostle Paul used his Roman citizenship for protection from illegal punishment (Acts 16:37; 22:25; 25:11).
Discover persecutor's the real motivation and offer a creative alternative that does not violate your faith, as Daniel did (Daniel 1). But even Daniel knew that the day could come when he might die for obeying God (Daniel 6).
Discover persecutor's the real motivation and offer a creative alternative that does not violate your faith, as Daniel did (Daniel 1). But even Daniel knew that the day could come when he might die for obeying God (Daniel 6).
Who is going to hurt you if you really want to do good? But suppose you do suffer for doing what is right. Even then you will be blessed. Scripture says, "Don’t fear what others say they will do to hurt you. Don’t be afraid." But make sure that in your hearts you honor Christ as Lord. Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope you have. But do it gently and with respect. Live so that you don’t have to feel you’ve done anything wrong. Some people may say evil things about your good conduct as believers in Christ. If they do, they will be put to shame for speaking like this about you. God may want you to suffer for doing good. That’s better than suffering for doing evil. (1 Peter 3:13-17 NIRV)
Strange Blessings!
- Blessed are people who are poor in spirit, because theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Blessed are people who grieve, because they will be comforted.
- Blessed are people who are meek, because they will inherit the earth.
- Blessed are people who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be satisfied.
- Blessed are people who show mercy, because they will receive mercy.
- Blessed are people who have pure hearts, because they will see God.
- Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called the children of God.
- Blessed are people who suffer for doing what is right, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
- Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and lie about you, saying all kinds of evil things about you that are not true, because you follow me. Rejoice and be glad, because your reward in heaven is great. People also persecuted the prophets who were before you.