Mt 5:1-12a
The first of five sermons in Matthew’s Gospel is commonly called the Sermon on the Mount (5:1—7:29). It begins with the beatitudes.
Matthew records nine beatitudes, each of which begins with the word “blessed.” Blessedness is the characteristic of those who have achieved everything and now resemble God. To be blessed, according to Matthew, is to share in the characteristics of God. In its basic understanding, blessedness means “happiness,” that which puts a person at ease. In each beatitude there is woven an inherent contradiction between blessedness and the state of the person described.
The beatitudes may be better understood if they are reformulated in this fashion:
Happy are the depressed, for they now experience the presence of God!
Happy are they who cry because of the death of a loved one; their comfort will come through their mourning. Also, when in tears, they are like God!
Happy are those who endure injury without resentment and with patience; they are like God. One day, they will be given the kingdom of heaven.
Happy are they who are hungry and thirsty for knowledge of God’s will—no matter what it may mean (even death, as for Jesus); these people will get that for which they hunger and thirst!
Hap
py are those who are always compassionate; through their compassion they demonstrate that they are like God, who is unlimited in compassion. They will receive compassion through their own demonstration of it.
Happy are those who can approach God; they will see God’s face.
They who make peace are like God. However, those who make peace will not be declared great or held up as examples. Rather, they will be called children of God.
Happy are those who are made to suffer because they do God’s will; in their suffering and doing God’s will, they share now in his kingdom.
Happy are you when you are insulted, persecuted, and defamed because you faithfully follow Jesus.
The reward promised for being happy in the midst of insults and persecution is not to be understood as something earned. In Matthew’s understanding, reward is the undeserved gift of God because a person sought out God’s will and did it. Getting a reward is not sufficient motivation for doing God’s will; one does it because it is what God wants a person to do. Because one has been motivated to do the will of God since one knows it to be what God wants, this person will inherit the kingdom of heaven.
Persecution should not be a deterrent in doing God’s will. Those who are persecuted stand in line with the prophets, who did God’s will and suffered because of it. Since the prophets share in the kingdom of heaven, those who imitate them will likewise share in it.