Matthew 5:3-12, Luke 6:20-23 (The Beatitudes)

Rachel Workman:

Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,     for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 4 God blesses those who mourn,     for they will be comforted. 5 God blesses those who are humble,     for they will inherit the whole earth. 6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,     for they will be satisfied. 7 God blesses those who are merciful,     for they will be shown mercy. 8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,     for they will see God. 9 God blesses those who work for peace,     for they will be called the children of God. 10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,     for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you 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 in the same way.	I think it's safe to say most people are seeking a blessing. We want to be blessed in our relationships, finances, children and so forth. I do. One verse that stands out to me is God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. That tells me no matter what I'm blessed with I will have mourning. I am blessed because I do realize my need for Jesus. I do need to work on being more humble. I do seek justice. I am merciful to others. My heart isn't as pure as it should be. There is still work that needs to be done there. I do work for peace. We are all persecuted for doing right. The world is ready to persecute anyone who does good. I've learned to recognize that for what it is and not dwell on it. But in some countries it could cost you your life to do the things we do everyday in Christ. All in all I'm a very blessed woman. Beyond measure really.	20 Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “God blesses you who are poor,     for the Kingdom of God is yours. 21 God blesses you who are hungry now,     for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now,     for in due time you will laugh. 22 What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. 23 When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.

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John Burnett: 

Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,[a]     for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 4 God blesses those who mourn,     for they will be comforted. 5 God blesses those who are humble,     for they will inherit the whole earth. 6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,[b]     for they will be satisfied. 7 God blesses those who are merciful,     for they will be shown mercy. 8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,     for they will see God. 9 God blesses those who work for peace,     for they will be called the children of God. 10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,     for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you[c] and say all sorts of evil things against you 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 in the same way.	There are some great promises in these verses when we show humility.  I like the Matthew version “…and realize their need for Him.”  When we realize there is nothing we have or can do to justify ourselves, then and only then can we realize our need for Him.  V6 is another favorite but we have to be careful to not cross the line towards a hateful revenge.  Vengeance is mine says the Lord and He being the only just judge will provide justice better than anything we can.  God is just but thankfully He is also merciful.  If he gave us justice we deserve, we would all be condemned.  He is merciful to those who realize their need for mercy and thus show mercy to others.  V10-12 are verses that we will need to remember in the near future.  Christians are being persecuted worldwide and it is happening in the US now as well.  When the government list evangelical Christians as terrorist, you know that it will not be long before the persecution starts.  The “Be Happy” verb is comparable to a fist pumping,  jumping for joy.  When I discuss Christ on the forum I read, I get all kinds of hateful jokes and false accusations made against me.  Those guys think that they are getting to me but they are actually blessing me, which is ok with me.	20 Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “God blesses you who are poor,     for the Kingdom of God is yours. 21 God blesses you who are hungry now,     for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now,     for in due time you will laugh. 22 What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. 23 When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.

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Mike Grimm: 

Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,[a]     for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 4 God blesses those who mourn,     for they will be comforted. 5 God blesses those who are humble,     for they will inherit the whole earth. Jesus began His sermon with words that seem to contradict each other. But God’s way of living usually contradicts the world’s. If we want to live for God we must be ready to say and do what seems strange to the world We must be willing  to give when others take, to love when others hate, to help when others abuse. By giving up our own rights in order to serve others, we will one day receive everything God has in store for us. 6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,[b]     for they will be satisfied. 7 God blesses those who are merciful,     for they will be shown mercy. 8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,     for they will see God. 9 God blesses those who work for peace,     for they will be called the children of God. 10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,     for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you[c] and say all sorts of evil things against you 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 in the same way. Each beatitude tells how to be blessed. “Blessed” means more than happiness. It implies the fortunate or enviable state of those who are in God’s kingdom. To Jesus, “blessed” means the experience of hope and joy, independent of outward circumstances. To find hope and joy, the deepest form of happiness, follow Jesus no matter the cost. In the kingdom of heaven, wealth and power and authority are unimportant. Kingdom people seek different blessings and benefits, and they have different attitudes. Are our attitudes a reflection of the world’s selfishness, pride, and lust for power, or do they reflect the humility and self-sacrifice of Jesus our King?		20 Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said, “God blesses you who are poor,     for the Kingdom of God is yours. 21 God blesses you who are hungry now,     for you will be satisfied. God blesses you who weep now,     for in due time you will laugh. 22 What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. 23 When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way. Jesus startled His listeners by pronouncing blessings on the hungry. In doing so, however, He was in line with an ancient tradition. The Old Testament is filled with texts proclaiming God’s concern for the poor and needy.

There are at least four ways to understand the Beatitudes. (1) They are a code of ethics for the disciples and a standard of conduct for all believers. (2) They contrast kingdom values (what is temporary). (3) They contrast the superficial “faith” of the Pharisees with the real faith Christ wants. (4) They show how the Old Testament expectations will be fulfilled in the new kingdom. These beatitudes are not multiple choice – pick the ones you want and forget the rest. They must be taken as a whole. They describe what we should be like as Christ’s followers.

Matthew 4:24-5:2, Mark 3:7-13, Luke 6:17-19 (Occasion of the Sermon)

Rachel Workman:

Matthew	Mark	Luke
24 News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all. 25 Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns,[h] Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River. 5 One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2 and he began to teach them.	7 Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him. 9 Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. 10 He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him. 11 And whenever those possessed by evil[a] spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was.13 Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him.	17 When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers and by the crowds. There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those troubled by evil spirits were healed. 19 Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone. In reading these passages I think the biggest thing that stands out to me is Mark stated that all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch Jesus. This includes those who were possessed by evil spirits. The evil spirits were well aware of who Jesus is. Evil is pretty powerful but that power was overcome by Jesus even before his death. The evil spirits were in possession of that body but they were not able to prevent Jesus from healing the body and casting them out.

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John Burnett: 

Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
24 News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all. 25 Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns,[h] Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River. 5 One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2 and he began to teach them.	7 Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him. 9 Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. 10 He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him. 11 And whenever those possessed by evil[a] spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was.13 Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him.	17 When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers and by the crowds. There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those troubled by evil[b] spirits were healed. 19 Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone. Jesus had just started his ministry and his teaching was unlike any the people had ever heard.  The healing Jesus did showed the people that He was the Son of God and I am sure that there many were convinced that he was the Messiah, but I bet there were many who came just for the physical healing.  We are blessed to have the full cannon of scripture and know that Jesus came to heal us of our spiritual illness called sin.

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Mike Grimm: 

Matthew	Mark	Luke	John
24 News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all. 25 Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns,[h] Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River. 5 One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2 and he began to teach them. Returning to the substance of Matthew's account, we observe that 4:24-5:2 have the effect of preparing the hearer for the great speech which follows. The speech is a concrete instance of the teaching which Matthew mentions in 4:23. Jesus takes up the traditional stance of the teacher: he sits. The disciples are the audience, although the crowd is also in earshot. For Matthew the basis for salvation is not status, Jewish or Christian, but performance. Jesus is on the mountain like Moses, but greater than Moses. With chapter 3 in our memory, we see Jesus as the judge to come who has already appeared to offer guidance through teaching. Our expectations from the previous chapters converge: we are about to hear the good news of the kingdom spelled out and we expect that judgment will be a central concern.	7 Jesus went out to the lake with his disciples, and a large crowd followed him. They came from all over Galilee, Judea, 8 Jerusalem, Idumea, from east of the Jordan River, and even from as far north as Tyre and Sidon. The news about his miracles had spread far and wide, and vast numbers of people came to see him. 9 Jesus instructed his disciples to have a boat ready so the crowd would not crush him. 10 He had healed many people that day, so all the sick people eagerly pushed forward to touch him. 11 And whenever those possessed by evil[a] spirits caught sight of him, the spirits would throw them to the ground in front of him shrieking, “You are the Son of God!” 12 But Jesus sternly commanded the spirits not to reveal who he was.13 Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. Mark 3:7-12 is meant to summarize Jesus’ ministry. He was teaching the large crowds, performing miracles, and casting out demons that He commanded not to talk about Him. Jesus chooses a motley crew of followers: Four blue collar fishermen, one hated tax-collector, one radical member of a violent political party, one doubter, and one betrayer (known to Jesus). We know virtually nothing about six of these men, whose names never appear again in Mark’s Gospel. Although the word “family” has not yet occurred in this chapter, Jesus has nevertheless established the pattern of a family with these disciples. This pattern has three components. First, Jesus “names” them apostles. Second, these disciples are called to “be with Him.” Finally, after a period of time “with Jesus,” these disciples will be sent “to preach and to have authority to cast out demons.” After receiving the training and preparation, the disciples will be sent out to accomplish ministry.	17 When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers and by the crowds. There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon. Jesus had been up all night with the Father and the Holy Spirit praying.  Morning comes and He calls from the number of disciples twelve which He calls Apostles.  These will be the ones that Jesus pours the rest of His life into.  These are the ones who are trained for Kingdom advancement.  These are the preachers who would carry the message after Jesus was gone.  These are the ones who walk down the mountain with Him. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those troubled by evil[b] spirits were healed. 19 Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone. It’s important that we understand the fact that Jesus conducted much of His ministry in the midst of a great crowd of people.  Much of the time they were trying to push and shove to get to see and touch Jesus.  Here is a good picture of this.  Luke reports that everyone tried to touch him.  This would be enough to wear anyone out.  Our Lord had compassion on all.  The people were not a bother.  They were not annoying.  Jesus cared for them and healed all that came to Him.  He spoke the Gospel to them and many were brought into the Kingdom of God.  Isn’t it good to know that our Lord is compassionate and caring?