5:1-2. The opening verses of the Sermon on the Mount indicate
that this message deals with the inner state of mind and heart
which is the indispensable absolute of true Christian discipleship.
It delineates the outward manifestations of character and conduct
of the true believer and genuine disciple. A dispensationalist,
Lawlor writes: "We do not find basic, fundamental Law here, for law
cannot produce the state of blessedness set forth herein" (cf. G.
Lawlor, The Beatitudes Are for Today, p. 11). Rather, the quality
of life herein described is the necessary product of grace alone.
As Jesus states the outward legal requirements of the law and then
carries His listener beyond the letter of the law to the true
spirit and intent of the law, He describes a life-style which no
human being could live in his own power. Thus, the life of the
believer, described by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, is a life
of grace and glory, which comes from God alone. To make this
quality of life the product of man's human efforts (as does the
liberal) is the height of overestimation of man's ability and
underestimation of his depravity. To relegate this entire message,
Jesus' longest recorded sermon, to a Jewish-only life-style, as do
hyper-dispensationalists, is to rob the church of her greatest
statement of true Christian living!
The depth of spiritual truth proclaimed in this message of the
kingdom, however, does not present the gospel of justification by
faith in the death and resurrection of Christ. Pink states; "Its
larger part was a most searching exposition of the spirituality of
the law and the repudiation of the false teaching of the elders'
(A. W. Pink, An Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, p.13). Jesus
made it clear that the spirit of Christ goes beyond the outward
demand of the law. The Christian, though not under the law, is to
live above the law.
It has always been difficult to clearly draw the distinction
between the relationship of law and grace. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
has observed: "Some so emphasize the law as to turn the gospel of
Jesus Christ with its glorious liberty into nothing but a
collection of moral maxims. It is all law to them and there is no
grace left. They so talk of the Christian, that it becomes pure
legalism and there is no grace in it. Let us remember also that it
is equally possible so to overemphasize grace at the expense of the
law as again, to have something which is not the gospel of the New
Testament" (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the
Mount, pp.12-i 5). He goes on to note that the Sermon on the Mount
and the message of the kingdom do have definite application to the
Christian today. It was preached to people who were meant to
practice it not only at that time but ever afterwards as well.
Boice (p.9) observes that the "World" of the Sermon on the Mount
cannot be restricted to life in the future millennial kingdom,
since it includes tax collectors, thieves, unjust officials,
hypocrites, and false prophets.
Embodied in the Sermon on the Mount is a summation of Jesus' basic
ethical teaching of the life of a born-again man. While the Sermon
on the Mount is not a way of salvation, neither is it only a
message to those under the law, for it obviously goes beyond the
law. It is a presentation of Christian discipleship which can be
wrought in the soul of an individual only by the power of God. This
message does not tell one how to be saved; it tells one what it is
like to be saved. It explains the quality of the life changed by
the saving grace of God. Its basic truths are reiterated everywhere
throughout the New Testament epistles. There is no fundamental
contrast between this message and the message of Paul. Both are in
agreement that "the just shall live by faith!"
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus states the spiritual character and
quality of the kingdom which He wished to establish. The basic
qualities of this kingdom are fulfilled in the church which He
would establish. Virtually every section of this message is
repeated in the substance elsewhere throughout the New Testament.
There is nothing here to indicate that this message is to be
limited in its application only to the people of Israel. Notice in
the opening verse that his disciples had come to Him and he . . .
taught them the following message.
a. The Beatitudes: Character described. 5:3-20.
3. Blessed means "happy." This is a basic description of the
believer's inner condition as a result of the work of God. Kent
states that it is virtually equivalent to being "saved" (H. A. Kent
Jr. Matthew, in Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 15). These
Beatitudes, like Psalm 1, do not show a man how to be saved, but
rather describe the characteristics of one who has been saved. The
poor in spirit are the opposite of the proud or haughty in spirit.
These are those who have been humbled by the grace of God and have
acknowledged their sin and therefore their dependence upon God to
save them. They are the ones who will inherit the kingdom of
heaven. It is obvious in this usage that the kingdom of heaven is a
general designation of the dwelling place of the saved.
4. Those that mourn . . shall be comforted. The depth of the
promise of these statements is almost inexhaustible. Those who
mourn for sin shall be comforted in confession. Those who mourn for
the human anguish of the lost shall be comforted by the compassion
of God.
5. The meek. . . shall inherit the earth refers again to those who
have been humbled before God and will inherit, not only the
blessedness of heaven, but shall ultimately share in the kingdom of
God upon the earth. Here, in the opening statements of the Sermon
on the Mount, is the balance between the physical and spiritual
promise of the kingdom. The kingdom of which Jesus preached is both
"in you" and is yet "to come." The Christian is the spiritual
citizen of the kingdom of heaven now.
6. These future possessors of the earth are its presently installed
rightful heirs and even now they hunger and thirst after
righteousness. They experience a deep desire for personal
righteousness which is, in itself, a proof of their spiritual
re-birth. Those who are poor and empty in their own spiritual
poverty recognize the depth of their need and hunger and thirst for
that which only God can give them. To hunger means to be needy. It
is joined with to thirst; the born-again man has a God-given hunger
and thirst (inner passion) for righteousness. This hungering and
thirsting continues throughout the life of the believer. He
continues to hunger and to be filled and to hunger and to be
filled. God supplies his every spiritual need daily. This act of
hungering and thirsting after righteousness is the by-product of a
regenerated life.
Lawlor (p.60) rightly states that this is the description of a man
who has already been saved. Nowhere does the Bible command
unbelievers to hunger after righteousness in order to be saved.
Rather, Paul clearly states "there is none that understandeth,
there is none that seeketh after God" (Rom 3:11). The biblical
writers make it clear that while man must come to Christ for
salvation, it is not within man's normal ability and desire to want
to come to God. Therefore, God is depicted throughout the New
Testament as the seeking Saviour going after the lost. They shall
be filled (Gr chortazä) refers to complete filling and
satisfaction. The psalmist proclaimed: "He satisfieth the longing
soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness" (107:9). This
filling comes from God, who is the total source of satisfaction of
His people. It comes now and it will continue to come throughout
eternity to those who hunger and thirst for it.
7. Those who are merciful . . . shall obtain mercy has reference to
those who have been born again by the mercy of God. Because divine
love has been extended to them, they have the work of the Holy
Spirit in them producing a mercy which defies explanation by
unregenerate men. Jesus Himself became the ultimate example of this
when He cried from the cross, "Father forgive them for they know
not what they do" (Lk 23:34). The form of proverbial teaching
should not confuse the order of these statements; for example, the
believer does not show mercy in order to obtain mercy, he shows
mercy because he has obtained mercy. In so continuing to show the
evidence of the grace of God in his life he continues to receive
that grace. In other words, he is not saved simply because he shows
mercy and is kind to people. He shows mercy and is kind because he
saved.
8. Those who are truly saved shall see God. These are the pure in
heart. Their lives have been transformed by the grace God. They are
not yet sinless but their position before God has been changed.
They have the new birth, saving faith and holiness. The process of
sanctification is ever conforming them to the image of Christ (Rom
8:29), which image consists in "righteousness and true holiness"
(Eph 4:24). Purity of heart is both the end of our election and the
goal of our redemption. We read in Ephesians 1:4, "He has chosen us
that we should be holy" and Titus 2:14, "who gave himself for us
that he might redeem us unto himself a peculiar people." To which
we add Hebrews 12:14, "Follow peace with all men, and holiness,
without which no man shall see the Lord."
9. The next description deals with the peacemakers. They are the
ones who are themselves at peace with God and live in peace with
all men (cf. Rom 5:1). They are called "the" peacemakers for these
are not social reformers, but rather the ones reformed by the
regenerating power of the gospel. They are peacemakers because they
themselves are at peace with God. They have entered into the peace
of Christ and thus are able ambassadors of God's message of peace
to a troubled world. Hence, they shall be called the children of
God. These only shall be called the sons of God! Throughout the
Beatitudes Jesus clearly underscores that only those who have the
life-changing qualities herein described are citizens of His
kingdom.
10. As Jesus develops His message He makes it clear that such a
life causes His people to be in direct contrast to the world in
which they live. Therefore He reminds, Blessed are they which are
persecuted for righteousness' sake. The plural use of ye in verse
11 indicates that He foresaw this persecution as touching all His
followers. Notice II Timothy 3:12, "Yea, and all that will live
godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." The nature of this
persecution (Gr diäkä) implies a driving chasing away, a
withstanding or keeping one from his goal. This does not mean that
every Christian will necessarily suffer physical abuse as evidence
of true salvation. While many Christians have sealed their faith
with their blood, many more have had to withstand the social
temptations and pressures of the world in order to live effectively
for Christ.
11. Again, Jesus warns that men shall revile you, and persecute
you. This became true during His own ministry, in the lives of the
apostles and throughout the history of the church. But in
Tertullian's words, "The blood of the martyrs became the seed of
the church." The persecution spoken of here is twofold. First, it
involves a physical pursuing of the persecuted and secondly a
personal attack of slander against them.
http://www.biblepath.com/commentary/beatitudes5a.html
