MATTHEW 5: 3-12 "THE BEATTITUDES"

     
         As a rule,  when a teacher addresses the “Sermon on the 

Mount” by our lord, there is  failure to  take some instruction of

Christ, literally.  For our purposes,  we will consider the mean-

ing as literally as possible. There is always the danger of rob-

bing the Scripture of meaning when we fail take the Lord God
at His "Word..."

    

     We will begin in chapter  5.  His words  begin in  verse 3 of

this passage, our Lord refers to "poor in spirit."  When we take

this literally, we  find our lord commending one  for a blessing

who is not proud or confident in self, relying upon one of grea-

ter power, our lord, himself. The blessing is eternal in nature.

       In the next verse,  He promises to comfort the one who sees

the  conditions of  this world and is broken/sorrowful.  In verse 5,

unlike popular belief, the meek are assigned an earthly heritage

and  in verse 6, those  who seek  righteousness  from God shall

have that  righteousness. (This is an important concept, relating

to other Scriptural promises accompanying righteousness; con-
demning  self   righteousness.)   We  know  from  Scripture;  our

God is  a God of  mercy.  In verse  7, He expects His  children to

be  merciful and promises  the blessing of  mercy on  those who

obey. 

   This is certainly a brief consideration of a portion of the finest 
sermon  known.  Taken as  a whole,  the ministry of  our  Savior
Jesus Christ, God the Son, teaches me the following:

          In order for one to be a follower of Christ, he/she must 
          be self-efacing, genuinely humble  in spirit, preferring
          others before  self,  with  confidence  in God  the Son, 
          His Word, and no confidence in self or the flesh.  

         "The  Word  became  Flesh  and dwelt among us, and
          we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten
          of the Father, full of grace and truth."         John 1: 14
                                                                       

donporter,sr       edited: 10.09.16