Today's theme will be developed on the subject of the need, sometimes, to suffer for the gospel. The intention is to encourage everyone not to be ashamed of Christ, but to rejoice in the face of any form of persecution, knowing that the kingdom of God is ours. We will consider the Beatitudes with special emphasis on the last one mentioned by Jesus in His sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5.
The Beatitudes
Many Christians wonder if they are experiencing true happiness in their lives. The happiness of the believer is something Jesus is interested in. His sermon on the mountain is his demonstration, begins with the theme of happiness. The term blessed in the text simply means to say: happy, happy, satisfied. It is a happiness that does not depend on the circumstances. The word "blessed" or blessed is used to describe God Psalm 68:35; Psalm 119: 12; 1 Timothy 1:11
The Blessed are like Christ, because he is so called in 1 Timothy 6:15. The people of God are blessed. The only people who will realize a condition of bliss is one who has placed his faith in Jesus Christ, the people who know and love him. The satisfaction that Matthew 5 speaks about depends on the character of God present in the lives of those who believe.
The Beatitudes describe the attitudes of those who are part of the kingdom of God and do not reflect the idea that the world has of happiness. Most people who hear about: "The poor in spirit, afflicted, meek, hungry and thirsty, the merciful, the clean of heart and persecuted", do not in the least think that happiness, but believe that misery. The paradox presented in the Beatitudes is precisely this: what for some is misery, in reality it is true and profound happiness.
Solomon illustrates this truth, while reaching the highest social, intellectual and economic levels, speaks of vanity in Ecclesiastes 1: 2. Jesus also remembers the vanity of what one possesses in Luke 12:15. It is important to remember that material goods can not satisfy spiritual needs.
A Puritan preacher said: "The things of this world can not defend us from a troubled spirit, nor can a sheet of paper protect us from a bullet" cf. Proverbs 23: 5; Ecclesiastes 5: 12-13 The riches of this life in some cases lacerate the soul Mark 4:19.
The Beatitudes: those characteristics of those who can be part of the kingdom of God.
The poor in spirit. To be poor in spirit means to have a humble opinion of oneself; be sensitive to the fact that we are sinners and that we do not have our own justice; be willing to let us be saved only by the graces of the riches of mercy and the grace of God. Isaiah 57:15 The opposite of such feeling is to have a proud heart. Luke 18: 9-14. The poor in spirit can enjoy the government of God over their lives, and now they realize the benefit of being part of the Lord's church in the future.
The afflicted . It means that those afflicted by their sinful condition, their spiritual poverty (Psalm 51: 3-4) will be comforted, both in the present and in the future 2 Corinthians 1: 3-5; Revelation 21: 1-4.
The meek They are those who prefer to suffer instead of afflicting others. His feeling is not the result of weakness, but of humility. Moses is a good example of meekness. He certainly was not a weak or timid man, but when he was attacked personally, he proved to be very humble. Numbers 12: 1-3.
The meek will inherit the earth as a result of having first placed the kingdom of God Mark 6:33. We could consider this promise by affirming that perhaps we possess less than the ungodly, but God allows us to enjoy what we have more than they do Ecclesiastes 5: 19-6: 2. It is interesting to reflect on how the meek will have what to the violent and proud They would like to conquer and obtain without success. The meek will receive as inheritance a new earth 2 Peter 3: 10-13.
Hungry and thirsty for justice. This expression excludes a heart divided in half. The words of David and Paul can clarify the meaning of Psalm 42: 1-2; Philippians 3: 7-15. Whoever seeks this justice will feel satisfied, will receive through the blood of Jesus that justice that Philippians 3: 8-9 needs so much; Romans 5: 9; Revelation 19: 5-9.
The merciful are those who show love towards those in poverty (for example, good Samaritan) and who cultivate a feeling of forgiveness. Jesus often emphasized this aspect Matthew 6: 14-15; Luke 23:34. It is a virtue that comes from the mercy of God that we ourselves have experienced. The forgiveness of the Lord will be done by them: they will obtain mercy fleeing from the wrath of God Revelation 1: 5-6; Romans 5: 9.
The pure of heart. The prayer emphasizes an honest, sincere and transparent heart, hence the absence of hypocrisy. These are essential characteristics if we want to see God Psalm 24: 3-4. At present, the citizens of heaven can contemplate God through faith in Christ Jesus, but the day will come when they will see Him face to face John 14: 6-7; Revelation 21: 3; 22: 3-4.
Those who work for peace. Those who strive to help others make peace with God through the proclamation of the Roman Gospel 5: 1 are part of this category; Ephesians 6:15 They are Christians in peace with God, who live at peace with themselves and, where possible, try to live in peace with everyone. They enjoy the privilege of being called children of God 1 John 3: 1-2; Revelation 21: 5-7.
The persecuted. The verse conveys the idea of those who let themselves be persecuted and do not renounce their faith to avoid a possible adversity, but who submit to the cost of paying for their faith in Christ. For them, the doors of heaven will open wide. The crown of life belongs to them Revelation 2: 8-11.
The Beatitudes: its context at the moment of the sermon on the mountain of Jesus
Political context
The Jews at the time of Jesus expected the Messiah as a political figure, but Jesus did not become king in that sense. The teaching given in the sermon on the mountain reflects this because the most important people in the kingdom of Christ would be considered, from one point of view, the most humble.
Religious context
The religious society of the time can be divided into four groups present within Judaism.
The Pharisees - They believed that by observing the tradition and the minute points of the law, happiness was found. His search for blessing obeyed the oral traditions developed over the centuries.
The Sadducees: the Sadducees thought that happiness was a modern and liberal mentality. They suggested setting aside the past to encourage an up-to-date religion that is appropriate for the present times. A materialist perspective
The Essenes: suggested that happiness consisted in separating oneself from the world by living isolated from society.
The Zealots: believed that happiness would be realized by overthrowing the political power of Rome even with the use of force if it had been necessary.
Jesus responds to the Pharisees by saying that religion is not a factor of external observance. For the Sadducees the answer was that religion should not invent philosophies to adapt to changing times.
For the Essenes, Jesus makes us understand that religion is not a geographical issue. The answer to the Zealots was that religion is not in social activism or even in revolutionary struggle.
Instead, Jesus' message reveals that his kingdom is an inner reality. The sermon on the mountain opens the door to a new covenant already prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah 31:33 and mentioned in Proverbs 4:23. Jesus emphasizes the need to focus attention on what goes beyond the exteriority of man Matthew 5:20.
The Beatitudes: why consider them?
We listed five important reasons to study the sermon on the mountain:
Illustrates the need for a new birth.
Reflects the mind of Christ.
Teach the only way to achieve true happiness.
In fact, it is a message of evangelization. If the principles taught here were lived out completely, the lives of men would be transformed and so would everyone else.
Show how to please God.
The Beatitudes: its irony
The result of the first six Beatitudes is that the Christian becomes a person who fights for peace, therefore, seeks to reconcile man with God. Those who work for peace in turn are persecuted.
The Christian who seeks peace, provokes contrasts, that is why he is the object of reproach. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, paradoxically said: "Do not think that I came to make peace on earth, I came not to make peace, but a sword" Matthew 10:34. Peace with God requires repentance on the part of man, for this reason the believer is not welcome.
The world does not tolerate those who are poor in spirit because it emphasizes the proud, the one who believes that he is self-sufficient. He does not tolerate the person who cries for his own sin because he considers that neither sin nor its implications are important. An unbeliever is a pride that does not improve meekness. The world despises those who know that they do not deserve the salvation of the soul and recognize that they can only be obtained as a gift because they are the fruit of God's grace.
The teaching of the present century is that every person has the right to have everything, he deserves what he earns with his own strength and his work. The unbeliever does not know the meaning of mercy, nor of purity and does not know what it means to be at peace with God. The Beatitudes are attitudes totally alien to the mentality of the present century.
The Beatitudes: Who will be persecuted by them?
Who will want to live godly in Christ 2 Tim. 3:11
Living in opposition to the world is normal to find oneself against, those born of God can not pretend to be loved by the world. Galatians 4:29; John 15: 18.19. Some examples are Jesus and Abel, the latter was killed by his brother because Cain could not stand the fact that he was right. A guarantee of having received salvation is precisely the persecution of Philippians 1: 28-29; 1 Thessalonians 3: 3-4.
Care must be taken that the idea that being a Christian is popular is not transmitted, because it is not! There is only one way to avoid persecution, to commit to the world. It is not so positive when all men speak well of us, on the other hand, it is not their approval that we look for Luke 6:26.
The apostle Paul, perhaps the best known of the Christian church in his day, had a life of celebrity, his ministry was not based on personal credentials or well-constructed or bragged media image and individual successes. He thus describes his ministry and that of the apostles 1 Corinthians 4: 9-12; 2Corinthians 11: 23-27; 12: 5-10
Who will be willing to pay a price Matthew 10:37; 16: 24-25; 19:29
Being a Christian in the first centuries after Christ meant making decisions that could endanger the workplace or the interruption of sentimental relationships. Society often treated Christians with malice; he insulted them and accused them of the most absurd things.
The reason for this persecution is simple: the world hates Christ John 15: 18-19 cf. John 16: 2.
The world rejects the exemplary life of Christ. The sanctity of the Lord and his principles disturbed part of his time. The more people have bad examples, the more they feel "comfortable" in their sin. A Christian life that seeks sanctification disturbs those who prefer darkness to light John 3: 19-21; John 7: 7
The Beatitudes: a promised reward
God has promised a reward for those who renounce the things of this life for the sake of Christ. Matthew 5: 10-11; 19:29
The Bible offers examples. Joseph was persecuted by his brothers but honored by God Genesis 37:24; 41: 39-44. The same can be said of the prophet Jeremiah 38: 6. It is a joy to participate in the same suffering that other men and women of the Bible have suffered because we seek first the kingdom of God and its Jewish justice 11.
A final exhortation
"Do not be ashamed of Jesus" Mark 8: 31-38; 2Timothy 1: 6-12. Shame means having a feeling of shyness, fear of being in fear of a certain thing, person or situation. Biblically, perhaps we could say that the person shame is more concerned about the opinion of men about their own faith and their own life than the opinion, divine run the risk of wanting to please our fellow humans that God. It will be better despised a thousand times by men and not rejected and sent by Jesus on the day of judgment Mark 8:38.
Do not be afraid or shy so that others know that we love Jesus, we believe his truth, that we follow his commandments and identify fully with his people, that is, with those who are part of his church.
What reasons are there for making us ashamed of the Gospel? The reality of external pressures, the influence of relatives or friends, the fear of losing prestige in front of some people and being classified as a "different" person, the worry of being isolated, discarded or not being able to achieve certain ambitions or programs. Everyone wants to be part of a winning team and the idea of having problems or suffering does not like it.
Moses made his own decision: not to be ashamed of the people of God Hebrews 11: 23-27.
What is the attitude of those who are ashamed?
He has a tendency to be indifferent, passive, not interested in the things of God, almost inactive. He hardly adopts positions in favor of the Lord, does not openly defend the truth of the Scriptures and perhaps does not share his beliefs of faith with anyone.
All this does not produce positive effects in the lives of those around him, he can not receive anything from those who are ashamed, there is no testimony because the latter is not willing to speak. And even if he could speak, being taken for the shyness caused by a sense of shame, he would not convey much confidence because he was not convinced. How do you think that the words of those in themselves are not entirely convinced?
The only remedy for those who are ashamed of Christ is:
Understand what Christ did for us, how he suffered to save us without any shame. We are not ashamed to love someone who has loved us so much.
Find the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the power of God to witness to Jesus. Acts 1: 8
Relive the unfaithful faith that is in us and the gift of the Holy Spirit that the Lord has given us 2 Tim. 1: 3-8.
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