We need to be reassured

Some time back, I wrote several pieces about the beatitudes that Jesus pronounced—‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven’ and so on. I called the series ‘God’s kingdom people’.

I said the word ‘blessed’ could be better rendered ‘congratulated’.

This has been misleading. In today’s language, it suggests achievement for which we can take credit and so receive congratulations. That’s not what Jesus is talking about. He’s describing people to whom God is giving the kingdom, and so, whose lives reflect God’s glory rather than their own.

Those who are looking to Jesus for their life know what it means to be poor in spirit, to mourn for their sins, to be meek in relationships and hungry for righteousness—and so on through each of the beatitudes. These attitudes may not seem to be rewarding but Jesus is saying otherwise. Such people are ‘blessed’.

The word Jesus uses carries a note of reassurance with regard to what we have become. And this is important.

One of the reasons this is so is because the world commends and congratulates what it approves, especially things we’ve done our own way—things that show our independence of God.[i] And it also condemns and berates what is seen to depend on an unseen hand of God.

So, we need this encouragement from Jesus as he commends to us the way of living in his kingdom. He shows us how to value and to savour these different attitudes and behaviours.

We could say Jesus speaks to us in the way parents may speak to their small children, giving them encouragement for the small steps they take as they try to be like adults. And we all know how helpful it is—we may even call it a blessing—when someone commends who we are or what we have done. As a psychologist would say, they are reinforcing desirable behaviour.

You may find it helpful, as I have, to know how the Bible uses this word ‘blessing’. In fact, there are two words that our New Testament translates with ‘blessing’.

The one we are more familiar with is the blessing God sends to us through the gospel and through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are blessed (Greek eulogetos) with every spiritual blessing in Christ.[ii] This blessing, just like the blessing given to Adam when created, is a free act of God and without regard to anything we have done.

The second is the word Jesus uses when he teaches the beatitudes (Greek makarios). It is always spoken from one person to another and, mostly, with regard to what a person is or has done.[iii] In later teaching, Jesus uses the word to reassure those who see what he is saying or who remain faithful disciples. And the apostles use the word in the same way.[iv]

Old Testament vocabulary also has two words that are commonly translated as blessing.

God blesses (Heb. barak) humanity at creation. So, we enter into life enabled to be fruitful and multiply. This blessing is given without regard to anything we have done.

But God also blesses (Heb. ashre), those who trust the Lord, or obey him, or are generous to the poor.[v]

A Hebrew dictionary says the first of these words is a benediction, the latter more of a congratulation.[vi] Or, as I’m suggesting, we should see it as a reassurance or affirmation.

So, the blessing being announced in the beatitudes is a commendation of a new way of life brought about by the power of Christ’s reign—his kingdom. If you like, it is more about God’s success than ours. He’s assuring us that the outcome of our new life will be good. We are privileged now—because of what we are, and because of what we will receive later.[vii]

We should be deeply encouraged by this word from Christ. Our choice has been right. The outcome of our life will be good. We are on the right road.

And we should also be discouraged from seeking approval and congratulations from the world, or from ourselves. Human beings can’t guarantee any result or give assurance that all will be well. Only the unseen hand of Christ’s reign can do that.

[i] Rom. 1:28

[ii] Eph. 1:3. See also Luke 24:50-51; Acts 3:26

[iii]The word ‘makarios’ is ‘blessedness from an ideal point of view in the judgement of others’ and translates the Hebrew ‘ashre’ (Carson on Matthew, p.131).

[iv] See Matt. 11:6; 13:16; 16:17; 24:46; John 20:29; Rom. 14:22; Jam. 1:12, 25. Eugene Peterson in his The Message variously renders the word as blessed (especially by Jesus), lucky, far happier, fortunate, better off, whetting our appetite, mighty fortunate, find delight and affirmation. One can understand the translation blessed because it is always God who is responsible for the good outcome. It is never an inevitable outcome of what we do, as though we could control our own destiny by our actions.

[v] Psa. 1:1; 2:12; 41:1

[vi] Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, 1/80. For example Psa. 2:12.

[vii] The beatitudes ‘present this as the best way of life not only in its intrinsic goodness but in its results … The emphasis is not so much on time, present of future, as on the certainty that discipleship will not be in vain’ (R. T. France on Matthew, p. 109).

Empty people finding fullness

Jesus begins his ministry by announcing that ‘the Kingdom of God is at hand’. He has come to implement all God has in mind for the world.

His kingdom will be an arena, not just for fixing problems and managing our messiness, but for creating lovers of God who are devoted to his project.

So, Jesus explains what people in this kingdom look like—very much like himself of course—because he is not just the King but the prototype of what a subject is.

This, of course, amounts to a declaration of war. People who don’t already love God will not be interested in his way of life. Even the birth of Jesus is seriously contested. The local man in charge kills hundreds of children in an attempt to head-off any competition for control.

Things haven’t changed much. In many countries, including our own, Jesus is downplayed and his people maligned as harmful. If God is for real, and if Jesus has come to reveal him, the world recognises a rival, meaning that those who believe in him should be cancelled.

We need to know who God congratulates for getting things right. Jesus teaches us a number of ‘beatitudes’ (Matthew 5:2-10). But the word usually translated ‘blessed’ actually means to be congratulated or happy.

First, the people who have chosen well and have a good future are those who are ‘poor in spirit’.

Jesus is not saying it’s good to be depressed. Rather, he commends the person who knows that everything they really need and value in their life is going to have to come from someone else. That’s how poor they are. They feel this deeply—they are poor in spirit

There’s a story in the Old Testament about the Queen of Sheba visiting King Solomon. She sees his wealth. She hears his wisdom. And we are told that there is ‘no more spirit in her’ (1 Kings 10:5). Alongside of him, her wealth and wisdom are nothing.

Jesus does this to all of us. For a while, we think we can run our lives, change some things around us, keep ourselves happy and anticipate a good life. This soon runs thin.

Then, we see Jesus. He is not living for himself but for his Father—God. He doesn’t restlessly accuse us. He understands that our bluster is shallow and that we are really empty. And, he gives himself to us, and we know this. We begin to see that he’s the rich one and we are those in need.

Jesus demonstrates how to live in a world God looks after. He heals many who are sick. He delivers some who have fallen into the hands of evil spirits. He knows what he’s doing. Even better, he knows what God is doing. He’s believable. He’s real.

That’s when we become ‘poor in spirit’. If our life is going to amount to anything, it is going to have to start and finish knowing he’s the one who gets things right. He’s dwarfed us in the way he lives and speaks. But he doesn’t make dwarfs of us. He promises we will inherit God’s kingdom. We’ll be God’s special people—and he will be in charge of everything.

That’s why we are to be congratulated now. The reward is coming. But the congratulation is for now. We’ve chosen well.

Satisfied! With righteousness

Jesus tells us that those who hunger for righteousness are doing well. They will receive, abundantly, what they long for (Matthew 5:6).

Righteousness, as Jesus describes it, is obeying God’s commands (5:17-20). But then, as he continues to teach, we find it is not just compliance but a hearty agreement with what God wants. Jesus tells us to be perfect like our heavenly Father is perfect (5:48).

But what kind of person is hungry for righteousness? Most of us think it’s something we have plenty of. We do the right thing—mostly. And we spend a lot of time and energy defending it. We don’t understand the word ‘hungry’ when it comes to righteousness.

And there’s another problem. Our natural self is saying, ‘My idea is best!’ God’s requirements seem like an intrusion.

Into this situation comes Jesus. And he begins by demonstrating what hunger for righteousness looks like. He insists on John baptizing him. He’s ‘hungry’ to get this done (Matt. 3:15). He has no lack of righteousness himself, but he wants us to be obedient children of God. His obedience to the Father is going to make it happen.

Then, Jesus shows us what God’s righteousness looks like. He saves people from their sicknesses. He teaches the truth in a way that is riveting. Many are finding that God is real and that he is reaching out to them.

Jesus is providing an appetizer! We are never going to do what God wants if we are not attracted by who he is.

Isaiah said this would happen: God delighting our hearts and making us thankful; God making us like sturdy trees—tall and righteous, and getting on with the things that need doing (Isaiah 61:1-4).

Does this whet our appetite? We all want upright people to govern us, or to be our neighbours. But what about us?

We really need to be filled with righteousness—preferring what God wants. This is what we are made for. We damage ourselves and defraud those around us when we don’t follow what he says. Sometimes, things need to go wrong before we long for what God wants (Psalm 119 :71).

Perhaps we’ve been hungry and not understood our pain. Jesus knows we need lots of things but tells us to seek God’s reign and righteousness first (Matt. 6:33). God can look after all the other things, but we need to be hungry for righteousness.

So, how does this happen?

Jesus tells us about a tax collector who is broken by his miserable life. He’s defrauded people and kept God at a distance—until now. He asks God to be merciful to him—a sinner (Luke 18:13-14).

Here’s the punch line. Jesus says he goes back to his home a righteous man—or justified. He’s been hungering for righteousness. And now, he’s filled!

Later on, Jesus will tell a lame man that his sins are forgiven (Matthew 9:2). He is able to say this because he will offer up his own body as an offering for them, and for ours as well (Matt. 26:28).

All of us need this thorough wash out of who we are—our unholy desires and crippling guilt. We need to believe in this act of Jesus on our behalf. And we need to hear God calling us righteous. That’s right, God calls us righteous (Isa. 53:11-12; Rom. 3:22).

Now, our protests and pomp drop away and we find God is someone to love. And so is our neighbour. All the rules we thought were a bother are now a good way to live.

Paul tells us what’s happened. ‘The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age’ (Titus 2:11-12).

All this is better than breakfast! We’re hungry, and being satisfied, all at the same time. And we are being congratulated!

Gentled by mercy

Gentled by mercy

The people Jesus congratulates are those who show mercy. They are the ones who will receive mercy from God[1]. This teaching is not new. King David has already recognised that God will have mercy on those who show mercy[2].

People who need mercy are in trouble. They may be desperate. They may be the reason for their own problems. But people who show mercy see beyond this and give what they can to help. They have been gentled by mercy and know that God does more than expect everyone to ‘do the right thing’.

Jesus himself often shows mercy to needy people. In this Gospel, two groups of blind men cry out for mercy[3]. A distressed father kneels and ask for mercy for his sick son[4]. A foreign lady cries out persistently and kneels to ask for mercy for her sick daughter[5]. And Jesus helps them all.

He has compassion on the crowds because they are leaderless[6], or sick and hungry[7].

In seeking mercy, some call Jesus ‘Son of David’—Israel’s promised deliverer. They may know the promises God has made to send a Messiah who will act mercifully[8]. So, showing mercy is important for Jesus, and for us who belong in his kingdom.

Our tendency is to expect justice and forget mercy. But while we’re doing this, God is upholding us, being kind to us, generous to us. He’s not asking if we are worthy. He’s just seeing us as needy people and reaching out to help. Jesus doesn’t come into the world to help people who think they are righteous. He comes to help those who are undeserving[9].

God has already shown Israel that he wants them to do what is right, but also, to love mercy[10]. He doesn’t just teach this. He shows it in how he treats them[11].

And, of course, this is what God is doing when Jesus dies for our sins (Romans 3:25). If anyone has had reason to complain, it is Jesus. He is misunderstood, maligned and nailed to a cross. But he endures being the focus for all our hatred of God. And he expresses the mercy of God for us sinners.

He can truly say, ’Father forgive them’. He knows we don’t understand the love of God, don’t know how far our pride has taken us from being warm and real. Not yet, anyway. When he is ‘lifted up’, he will draw us to himself, and to God. And then, the mercy of God will create mercy in us.

If all we want is for things to be ‘right’, we lose our way, and our peace, and God’s mercy. And if we think someone is not worthy of our attention, we’re thinking legally, not mercifully.

Jesus makes an issue of this in a story he tells[12]. A man badly in debt pleads not to be sold as a slave, and promises to find the money. Instead of this, his creditor forgives the whole debt. But then, this forgiven man demands payment of a very small sum from someone else. When the first creditor hears of this, he runs the ungrateful man off to jail.

Jesus tells this story to warn us. If we don’t forgive others as we have been forgiven, we have not understood forgiveness. Effectively, we’ve not been forgiven. The results of being without mercy are severe.

But this story isn’t just a warning. It tells us that mercy doesn’t begin with us. Jesus is among us. He is going to reveal and secure God’s mercy to us[13]. He simply asks us to acknowledge the compassion we’ve received and to share it with others.

On three occasions in this Gospel, Jesus explains to Pharisees that they should offer mercy to the needy rather than parade their performance[14]. Twice, he quotes God’s word. ‘I desire mercy rather than sacrifice’[15].

Perhaps we need mercy from God for our legal mindset. And certainly, all of us need to know that we have not deserved anything we have received. Without Jesus as Lord, we also would be lost and hopeless. We need to know how pitiable we are. This is when we truly say, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David’.

This is the way that our life becomes beautifully uncomplicated, and attractive—like our Saviour’s. And Jesus says we should be congratulated!

[1] Matthew 5:7

[2] Psalm 18:20-25

[3] 9:27; 20:30-34

[4] 17:15

[5] 15:22

[6] 9:36

[7] 14:14; 15:32

[8] Luke 1:68-72

[9] Matt. 9:13: 12:7

[10] Isa. 1:17; 58:6-10; Hos. 12:6; Mic. 6:8

[11] Isaiah 30:18

[12] Matthew 18:21-35

[13] Luke 1:77-78

[14] 9:13; 23:23

[15] 9:13; 12:7

Being pure, and seeing God are what matter

We continue looking at the beatitudes in the teaching of Jesus. Here, it’s the pure in heart who should be congratulated. They are going to see God (Matthew 5:8).

Jesus is showing us what life is like when he is in charge—when he establishes God’s kingdom. So, what he teaches is a call for us to choose. Do we admire the bold and the beautiful? Is that what we want to be like? Or do we want to be pure in heart? Jesus says it needs to be the latter.

Seeing God is not a rare experience for saints and mystics. Everyone needs to know that they will see God. We’ve been made in his image. He is our goal. Without this promise we are living at odds with our proper destiny.

So, purity of heart, the only way to get to see God, is a deep need. To ignore it is dangerous.

Someone with a pure heart is a very practical person—someone we’d like to have as a neighbour. David tells us that they do what is right, speak what is true, and never hurt a friend. They do what they say they will—even when it turns out to be a bigger job than they thought it would be (Psalm 15).

Purity is everything we do in life—with all its compartments being focused on one thing. David wants an ‘undivided heart’—focused on God and on receiving his favour (Psalm 86:11, 17).

So, how do we come by a pure heart?

First, we need to receive what Jesus does on our behalf.

God promised a Savior who would purify his people (Malachi 3:1-4). This is who Jesus is. He will purify his people totally (Matthew 3:10-12).

Jesus spends a lot of time teaching us how to live well but knows that purity must be alive before it can grow. Our affections are hopelessly compromised—basically dead. We don’t really want to see God.

So, Jesus must give himself to us, and for us—as a husband to a bride—to purify us (Ephesians 5:26). He purifies us to be a people who are eager to do good things (Titus 2:14). Our hearts must be cleansed by faith, not by gradual improvement (Acts 15:9).

When we believe Jesus died in our place—for our sins, we are purified (1 Peter 1:17-22). We are ready to stand in God’s presence! We can never be the same again!

Jesus knows what he is going to do, and he knows it will be effective. That’s why he can promise that we will see God.

Second, we need to make purity a way of life.

The person who writes Psalm 119 asks how a young person can keep himself pure. He or she must carefully read and be led by God’s word (v. 9).

This Psalm goes on to show how we need this word every day and for every situation. God is our Maker after all (v. 73), and he must know what is good.

But the writer is not suggesting we should read our Bibles like a text book. The whole Psalm is really a prayer. He knows God. He knows God is altogether good and strong. This is why he wants to be pure.

So, with this writer, we can ask God to give us understanding. We can talk with him about the difficulties we have getting things right. And we can ask for wisdom. In his presence, we can accept the knocks that come our way—to show us we are off track and that we need to take his word more seriously (v. 67-71, 75).

Purity is not just about us getting our life in order. It’s about sharing life with the Lord. He’s what makes purity worthwhile—and possible. So, we need to seek him eagerly (v. 10).

As we continue to read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5), Jesus gives examples of practical purity—not just keeping rules to impress people.

And Paul tells us … that those who have been purified by Christ will be eager to do good things (Titus 2:14).

Sometimes, we do need to take ourselves in hand. As James says, we need to purify ourselves because we have divided loyalties (James 4:8).

Finally, when Jesus says we will see God, he’s talking about our future.

We will see Christ. And in seeing Christ, we will be seeing God. The event will be so powerful that we will be transformed to be like our Saviour in an instant (1 John 3:3). This is a powerful incentive to purify ourselves in readiness for that day.

In fact, we have already seen the glory of God in the face of Christ—through the word of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:6). And if we keep looking there, we are being transformed little by little while we wait for the final day (2 Corinthians 3:18).

If this is how you see your life, Congratulations!