Matthew 5:3-5

DAY 22
Date: 10-13-2024

Sermon on the Mount

Scripture Matt 5:3-5

Pray

Read scripture: 
(NIV) 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

Question: Why do you go to a doctor? 

A: Because you know, you sense, you feel, that something is wrong, and that you can’t fix it yourself. 

Right after Jesus called Matthew to follow Him, Matthew had a dinner party at his house. 
Mark, chapter 2 says, (NIV 1984) 16 “When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the “sinners” and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”
17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

What do you think this means?

Overview

Jesus goes right straight to the heart of the issue for His followers. Being in a right relationship with God is a matter of the heart. 

The proud in heart (those who lack true humility), like the Pharisees, (whom Jesus called hypocrites), think they are already right with God, so they are not broken over their sin. They don’t need a doctor. So they won’t go to one. (They don’t need a Savior, because they are self-righteous because they obey the law to the letter and because they are related to Abraham.)

But someone who knows they are a sinner, and is broken over their sin, and recognizes they need outside help, these kinds of people are the people Jesus is looking for. These are people who recognize they need a “spiritual” doctor. These are the kinds of people who are receptive to His message of Good News. These are the kinds of people who are “poor” in spirit. They know something is wrong – and they want help. They are open to Jesus’s teaching. 

The best example of these that I know of is King David in the OT, in Psalm 51, where he is broken over His sin with Bathsheba, and prays for help. He asks for mercy, for forgives, for healing and cleansing and restoration. (Read Ps. 51:1-17)

Especially vs 17, where David says, “(NIV) 17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

Main Point 

Recognize our Brokenness, our sinfulness, and turn to to Jesus. 
Repent, confess, be forgiven and receive Christ as Lord and Savior.

1 John 1:8-9 says, (NIV) 8 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”
James 4:10

God is not so much concerned with what we do as who we are becoming. He is less concerned with our outward activities than He is the inner transformation of our hearts.

Before we move on to each verse, let’s read the bottom of pg 58 in our book to get a bit of a bigger picture of the brilliance of these Beatitudes and Jesus’ teachings.

Today’s Verses:

Vs. 5:3
(NIV) 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Q: What does the word blessed mean?

A: The Greek transliteration is “makarios” …receiving God’s favor), fortunate, good (in a position of favor)

The (CWSB Dictionary) says, ” blessed one. Blessed, possessing the favor of God, that state of being marked by fullness from God. It indicates the state of the believer in Christ”

This is similar too, but not to be confused with, our modern concept of being happy, which is circumstantial. 
Being blessed unlike being happy is possible for the Christian in ANY CIRCUMSTANCE.

Q: What does is mean to be poor in spirit?

A: Honest about, and broken over, our true spiritual condition, which is spiritual bankruptcy.
We do not have righteousness of our own. This leads to repentance and our need for a Savior.

See Luke 15:11-32; Luke 18:9-15 and Isaiah 6 (especially v. 5) 

See also the YouTube video:

Q: Why is theirs is the kingdom of heaven?

A: Brokenness leads to recognition of our spiritual bankruptcy, which, in turn, leads our need for a Savior. Then, our need for a Savior, leads to repentance, which leads to 
a right relationship with God. God is in Heaven, and when we repent, confessing our sins, we receive forgiveness and we receive Christ as our Savior. 

See John 1:12-13

Vs. 5:4
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

Q: What is the word “mourn” referring to here?

A: Similar to grieving for a lost loved one someone who is dead, grieving for something that is wrong, something that is missing. When we realize that we are poor in spirit, we realize that we are broken, that we are – in and of ourselves – SPIRITUALLY BANKRUPT. We realize that we do not have a righteousness of our own, but that we are sinners in need of a Savior. We grieve and mourn when we realize that we are spiritually DEAD. 

Q: What does it mean that they will be comforted? 

A: Again, brokenness leads to recognition of our spiritual bankruptcy, which, in turn, leads our need for a Savior. Then, our need for a Savior, leads to repentance, which leads to a right relationship with God. And the fact that God has provided a solution to our “life and death” problem, is cause for great joy – and leads to comfort. We are not left alone in our spiritual bankruptcy. We have hope. We have a Savior.

Vs. 5:5
(NIV) 5 “Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.”

Q: What does the word “meek” mean in this context?

A: (Holman Commentary) Meekness is not weakness. Quite the opposite; it is “strength under control.” The “gentle” or meek are those who are powerful, but who have the maturity and grace to use their power for constructive rather than destructive purposes.

Q: What does it mean that they will inherit the earth?

A: (Holman Commentary) The inheritance of the earth here looks ahead to reward in the coming kingdom reign with Christ, which will be the grand climax of history Notice that future rewards, hinted at here, will be a consistently recurring theme throughout Matthew’s Gospel.

See Ps 37 (the whole thing) – ecspecially vs 9, 11, 18, 22, 27, 29 and .

Conclusion:
Exodus 10:3 (NIV) 3 “So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?”

Pro 16:18 (NIV) “Pride goes before destruction,
a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Pro 3:34 (NIV) “He mocks proud mockers
but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.”

James 4:6-10 (NIV) 6 “But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

Application:
Ephesians 4:2 (NIV) 2 “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”

7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

1 Peter 5:5-6 (NIV) 5 “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.“

Next Week:
Our next class will be on October 20.
We will be covering MATTHEW 5:6

(NIV) 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.

Read ALL the beatitudes, looking for the 
progression of the stages of Christian life.