How to Experience God’s Favor and Abundance (Matthew 5:1-12)
I had to rush through the sermon so quickly that I’m including my entire manuscript in this post.
The “Blessed” Life
Today we’ll look about Jesus’ perspective on what it means to live a blessed life and how we can experience the greatest blessings possible.
So, what does it mean to be “blessed” according to Jesus?
I saw this quote from an after-the-game interview with the Vikings QB, J.J. McCarthy:
"At the end of the day, we're so blessed to be able to play this game. Every snap we get is a blessing.” (J.J. McCarthy, used here with apologies to fans of other teams)
I have no idea what he means when he says blessed instead of fortunate or lucky. Whenever someone talks this way, I assume they’re Christians or, at the very least, grew up in the church.
In today’s passage, Jesus uses the term “blessed” nine times in ten verses. That’s a lot. It’s obviously the theme of the passage. And it’s a famous passage. It’s called the Beatitudes. It’s the opening to what’s called the Sermon on the Mount that runs for three consecutive chapters in Matthew’s Gospel.
To set it up our reading of the passage in the broadest way possible, let’s watch the BibleProject video from last week called “The Gospel of the Kingdom.”
https://bibleproject.com/videos/gospel-kingdom/
The word “beatitude” comes from the Latin word for blessing. But the term Matthew uses that’s translated “bless” is Greek, μακάριος (makarios) = experiencing God’s favor and abundance.
The blessings Jesus lists, though, go far beyond playing football, earning millions, and experiencing fame. Those are pretty good blessings, and I’m knocking them.
Jesus’ list of blessings has nothing to do with luck or good fortune. Here’s the list of people Jesus calls blessed:
The poor in spirit
Those who mourn
The meek
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
The merciful
The pure in heart
The peacemakers
Those who are persecuted
Those who are insulted, persecuted, or slandered because of Jesus
These are not people with wealth, fame, or power. These are ordinary, hurting, and often marginalized people. This is surprising.
All the Beatitudes are counterintuitive (then and now), and God’s favor and abundance run counter to any culture’s idea of who is blessed by God.
But it’s also surprising because the blessings themselves are so ridiculously incredible. Notice what they promise when we read them in a few moments.
Here’s another thing you need to know about the Beatitudes to get the most out of the reading. They’re not like proverbs that share general wisdom. In fact, the Beatitudes do not describe how things are on earth but how things are under God’s rule (kingdom) for his people.
Look at Matthew 5: 1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
He’s teaching the disciples… the crowds are there, but it’s meant for followers of Jesus.
The next thing I’m going to say is super important. Almost everyone who takes a deep dive into the study of the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes keeps circling back to this important idea.
The Beatitudes are not a list of virtues to be pursued. They describe actual realities (i.e., people who are “poor in spirit,” “meek,” “persecuted,” etc.).
Mourning, one of the groups identified by Jesus as blessed, is not a virtue. It’s people who are mourning.
Meekness isn’t a virtue. Neither is poverty of spirit or persecution.
Don’t turn these into a list of virtues.
The Beatitudes, however, provide clues as to a disposition and character God wants to develop in us through the transforming power of the Spirit, and we can cooperate with his transforming presence and power in our inner being.
You can’t achieve these, But you can be transformed into the kind of person who is blessed like this.
Now let’s read the passage:
Matthew 5: 2 …He said:
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.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
God’s Favor and Abundance Under His Rule (Who and What)
Who receives God’s favor and abundance, and what is the blessing they receive?
The poor in spirit receive the kingdom of heaven
Matthew 5: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are…for…” - Don’t miss this connection.
Not universally true… It’s an announcement… “Look, in God’s Kingdom rule, people who are poor in spirit are given the Kingdom of Heaven.” That’s amazing and unexpected.
So what does “poor in spirit” mean?
Tim Mackie, in a video commentary on the Beatitudes, offers one possible meaning. He correctly explains that in the Bible, a person’s “spirit” is their life-breath and inner vitality. To be poor in spirit can mean downcast or discouraged. It can mean feeling beaten down by life and circumstances. Depressed? Maybe. Anxious? That can be part of it.
But most biblical scholars see something more going on here. It’s a person who knows they are spiritually bankrupt. They have nothing to offer God.
Both ideas are taught elsewhere in the Bible, so you can land where you will on this.
Who experiences God’s favor and abundance in his kingdom, and what’s the blessing?
Those who mourn are comforted
Matthew 5: 4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
This undoubtedly echoes Isaiah 61.
Isaiah 61: 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion…
This is a word spoken over the exiles who’ve lost their homes and been dragged to Babylon.
That’s the original context, and Jesus is generalizing it to some degree. Those who mourn are grieving brokenness, sin, and injustice in our world.
I think this is a word to those who feel deeply sad about school shootings, political assassinations, the horrendous and completely senseless murder on the subway. I think we all ought to be mourning the hateful political divides in our country, and even among God’s people. Genocide, war, the ravages of addiction, uncontrolled anger in marriages and families, and even diseases. There’s a lot to mourn.
Who experiences God’s favor and abundance in his kingdom, and what’s the blessing?
The meek inherit the earth
Matthew 5: 5 Blessed are the meek [praus],
for they will inherit the earth.
Part of this is a direct quote from one of the Psalms. Its meaning is tied to the OT usage and, in some ways, being transformed or broadened.
Psalm 37: 11 But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy peace and prosperity.
It’s a Psalm of David, written to the Israelites who are seeking God and living for him, but observing how wicked people prosper.
It tells them not to fret in many translations. But scholars say it’s a stronger word than fret. It means something more like being consumed with anger or indignation.
In the Psalm, David counsels them to delight in God, commit their ways to God, and hope in God.
So, verse 11 is like saying that although wicked people prosper now, in the end, the meek (the people who don’t try to take matters into their own hands and who probably can’t do anything anyway) will inherit the land.
In the OT, “land” can mean earth, as it does in Genesis 1. Land can also mean the land of Israel. In the case of this Psalm, it’s probably the land of Israel.
But in the Beatitude, Jesus goes beyond that. He’s thinking of the New Creation, when God will dwell with us again on earth, the way it was in Genesis 1. So, Jesus is transforming or broadening the promise from Psalm 37.
In the end, the people who aren’t grasping for power, wealth, and influence—the meek—will inherit the earth. It’ll be theirs in the New Creation.
And we have a perfect picture of what meekness looks like in the gospels:
Matthew 21: 5 “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle [praus} and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
Same word—“praus.” Not by accident.
Who experiences God’s favor and abundance in his kingdom, and what’s the blessing?
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are filled
Matthew 5: 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Desiring Righteousness: (all the commentators…not Paul’s use of justification by faith… and don’t make this into a private, individualistic thing…)
A desire to people to live in alignment with God and his ways
A desire for people to be relationally at peace and connected to God and each other
A desire for a just society - how Jesus and the disciples would hear it… two sides of the same coin.. the poor, the widow, the orphan, the foreigner in the land (= marginalized and powerless) treated fairly and lifted up
They hunger and thirst for it.
And Jesus says, “Their hunger and thirst will be satisfied.”
This implies that people who are blessed—who experience God’s favor and abundance—are often dissatisfied in this world. They’re hungry and thirsty. It implies godly discontent. There’s a godly discontentment they experience every day.
Who experiences God’s favor and abundance in his kingdom, and what’s the blessing?
The merciful are shown mercy
Matthew 5: 7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Mercy is compassion with action.
It’s also closely associated with forgiveness.
Mercy is the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Mercy is Jesus responding to people calling out to be healed.
Mercy is lacking in the parable of the guy who is forgiven a huge debt but refuses to forgive someone who owes him a small debt.
Who experiences God’s favor and abundance in his kingdom, and what’s the blessing?
The pure in heart see God
Matthew 5: 8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
This echoes Psalm 24:3-4.
It means a person whose inner life is seeking alignment with God.
The prophets are emphatic about this. God hates it when people are faking it. Jesus saves his juiciest critique for the religious leaders who clean the outside but are stinking corpses on the inside. Jesus warns his disciples not to go for applause of people, but seek God’s approval when we fast, give, and pray.
The pure in heart in Scripture aren’t perfect in heart; it’s just that they’re not faking it.
Who experiences God’s favor and abundance in his kingdom, and what’s the blessing?
The peacemakers are called children of God
Matthew 5: 9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
When people’s lives are all about sniffing out who’s in and who’s out and canceling people, but little to no evidence of bringing people together…WATCH OUT! Be careful. If you end up siding with them, you’ll end up very alone and self-righteous.
Peacemakers try—within reason and without compromising the essentials of faith—they try to bring people together.
Romans 12: 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Peacemakers are ready to walk into fights and help bring warring sides together and are willing to be shot at by both sides. That’s the reality of peacemaking.
Who experiences God’s favor and abundance in his kingdom, and what’s the blessing?
Those who are persecuted because of righteousness receive the kingdom of heaven
Matthew 5: 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Don’t miss the nuance here. Persecuted because of righteousness.
For time's sake, let’s look at the last one that is closely related.
Those who are insulted, persecuted, or slandered because of Jesus receive a great reward in heaven
Matthew 5: 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
This broadens things a bit. It includes insults and slander.
In his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Scot McKnight referenced Lucy Lind Hogan, who likes to ask anyone who reads the Sermon on the Mount, “When did the nodding stop?” I think it stops here for most of us. This is crazy. Rejoice and be glad? Common on. ……………Unless….Unless Jesus is serious about eternal rewards.
If you automatically think, “Isn’t heaven enough? If I’m going to heaven, why worry about rewards in heaven? If that’s what you think, then your idea of eternity in heaven doesn’t match Jesus’ or even the entire Bible’s view. I’m just going to leave it at that today.
How to Experience God’s Favor and Abundance
I’m afraid I’m going to have to leave you hanging not only on that but also on this last part.
This is an announcement that’s meant to encourage people who would seem to be losing. Some see them as losers. These aren’t virtues to pursue. Imagine pursuing persecution and insults.
So what if you’re winning, by most cultural measures?
Are you doomed?
Don’t spiritualize these in order to be included.
But is there anything for the winners in this passage? Any blessings?
I think so. I can take you to hundreds of passages in the Bible where the winners are included in God’s blessings.
But how are they included? I leave you with this.
They concretely identify with the lowly, marginalized, and less fortunate. …church community and getting outside of our bubbles…
They’re generous with their influence, power, money, and possessions.
They develop an appetite for God and his kingdom. Your heart follows your treasure.
They learn to look at their most immediate blessings in light of God’s future blessings. …immediate blessings are mere glimpses and shadows… eternal, kingdom blessigns are deeper and richer…
They’re willing to walk into the fire for Christ, for justice and righteousness, and for peacemaking. They’re willing to lay it all on the line.
This is how to live a blessed life and how we can experience the greatest blessings possible.
