When Adam and Eve tried the first bite of that Golden Delicious apple in the Garden of Eden, sin entered the world and since, mankind has forever been heading in the wrong direction.
When reading the Old Testament, we can see a repetitive cycle of an occasion when the people of God were close to Him, and they prospered. However, when they drifted away from God and followed the crazy world, they suffered.
In Jesus’ time, a similar situation existed. Religious zealots known as Scribes and Pharisees tried to force people to follow God by obeying laws they made up. These religious leaders were all about external behavior. Then, Jesus came along and said the condition of their heart knows a righteous man.
The Character of a Righteous Man
Instead of trying to keep up with the laws imposed by the religious leaders, Jesus taught the disciples about the character of a truly righteous man (Matthew 5:1-12). We refer to this passage as, “The Beatitudes.”
Jesus’ teaching stood in stark contrast to the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. 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 sons 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. (Matthew 5:3-12)
It is worth noting the general progression of the attitudes. They begin with our attitude toward ourselves (v.3), our attitude toward sin (vv. 4-6), our attitude toward God (vv. 7-9), and concludes with our attitude toward the world (vv. 10-11).
In every case, there is a requirement and a reward.
Poor in Spirit
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The Christian who is poor in spirit recognizes their spiritual poverty and the need to come to Christ for salvation.
Mourn
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. To mourn is to recognize and express sorrow for the sin in our lives. As we mourn the sin our lives, the Holy Spirit comforts us.
Meek
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Meekness results from the first two Beatitudes. When we understand our spiritual poverty and the implication of sin in our lives, we submit our will to God’s will.
Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness have a consuming desire to be righteous before God.
Merciful
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. God is merciful toward us. To receive God’s mercy, we are to be merciful to others.
Pure in Heart
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Real righteousness that derives from a pure heart brings us closer to God.
Peacemakers
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. A Christian displays an inner peace that comes from our relationship with Christ and seeks to be an instrument of peace in the world.
Persecuted
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Christians who seek God’s righteousness must expect persistent persecution, but the reward for staying strong in the faith is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Insulted
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven. Followers of Christ should expect to be insulted and persecuted because they insulted and persecuted Jesus, but our reward as a follower is in heaven.
A Righteous Leader’s Path
The world rejected Jesus and was headed in the wrong direction. Jesus repeatedly warned the disciples about what was to come so they would not be led astray (John 5:1).
The temptation to accept the world’s view and be led astray is strong, and that is precisely why Jesus spent so much time and energy teaching the disciples about what was to come.
As believers, we should not expect to be treated any differently today.
We should not try to keep up with a crazy world going in the wrong direction.
Rather, as Christian leaders, we need to display the character of righteous men and women at work, at home, and in the community. We need to be a light that shines before the world and draws others to God (Matthew 5:16).
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. How can you integrate all the Beatitudes into your life in such a way you are a light to others?
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Category: Personal Development | Character
