The Beatitudes

By Scott Wessell

Just as the Ten Commandments encapsulated the old covenant, the Beatitudes represent the spirit of the new covenant. The Beatitudes stand as Jesus' manifesto, but they are the manifesto of every true believer because the teach us what following Jesus looks like. They are Jesus' instructions to us on how to live the blessed life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Scott Wessell
• Release date: May 5, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310216558

Scott Wessell

At five years old, Scott knew that God had called him into ministry. He followed that call to become a third generation pastor in his family. His passion is to communicate Gods Word, see it transform people’s lives, and have them step out in faith to impact the lives of others. He is the Pastor of IMAPCT195, the discipleship school of the Rock church, San Diego.

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THE BEATITUDES

LIVING THE BLESSED LIFE

Copyright 2014 Scott Wessell

Published by IMPACT195 at Smashwords

Licensing Notes

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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCION TO THE BEATITUDES

Matthew chapter five starts by saying that Jesus saw large crowds gathering, so he went to the top of a hillside, sat down and began teaching them. The first words out of his mouth were the Beatitudes. Just as the ten commandments encapsulated the old covenant, the Beatitudes represent the spirit of the new covenant that Jesus was ushering in. In essence, they are a synopsis of the entire sermon on the mount; the rest of the sermon serves to unpack the truths communicated within the Beatitudes.

When you examine the Beatitudes, two things are immediately noticeable. The first is that each Beatitude pronounces a blessing upon the believer’s life; as the beatitudes are fulfilled in our lives God’s blessings are extended. In a sense, Jesus has given us a road map to a blessed life. The second thing that that can be noticed is that the first and last beatitude carry the same blessing, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This is a parenthetical statement; the kingdom of heaven serve as bookends for the beatitudes. This tells us that from start to finish the beatitudes describe how to live in the reality of God’s kingdom, which is the true blessing. Within the sermon on the mount, Jesus teaches us how to pray, Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The Beatitudes is a guide on how to make God’s kingdom come in your life as it is in heaven.

However, the Beatitudes cannot be understood by a carnal mind. Just as the rest of God’s economy, the Beatitudes are paradoxical; worldly wisdom can’t make sense of them. The blessed person is not self-sufficient but cowers like a beggar. The blessed person doesn’t have a high self-esteem but mourns over their own wretchedness. The blessed person is acutely aware of their own inability.¹ Contrary to the world’s paradigm, it isn’t the rich, it isn’t the proud, it isn’t the frivolous, the fierce, the full, the cunning, the warlike, or the favorites of the earthly kings² that are blessed. Only those that cling to the paradox of God’s kingdom can enter into the kingdom blessings.

CHAPTER 2

THE POOR IN SPIRIT

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. (Matthew 5:3 & Luke 6:24)

TWO WAYS OF BEING

Jesus is contrasting two ways of being—Poor and Rich. With each, one receives something yet must also forego something. For those that choose to be rich, they receive what they, in their own effort, can accumulate whether it is praise, honor, status, power, luxury, etc. However, in order to possess the delights of the prosperous, the rich forfeit the kingdom of God. They cannot enter it in the afterlife nor can they experience it in their present life. They sacrifice much to gain little; they abandon true riches in search of fool’s gold.

Those that choose to be Poor, on the other hand, are the rich ones. They not only enter the kingdom of God but they live in it, not as hired servants but as princes, as rightful heirs of the kingdom. It is the jewel of poverty—those that think themselves rich are utterly poor and those that think themselves poor are truly rich.¹

THE COST OF POVERTY

However, poverty comes with a substantial cost. To better understand the cost associated with being poor in spirit, it is helpful to understand a little Greek. There are two different words in Greek used for the poor. The first one refers to those who are able to provide the bare minimum requirements for sustaining their lives.² The modern equivalent would be a