The Beatitudes

Class 1

February 21

Matthew 5:3-12

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

1.     Class Schedule

a.      2/21 – Introduction

b.     2/28 – Chapters 1 – 4

c.     3/7 – Chapters 5 & 6 “Blessed are those poor in spirit and who mourn”

d.     3/14 – Chapters 7 & 8 – “Blessed are the Meek and those who Hunger and Thirst”.

e.      3/21 – Chapters 9 & 10 – “Blessed are the Merciful and Pure in Heart”.

f.       3/28 – Chapters 11 & 12 – “Blessed are the Peacemakers and the Persecuted”

g.     4/4 – Chapters 13 & 14 – wrap-up
 

2.     John Donne (Lent 1629): “All the articles of our religion, all the canons of our church, all the injunctions of our princes, all the homilies of our fathers, all the body of divinity, is in these three chapters, in this one Sermon on the Mount”.

John Stott (The Message of the Sermon on the Mount): “The Sermon on the Mount is probably the best-known part of the teaching of Jesus, through arguably t is the least understood, and certainly it is the least obeyed”.

3.     The greatest slander that can be said against a Christian is that “you are no different from anybody else”.

“Practical” Interpretations:

a.      Albert Schweitzer taught that the sermon in an interim ethic that is impractical to keep unless the second coming is imminent.

b.     They deal with the end times – life in heaven or only in the Millennium (Thousand year reign)

c.     They are elitist – ie., for extraordinary Christians (Mother Theresa but not the rest of us).

d.     They are a utopian blueprint akin to the modern left.

e.      They are for all of us – no matter how hard they are to follow.

Men urge that we try a little harder; God urges that we trust in Him.

4.     Next Week – read first four chapters

5.     Almighty and most gracious Father, move upon us with your mighty power and grace, so that as we move through this Lenten study each of us may be poor of spirit, always seeking the richness found only in life with you. Open our hearts and minds to the Holy Ghost, that we may learn to take great pride in you, to trust in and depend on you. And finally, prepare us for the coming Easter so that with the risen Christ, we, too, may rise from the ashes to be restored to your eternal kingdom. Through the same Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost; ever one God, World without end. Amen