Matthew 5-7 contains what is referred to as the Sermon on the Mount. The title comes from 5:1 where we read, “And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him” (Matthew 5:1 NKJV). Matthew records how the people received the teaching of Jesus in 7:28,29, “ And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” There was a distinctiveness about the teaching of Jesus which set Him apart from any other teacher of His day. He spoke as one possessing authority. He still possesses that authority today, and His teaching still astonishes all who will closely look at it.
A close look at the Sermon on the Mount reveals the fundamental attitude of the Christian. Jesus opens with the beatitudes, where Jesus says, “blessed are . . .” Each one deals with an attitude of heart. The first is the “poor in spirit” (verse 3). Greek scholars tell us Jesus coined a new word in this verse. The literal meaning of “poor in spirit” is “poverty stricken.” This is the understanding of dependence upon God rather than self. It is the idea of real humility before God and others.
The second beatitude is “those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (verse 4). The mourning in view here is due to sin. Genuine mourning grows out of the poor spirit of verse 3 and leads one to turn to God for help, comfort. An appreciation of sin’s effects on God and self lead to the mourning and repentance.
Beatitude three is “the meek.” Meekness is not to be confused with weakness. Rather meekness is the idea of strength under the control of another. Numbers 12:3 in the King James reads, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.” No one would argue Moses was a timid, weak individual. But his strength was under the control of another, God.
The next beatitude is “those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” The Psalmist wrote “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:1,2). The one who possesses the first three qualities of heart will desire the genuine righteousness found only in God and revealed in His word (Psalm 119:172).
—Denny