1 00:00:10,700 --> 00:00:12,800 Hi everyone. Welcome back to daily gospel 2 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:15,200 exegesis. Today, we have a really 3 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:18,400 important passage to look at and there's a lot to say about this 4 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:20,100 one so we'll get straight into it. 5 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:24,700 We're looking today at Matthew chapter 5, verses 1 to 12, 6 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:30,900 seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill, there, he sat down and 7 00:00:30,900 --> 00:00:35,100 was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. 8 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:40,200 This is what he taught them. How happy are the poor in 9 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:43,000 spirit? Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 10 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,500 Happy the gentle they shall have the Earth for their heritage. 11 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:51,500 Happy are those who mourn? They shall be comforted. 12 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:53,900 Happy. Those who hunger and thirst for 13 00:00:53,900 --> 00:00:56,700 what is right? They shall be satisfied. 14 00:00:57,500 --> 00:01:01,300 Happy the merciful they shall have mercy shown to them. 15 00:01:02,100 --> 00:01:05,500 Happy the pure in heart. They shall see God. 16 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,400 Happy the peacemakers they shall be called sons of God. 17 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:13,500 Happy? Those who are persecuted in the 18 00:01:13,500 --> 00:01:17,000 cause of right. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 19 00:01:18,900 --> 00:01:22,800 Happy, are you when people abuse you, and persecute you and speak 20 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:27,400 all kinds of calumny against you on my account rejoice, and be 21 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:30,500 glad for your reward will be great in heaven. 22 00:01:31,300 --> 00:01:34,200 This Is How They persecuted the prophets before you. 23 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:38,600 So really, really important passage one. 24 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:41,700 That's probably familiar to many of you and there's lots of 25 00:01:41,700 --> 00:01:44,700 different angles that we can approach this from and there's 26 00:01:44,700 --> 00:01:47,600 lots of really interesting things about this. 27 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,900 Passage. So firstly, what's the context 28 00:01:50,900 --> 00:01:54,800 we're in Matthew Chapter 5 and in chapters 1 to 4, he's already 29 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,400 begun his ministry in Galilee. He's been teaching in various 30 00:01:58,400 --> 00:02:00,900 synagogues, particularly in chapter 4 and Performing. 31 00:02:00,900 --> 00:02:05,000 Lots of local healings by this time, his gathered followers 32 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:08,699 from All over Israel. The section we have here at the 33 00:02:08,699 --> 00:02:12,600 start of chapter 5, begins The Sermon on the Mount, which goes 34 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:15,400 for three chapters. We're looking today at What's 35 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:17,800 called the introduction to The Sermon, on the Mount. 36 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:22,000 The Sermon on the Mount is one of five discourses in the gospel 37 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:23,800 of Matthew. This is the first one. 38 00:02:25,100 --> 00:02:27,300 And we need to make a few comments about The Sermon on the 39 00:02:27,300 --> 00:02:32,000 Mount and what it's all about. If you read chapters 5 to 7 and 40 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:33,700 I do recommend reading it in one block. 41 00:02:33,700 --> 00:02:38,200 If you can, the basic point of The Sermon on the Mount is, he's 42 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,000 telling his followers. What it means to live under 43 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:44,100 God's reign. He's going to teach his 44 00:02:44,100 --> 00:02:47,000 disciples what it means to have God as their father. 45 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:50,200 What it means to have Jesus as their Lord and Master. 46 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:54,200 He's going to teach them what it means to love one another, and 47 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:57,300 he's going to teach them how to love others, even their enemies. 48 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:00,600 So he's telling his disciples what their standard of life 49 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:04,400 should be his teaching them and it's a very high standard as we 50 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:08,000 know he says be perfect. Just as your heavenly father is 51 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:10,100 perfect. That's later in chapter 5. 52 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:15,500 But we shouldn't just say The Sermon on the Mount is just a 53 00:03:15,508 --> 00:03:18,400 discourse on how to live or about ethics or something. 54 00:03:18,900 --> 00:03:22,100 Jesus also, says, some things here that carry profound claims 55 00:03:22,100 --> 00:03:24,600 about his own identity and authority. 56 00:03:25,500 --> 00:03:28,700 And we'll look at these in the coming days as we move through 57 00:03:28,700 --> 00:03:32,000 chapters five to seven. There's a lot we could say about 58 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:34,500 the structure of the sermon. Some have suggested that it's 59 00:03:34,500 --> 00:03:37,800 deliberately structured on the three pillars of Judaism, which 60 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,300 are the Torah worship and Good Deeds. 61 00:03:40,300 --> 00:03:43,300 They're To be the three Essentials of the faith. 62 00:03:43,900 --> 00:03:47,700 So some have said, maybe it's deliberately been done so that 63 00:03:47,700 --> 00:03:49,800 chapter 5 is all about the Torah. 64 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,300 Chapter 6 is all about worship and chapter 7 is all about Good 65 00:03:53,300 --> 00:03:55,600 Deeds. That's one possibility. 66 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:59,400 Certainly the Our father is Central, that's right in the 67 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:01,200 middle of The Sermon on the Mount. 68 00:04:02,300 --> 00:04:04,800 And this is a quote from one Bible scholar. 69 00:04:05,900 --> 00:04:09,000 Thus The Sermon on the Mount takes its readers along a way 70 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,100 that leads them from God's radical demands into the 71 00:04:12,100 --> 00:04:15,900 interior of Faith where they experience the father's nearness 72 00:04:15,900 --> 00:04:19,399 in prayer, then it leads them back into the Praxis of 73 00:04:19,399 --> 00:04:21,500 renouncing possessions and of love. 74 00:04:23,900 --> 00:04:25,200 And with the Sermon on the Mount. 75 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:28,700 It's possible that this didn't all happen on the one occasion. 76 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:32,400 Maybe Jesus said these things at different times in his ministry, 77 00:04:32,700 --> 00:04:36,000 and Matthew has collected them and put them all at the same 78 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,000 point because they're about a similar thing. 79 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:41,300 And in that sense, maybe Matthew is deliberately crafting a 80 00:04:41,300 --> 00:04:45,000 kingdom, Manifesto of all the great things Jesus says about 81 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,200 the Kingdom, so that Matthews readers will have it all in one 82 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,300 place that's possible. Although we shouldn't rule out 83 00:04:51,500 --> 00:04:53,600 that Jesus may have said all of this. 84 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:55,900 In one go and certainly that's quite possible. 85 00:04:57,600 --> 00:05:00,500 So verse 1, we're starting at today, it says, seeing the 86 00:05:00,500 --> 00:05:03,700 crowds so by now, we know that there's these huge crowds 87 00:05:03,700 --> 00:05:08,900 following Jesus, he went up the hill or more literally Mountain. 88 00:05:09,500 --> 00:05:11,500 That's what it says there. So why would he go up a 89 00:05:11,508 --> 00:05:14,100 mountain? Probably because he plans to 90 00:05:14,100 --> 00:05:17,700 teach the crowds and we know that the mountains in Galilee a 91 00:05:17,700 --> 00:05:20,500 really good for amplifying sound, you can stand at the top 92 00:05:20,500 --> 00:05:23,100 and people all the way down the bottom can hear your teaching 93 00:05:23,100 --> 00:05:25,100 with any. Don't have to yell, you can go 94 00:05:25,100 --> 00:05:28,100 there today and try it with a tour group and it's Really cool. 95 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:31,500 One person gets up there and says something quietly but 96 00:05:31,500 --> 00:05:34,800 everyone down the bottom of the mountain can hear it, but there 97 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:37,600 might be another reason why Jesus went up the mountain and 98 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:40,700 why Matthew highlights, the fact that Jesus went up the mountain, 99 00:05:41,500 --> 00:05:44,000 perhaps it's to set up a parallel with Moses. 100 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,100 Remember, Moses goes up the mountain to present the 101 00:05:47,100 --> 00:05:50,100 teachings or in fact to receive the teachings of the old 102 00:05:50,100 --> 00:05:52,500 Covenant. And now Jesus goes up the 103 00:05:52,500 --> 00:05:55,600 mountain here to announce the teachings of the New Covenant. 104 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:59,100 And in particular, the Fulfillment of the Mosaic law. 105 00:05:59,100 --> 00:06:02,400 So Jesus is being presented as a new Moses. 106 00:06:03,500 --> 00:06:05,700 That's certainly a possibility but there is a key difference 107 00:06:05,700 --> 00:06:09,200 though between The Sermon on the Mount and Moses going up the 108 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,600 mountain which is that Jesus Takes people with him up the 109 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,800 mountain here, whereas Moses went up by himself. 110 00:06:17,300 --> 00:06:19,900 But it is true that all throughout the Old Testament, 111 00:06:19,900 --> 00:06:24,200 the phrase Moses went up. The mountain is very common to 112 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:28,000 when the Jews are reflecting on when Moses received the Ten 113 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:30,100 Commandments. And so the same phrase is used 114 00:06:30,100 --> 00:06:33,900 here. Jesus went up the mountain now, 115 00:06:33,900 --> 00:06:35,800 we're not sure exactly which mountain it was. 116 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:39,200 But there is a traditional site of where Jesus did this sermon, 117 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,400 it's called The Church of the Beatitudes. 118 00:06:43,500 --> 00:06:45,400 That's where it's believed to have occurred and you can go 119 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:48,600 there today. So Jesus goes up the mountain 120 00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:51,900 there, he sat down and was joined by his disciples, so 121 00:06:51,900 --> 00:06:55,300 Jesus sits down and that's the posture of a rabbi teaching. 122 00:06:56,100 --> 00:06:58,900 Now there is a bit of a question here, about what's the audience 123 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:01,400 of Jesus? His disciples are, who is 124 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:04,900 mentioned here, but we also know that there's crowds following 125 00:07:04,900 --> 00:07:08,300 him and listening to him EC intending this message for the 126 00:07:08,300 --> 00:07:13,000 crowd or for his disciples. Certainly the content of what he 127 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,900 says here would only really make sense to disciples. 128 00:07:15,900 --> 00:07:19,300 So perhaps the best solution is to say that the Sermon on the 129 00:07:19,300 --> 00:07:24,800 Mount is directed at the crowd, but most of the crowd, are his 130 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:27,300 disciples already. They're one in the same or at 131 00:07:27,300 --> 00:07:29,200 least they want to be his disciples. 132 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:30,900 So there isn't really a conflict there. 133 00:07:31,900 --> 00:07:35,100 Verse two, then he began to speak, this is what he taught 134 00:07:35,100 --> 00:07:38,800 them or more literally and he opened his mouth and taught 135 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:40,300 them. So we're going to hear quite a 136 00:07:40,308 --> 00:07:44,300 solemn. Hear from Jesus and Jesus is 137 00:07:44,300 --> 00:07:46,400 going to preach in our passage today. 138 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:50,700 Verse 12. 12, what has come to be known as the eight Beatitudes 139 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:54,100 and the word Beatitudes needs a bit of unpacking. 140 00:07:54,100 --> 00:08:00,900 Essentially it means blessings. The word blessed which is or our 141 00:08:00,900 --> 00:08:04,900 lectionary translation, renders it as happy the Greek word there 142 00:08:04,900 --> 00:08:09,400 is makarios Jesus says that you are makarios. 143 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:11,400 If this happens to you you are makarios. 144 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:14,700 If this happens to you basically, happy is an okay 145 00:08:14,700 --> 00:08:17,400 translation but the basic meaning is favored. 146 00:08:18,500 --> 00:08:22,200 It doesn't refer to a happy positive emotional state. 147 00:08:22,200 --> 00:08:25,300 It's not an emotional thing, makarios means being in a 148 00:08:25,300 --> 00:08:29,400 fortunate situation and it's the same basic idea when the angel 149 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:34,000 Gabriel appears to, Mary and says, highly favored, you are 150 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,100 all blessed you are. It's the same sort of basic 151 00:08:36,100 --> 00:08:39,400 Jewish idea of having favor in God's sight. 152 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:42,700 Now, what about the word Beatitudes? 153 00:08:43,299 --> 00:08:46,200 You've probably heard that word, lots of times before and assume 154 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:49,100 that it was just a label that was attached to this particular 155 00:08:49,100 --> 00:08:52,100 sermon. Actually, it was a key part of 156 00:08:52,100 --> 00:08:54,300 Jewish tradition, even before Jesus. 157 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:57,400 And in fact, other parts of the ancient world had this word 158 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:00,600 Beatitudes as well. A beatitude was a way of 159 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:02,700 speaking. It was almost like a greeting 160 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:05,900 and it particularly involved, the form. 161 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:11,000 Blessed is the one who does X. If you ever had a teacher There 162 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:14,400 was in that format was called a beatitude we find that several 163 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:17,600 times in the Psalms and then the wisdom literature, if you've 164 00:09:17,600 --> 00:09:21,200 ever heard the Psalms proclaimed that say something like blessed 165 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:23,400 is the one who does God's Commandments or blessed? 166 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:25,600 Is the one who walks in the ways of the Lord. 167 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:28,500 That is a beatitude because it's in the form of blessed is the 168 00:09:28,500 --> 00:09:33,000 one. So to in the Jewish World, a 169 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:36,500 beatitude either, commended those who take a certain path in 170 00:09:36,500 --> 00:09:40,600 life or it promises future consolations to those in a 171 00:09:40,700 --> 00:09:44,100 fictions. Now we see both elements in what 172 00:09:44,100 --> 00:09:46,400 Jesus says here. Jesus is going to teach his 173 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:50,200 disciples about certain groups, of people who are fortunate. 174 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:53,100 And he's also going to tell us why they're fortunate. 175 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:57,300 So these are Jesus Beatitudes. Basically, the ones that he 176 00:09:57,300 --> 00:10:01,500 unpacks for his disciples. Most Old Testament, texts 177 00:10:01,500 --> 00:10:04,000 referred to be attitudes as imparting blessings in the 178 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:06,800 present life. But there are some later ones 179 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:10,600 that focus on eschatological blessings where they promised. 180 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:13,000 Relation to the faithful who are afflicted. 181 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,500 When God ultimately vindicates. The just so we do have these 182 00:10:16,500 --> 00:10:20,100 promises about blessed is the one who perseveres blessed is 183 00:10:20,100 --> 00:10:22,100 the one who remains on Judgment Day. 184 00:10:22,700 --> 00:10:25,200 Some key texts here, which are well worth looking at. 185 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:28,000 Because these are probably in the background of Jesus thinking 186 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:34,500 here, tobert 13:14 and Jan, Daniel 12:12. 187 00:10:34,500 --> 00:10:37,800 Both have this idea of people receiving blessings at the end 188 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:40,600 of time, if they persevere in doing. 189 00:10:40,700 --> 00:10:43,600 God's will. What we're about to see is one 190 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:46,600 of the hardest parts of the Gospel of Matthew to interpret. 191 00:10:47,100 --> 00:10:48,700 There's so much that could be said about it. 192 00:10:48,700 --> 00:10:51,100 You've probably heard lots of sermons preached about it. 193 00:10:51,500 --> 00:10:54,300 Usually, you'll probably hear sermons preached about spiritual 194 00:10:54,300 --> 00:10:57,700 senses of this text. We want to discern the literal 195 00:10:57,700 --> 00:11:00,400 sense of the text, and that's what our podcast is all about 196 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:02,100 helping. You understand what the author 197 00:11:02,100 --> 00:11:05,000 and what Jesus intended on the most fundamental level? 198 00:11:05,900 --> 00:11:08,100 It's not an easy text to do that for. 199 00:11:08,100 --> 00:11:11,600 So I'm going to do my best but there might be some things that 200 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:13,000 I don't get. Quite right. 201 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:16,500 On the most basic level in general here. 202 00:11:17,100 --> 00:11:21,200 For each of the eight Beatitudes, Jesus is teaching 203 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,800 his disciples of the ones who are truly blessed are not those 204 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:28,300 who the world sees, as blessed or even what conventional 205 00:11:28,300 --> 00:11:31,300 wisdom, or what the Pharisees taught about. 206 00:11:31,900 --> 00:11:34,700 Who is blessed, he's saying that all of those Notions that 207 00:11:34,700 --> 00:11:37,200 incorrect. He's turning the world standards 208 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:39,600 for happiness and blessedness upside down. 209 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:43,000 So on a fundamental level what Jesus is teaching here is that 210 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:46,300 those who are Ian is disadvantaged by the world are 211 00:11:46,300 --> 00:11:48,400 actually in a very favorable position. 212 00:11:49,700 --> 00:11:52,800 When his followers live by God's standards, they will be in a 213 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:55,700 truly fortunate state of life, no matter what their 214 00:11:55,700 --> 00:12:00,600 circumstances may be. Because they bring a glimmer of 215 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:04,100 the joy and hope of the Heavenly Kingdom into the afflictions of 216 00:12:04,100 --> 00:12:06,600 the present world. So that's the overall, big 217 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:08,900 picture of what we're going to see here in the Beatitudes, 218 00:12:10,100 --> 00:12:12,400 that's the general meaning. However there's also some 219 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:15,200 specific promises to each of the types of people. 220 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:18,600 We can't ignore the promises that Jesus gives. 221 00:12:20,100 --> 00:12:22,500 Perhaps the best way to interpret, what we're about to 222 00:12:22,500 --> 00:12:26,000 see here is that all of the promises in the coming verses 223 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:29,000 refer to basically the same thing, which is entering the 224 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:31,700 kingdom of heaven and that is certainly a key theme in the 225 00:12:31,700 --> 00:12:35,400 gospel of Matthew. So all of eight Beatitudes, the 226 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:37,700 reward is the same entering the kingdom of heaven. 227 00:12:39,300 --> 00:12:41,700 Once we've established that though, there's still a further 228 00:12:41,700 --> 00:12:46,300 question about the Beatitudes is Jesus, promising them things in 229 00:12:46,300 --> 00:12:48,500 the future, or is he telling them things that they already 230 00:12:48,500 --> 00:12:50,800 have? In virtue of already being in 231 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:53,500 the Kingdom of Heaven? Is it a present tense thing or 232 00:12:53,500 --> 00:12:56,000 is he telling them? What will they will receive on 233 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:58,600 Judgement Day? When the Kingdom of Heaven comes 234 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:02,100 in its fullness. So there's two options if he's 235 00:13:02,100 --> 00:13:06,000 referring to present things. That his disciples are already 236 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:08,400 experiencing because they're already in the kingdom of God, 237 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,400 then. Jesus is saying here that they 238 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:14,100 are already happy or blessed. So when he says blessed are you 239 00:13:14,100 --> 00:13:16,300 he's just saying it. Like it is your blessed already 240 00:13:16,300 --> 00:13:18,800 because you're already in the kingdom of God but if he's 241 00:13:18,800 --> 00:13:21,400 referring to Future things, they're going to inherit on 242 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:24,600 Judgement Day. When the kingdom of God comes in 243 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:27,300 its fullness. Then Jesus is telling his 244 00:13:27,300 --> 00:13:31,100 disciples that they should consider themselves happy or 245 00:13:31,100 --> 00:13:34,000 blessed because of what they're going to receive one day. 246 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,900 He's telling them that ultimately They will receive 247 00:13:36,900 --> 00:13:39,100 these amazing things and therefore they should consider 248 00:13:39,100 --> 00:13:43,300 them. Blessed that I think is the best 249 00:13:43,300 --> 00:13:46,800 interpretation that he's talking about future promises mostly 250 00:13:47,900 --> 00:13:53,300 because Jesus is mostly using the word shall in these coming 251 00:13:53,300 --> 00:13:56,000 versus so that implies a future fulfillment. 252 00:13:56,200 --> 00:13:58,200 That's not to say they can't experience some of these 253 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:01,700 promises in the present, but it's mostly Jesus telling them 254 00:14:02,300 --> 00:14:06,500 what awaits them in the future in the future Kingdom of Heaven. 255 00:14:06,500 --> 00:14:09,900 At the End of Time. Verse 3, he His first one. 256 00:14:09,900 --> 00:14:11,800 How happy are the poor in spirit? 257 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:14,300 What does it mean to be poor in spirit? 258 00:14:14,300 --> 00:14:17,200 Well, it probably means those who recognize that they are 259 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:21,900 powerless in and of themselves and those who realize that God 260 00:14:21,900 --> 00:14:23,400 is the only one who can help them. 261 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:27,500 So they find their security in the Lord rather than in material 262 00:14:27,500 --> 00:14:31,500 wealth. Maybe that's meant to contrast 263 00:14:31,500 --> 00:14:34,300 with the Pharisees who are quite self-sufficient, but that's the 264 00:14:34,300 --> 00:14:36,900 basic idea. It's those who are who recognize 265 00:14:36,900 --> 00:14:40,900 their need for the Lord. Now, Luke's version of this 266 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:45,900 passage of this beatitude is he just says, blessed are the poor 267 00:14:46,500 --> 00:14:47,700 now. That has quite a different 268 00:14:47,700 --> 00:14:49,600 meaning from blessed, are the poor in spirit. 269 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:53,000 So many, many essays have been written by biblical Scholars 270 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,000 about, which is the right version. 271 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:57,300 Blessed are the poor and blessed, the poor in spirit 272 00:14:57,300 --> 00:14:59,400 because they do have quite different meanings. 273 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:03,900 It's not Just a simple variation in language, there's a question 274 00:15:03,900 --> 00:15:07,700 about which was the original, which author wrote first and 275 00:15:07,700 --> 00:15:11,900 which, which of the author's borrowed and modified, it it's 276 00:15:11,900 --> 00:15:17,000 not easy to solve may be part of the solution here, is that in 277 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:20,900 the Old Testament, the word poor didn't just refer to those who 278 00:15:20,900 --> 00:15:24,800 are in economic hardship, but it had also come to refer to those 279 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:28,300 who are part of the oppressed people of God in general. 280 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:31,800 So, we see that in some 30 Seven in Isaiah, chapter 10 and in 281 00:15:31,808 --> 00:15:34,900 other places in Isaiah as well. That would make sense. 282 00:15:34,900 --> 00:15:37,800 I think, because Matthew is assuming his readers, know, the 283 00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:41,300 Old Testament, quite well. So I think that's the best way 284 00:15:41,300 --> 00:15:43,700 of harmonizing. The two is that, when Luke says, 285 00:15:43,700 --> 00:15:46,900 blessed are the poor, he doesn't just mean economically poor. 286 00:15:46,900 --> 00:15:50,100 He has a broader notion of poor, which basically corresponds to 287 00:15:50,100 --> 00:15:53,100 poor in spirit. Now, of course it could be that 288 00:15:53,100 --> 00:15:55,500 Luke's version which is sometimes called the sermon on 289 00:15:55,508 --> 00:15:57,600 the plain. Maybe this is an entirely 290 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:00,300 different speech and that is quite possible because Jesus 291 00:16:00,300 --> 00:16:03,300 would have given similar teachings on different occasions 292 00:16:04,100 --> 00:16:05,700 and in that case we don't have a problem. 293 00:16:06,700 --> 00:16:10,200 So blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom 294 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,700 of Heaven. Of course, the Kingdom of Heaven 295 00:16:12,700 --> 00:16:15,000 is a key theme all through the gospel of Matthew. 296 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:19,100 And basically, it means it's where God's will on Heaven is 297 00:16:19,100 --> 00:16:23,000 carried out on Earth. The Kingdom of Heaven, According 298 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:25,800 To Jesus begins during his own Ministry. 299 00:16:26,100 --> 00:16:29,400 It continues afterwards through the work of the Holy Spirit, and 300 00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:32,500 it will one day be consummated when God sets up, his final 301 00:16:32,500 --> 00:16:35,400 Kingdom on Earth. So Jesus here, teaches that, the 302 00:16:35,400 --> 00:16:38,700 poor in spirit will be part of this Kingdom of Heaven. 303 00:16:39,500 --> 00:16:41,400 That's one group who gets to be in the Kingdom. 304 00:16:42,100 --> 00:16:45,500 Now, we're about to see what we have is verse for most 305 00:16:45,500 --> 00:16:48,700 translations of the Bible have verse 4 and 5 swapped around 306 00:16:48,700 --> 00:16:50,700 compared to what we see in the lectionary. 307 00:16:50,900 --> 00:16:53,300 I'm not sure. Sure why the lectionary has put 308 00:16:53,900 --> 00:16:57,600 blessed, are the meek before? Happy are those who mourn? 309 00:16:57,600 --> 00:16:58,700 Usually it's the other way around. 310 00:16:58,700 --> 00:17:02,500 It could just be a typo in the lectionary so if you studying 311 00:17:02,500 --> 00:17:07,400 the Bible, most Bibles will have happy are those who mourn next 312 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:10,300 but our lectionary has happy the gentle so we'll look at happy. 313 00:17:10,300 --> 00:17:13,700 The gentle first. And another word for gentle is 314 00:17:13,700 --> 00:17:17,000 Meek. Lots of discussion about 315 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:18,800 meekness. As I'm sure you've heard those 316 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:20,599 different explanations of meekness. 317 00:17:21,500 --> 00:17:24,200 I think the best way to understand meekness is that it's 318 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:27,700 those who understand their place before God, and who do not 319 00:17:27,700 --> 00:17:32,000 overstep their boundaries. It probably does have some sort 320 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,000 of relationship to anger and aggression. 321 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:38,700 The the meek of those who patiently, wait on the Lord, 322 00:17:38,700 --> 00:17:42,200 amid their afflictions, and they refrain from responding in 323 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:45,600 anger, or with Force against those who wronged them. 324 00:17:46,400 --> 00:17:48,900 I do think that makes sense in context of other things. 325 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:51,300 Matthew says, in The Sermon, on the Mount here. 326 00:17:51,300 --> 00:17:54,300 He does talk about what to do when you're Afflicted. 327 00:17:54,300 --> 00:17:55,800 That's kind of what the whole thing is about. 328 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:59,200 So I think a good explanation here of meekness is those who 329 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:01,200 patiently, wait. On the Lord rather than 330 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:04,500 retaliating. So, in other words, they rely on 331 00:18:04,500 --> 00:18:07,500 God, not their own strength to set things, right? 332 00:18:07,500 --> 00:18:12,200 That is a Meek person. Meekness is in the Bible, the 333 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:15,600 meekest person according to the Bible in the Old Testament is 334 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:18,100 Moses. It actually says, Moses was the 335 00:18:18,100 --> 00:18:21,600 meekest person on Earth. That's in number 12, numbers 12 336 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:25,600 verse 3, and then Jesus himself. Of course, says that he is Meek 337 00:18:25,700 --> 00:18:29,800 in 11:29. This same basic teaching, Jesus 338 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:33,900 is going to amplify shortly in The Sermon on the Mount when he 339 00:18:33,900 --> 00:18:36,500 says turn the other cheek, that's basically what it means 340 00:18:36,500 --> 00:18:40,400 to be meek is to not retaliate, but to submit ourselves to On 341 00:18:41,900 --> 00:18:44,900 Happy the gentle or the meek for they shall have the Earth for 342 00:18:44,900 --> 00:18:48,400 their Heritage or more literally, they shall inherit 343 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:50,800 the earth. Now, this is a quote from Psalm 344 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:54,000 37:11. In fact, it says pretty much 345 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,300 this. In Psalm 37, the meek shall 346 00:18:56,300 --> 00:19:00,100 inherit the earth. Now in context of the psalm, the 347 00:19:00,100 --> 00:19:02,000 Earth there is about the promised land. 348 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:04,400 It's a promise that those who are virtuous in the Old 349 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:09,000 Testament and to wait on God, if they're patient, They will 350 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,000 receive the promised. And Jesus here. 351 00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:13,900 Modifies that a bit to refer to the Future coming of the Kingdom 352 00:19:13,900 --> 00:19:18,200 of Heaven on Earth. So their hopes about the 353 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,500 promised land Jesus says, that's going to be fulfilled in a 354 00:19:21,508 --> 00:19:24,000 greater way in the, coming Kingdom of Heaven. 355 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:28,200 So, Jesus says that those who are Meek and do not aggressively 356 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,100 seek an honorable position, they will inherit the Kingdom. 357 00:19:33,300 --> 00:19:35,800 That will be quite a radical teaching since the conventional 358 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:38,300 wisdom of the time. If you think about it, was that 359 00:19:38,700 --> 00:19:42,100 those with the biggest and most powerful Army would be those who 360 00:19:42,100 --> 00:19:45,100 inherit the earth, that was how the Roman World worked. 361 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:50,000 So, Jesus turns that on his head verse 5, happy those who mourn. 362 00:19:50,300 --> 00:19:51,900 Now, that seems like an oxymoron. 363 00:19:51,900 --> 00:19:57,400 Happy those, who mourn morning. He refers particularly to the 364 00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:01,800 Jewish conception of morning. Any particular it's thinking of 365 00:20:01,808 --> 00:20:05,300 those who grieve over wickedness, like Daniel and Ezra 366 00:20:05,300 --> 00:20:07,900 in the Old Testament. They were said to mourn and 367 00:20:07,900 --> 00:20:11,300 grieve over wickedness. Jesus says, happy those who 368 00:20:11,300 --> 00:20:15,400 mourn they shall be comforted. So in context here, Jesus 369 00:20:16,500 --> 00:20:19,600 basically saying that those who suffer and mourn, as a result of 370 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:23,000 wickedness will one day be comforted by God. 371 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:26,200 It doesn't mean that everyone who is sad will get to heaven. 372 00:20:26,300 --> 00:20:28,300 Often you'll see this quoted at funerals. 373 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:30,300 Happy those who mourn. They will be. 374 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,100 Added. Perhaps there is an application 375 00:20:33,100 --> 00:20:35,700 there on the spiritual level of the text, but on the literal 376 00:20:35,700 --> 00:20:37,000 level. It's talking about those who 377 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:41,600 grieve over wickedness. So here Jesus is encouraging his 378 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:43,600 disciples to mourn about wickedness. 379 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:46,600 He's telling them that it's a good thing to do that and when 380 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:49,100 they do that, they should have hope that God will vindicate 381 00:20:49,100 --> 00:20:52,900 them because they will be comforted verse 6. 382 00:20:52,900 --> 00:20:56,400 Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right, or a 383 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:58,900 better translation there is for righteousness. 384 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:02,300 Now, is in the Jewish mind, meant following God's 385 00:21:02,300 --> 00:21:04,400 Commandments. That's what righteousness was to 386 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:07,300 be a righteous man was to follow God's commandments. 387 00:21:08,100 --> 00:21:11,400 So here Jesus is talking about those who hunger and thirst 388 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:14,000 which means to seek something with your whole heart. 389 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:17,600 So, just hunger and thirst for righteousness. 390 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:21,700 It means someone who is totally devoted to doing God's will. 391 00:21:21,900 --> 00:21:25,900 Jesus says these people are happy and he says, they shall be 392 00:21:25,900 --> 00:21:29,500 satisfied. So, those who long to see God's 393 00:21:29,500 --> 00:21:33,700 will followed on Earth, will see it happen in the final kingdom 394 00:21:33,700 --> 00:21:35,900 of heaven and this should be a question for all of us. 395 00:21:35,900 --> 00:21:41,200 Do we long to follow God's Will and see it done on Earth and 396 00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:43,600 interesting here. Jesus uses satisfied and that 397 00:21:43,600 --> 00:21:46,500 sort of completes the Metaphor. He started about hunger and 398 00:21:46,500 --> 00:21:50,000 thirst, they hunger and thirst, but they will be satisfied. 399 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:55,100 In the final Kingdom of Heaven verse 7, happy the merciful they 400 00:21:55,100 --> 00:21:59,400 shall have mercy shown to them. Mercy is essentially showing 401 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:02,400 kindness to those in need and that, teaching comes up a few 402 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:06,300 times in the gospels. Remember Jesus often says things 403 00:22:06,300 --> 00:22:09,500 like the measure you use will be the measure which is used for 404 00:22:09,500 --> 00:22:12,700 you. All through the New Testament, 405 00:22:12,700 --> 00:22:16,300 there's this idea that God will show mercy and forgiveness to us 406 00:22:16,300 --> 00:22:20,200 only to the extent that we show mercy and forgiveness to others. 407 00:22:20,300 --> 00:22:24,200 Same basic teaching here, happy the merciful they shall have 408 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:27,400 mercy shown to them. Perhaps Jesus here is 409 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:30,200 contrasting with the Pharisees because the Pharisees in the 410 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:32,100 other Jewish leaders. Probably they weren't 411 00:22:32,100 --> 00:22:35,500 particularly merciful and the implication would be that God 412 00:22:35,500 --> 00:22:40,500 will not show Mercy to them. Verse 8, happy are the pure in 413 00:22:40,500 --> 00:22:43,100 heart. Now, when we hear the word 414 00:22:43,100 --> 00:22:45,100 heart, we might think of emotions. 415 00:22:45,100 --> 00:22:50,000 But in the Bible heart was the seat of reason and will, as well 416 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:52,300 as the emotions it was considered to be the deepest 417 00:22:52,300 --> 00:22:56,100 part of man. And we might almost equivocate 418 00:22:56,100 --> 00:23:01,600 it to brain today or mind. So this teaching is not about 419 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:04,200 having nice emotions. Happy the pure in heart doesn't 420 00:23:04,200 --> 00:23:08,400 mean being a nice person. Jesus teaching here is Is about 421 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:12,200 those who have a pure undivided dedication to following God. 422 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:17,700 Their whole reason will and emotions dedicated to God with 423 00:23:17,700 --> 00:23:21,700 the out Mixed motives, this is an important reminder for Jesus 424 00:23:21,700 --> 00:23:25,900 disciples that truly entering God's promises requires, not 425 00:23:25,900 --> 00:23:28,900 only external Purity, which is what the temple rules said. 426 00:23:28,900 --> 00:23:32,700 But Jesus reminds them that there's also a requirement to 427 00:23:32,708 --> 00:23:36,100 have an internal disposition of a pure heart and that is taught 428 00:23:36,100 --> 00:23:40,000 in Psalm 23. Versus 325 happy. 429 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,200 The pure in heart for they shall see God. 430 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:45,900 What does it mean to see God? This is almost certainly a 431 00:23:45,908 --> 00:23:50,000 reference to this state of being, which Catholic theology 432 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:55,800 calls the beatific vision. Those who have purify themselves 433 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:59,000 from all sin according to Catholic teaching will enter the 434 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:02,400 glory of heaven and they will behold God as he is revelation, 435 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:07,500 22 verse 4 and it says here, they shall see God. 436 00:24:07,500 --> 00:24:08,600 And I think that's what it means. 437 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:10,400 Is that one day they'll get to behold God. 438 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,700 And that's something we have to look forward to if we remain 439 00:24:13,700 --> 00:24:17,900 pure in heart, if we remain undivided dedication to God. 440 00:24:18,700 --> 00:24:23,700 Verse 9, happy the peacemakers. So people who encourage peace 441 00:24:23,700 --> 00:24:27,400 rather than conflict, that's who Jesus is thinking of keep in 442 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:30,600 mind that for the Jews piece, didn't just mean the absence of 443 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:35,000 hostility for the Jews piece. Was almost a way of life that 444 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:37,100 you wanted to strive forward Shalom. 445 00:24:37,100 --> 00:24:40,600 It referred to well-being, and rightly ordered personal 446 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:44,100 relationships and society. When the Jews dwelled in peace 447 00:24:44,100 --> 00:24:46,900 in society, it was considered to be the ultimate shell on. 448 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:50,300 So Jesus here. Is probably telling his 449 00:24:50,300 --> 00:24:54,500 disciples to make peace in their life, as far as they can, in 450 00:24:54,500 --> 00:24:57,100 their own circles. It's probably not a political 451 00:24:57,100 --> 00:25:01,100 kind of piece that he's thinking of here, and we're all called to 452 00:25:01,100 --> 00:25:02,500 do that. It's hard, isn't it to make 453 00:25:02,500 --> 00:25:05,500 peace with everyone in our lives, but that's the clear 454 00:25:05,500 --> 00:25:08,600 teaching of Jesus. Here, happy or blessed are those 455 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:12,600 who make a peace, they shall be called sons of God. 456 00:25:13,100 --> 00:25:15,200 Now, that would be groundbreaking, we can talk more 457 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:18,300 about sons of God as we go through The Sermon on the Mount. 458 00:25:18,500 --> 00:25:22,500 But it implies deep intimacy with the father and that was a 459 00:25:22,500 --> 00:25:24,300 very radical concept for the Jews. 460 00:25:24,300 --> 00:25:28,400 They did not consider themselves to literally be God's Sons but 461 00:25:28,400 --> 00:25:33,200 Jesus, he says that if you follow his Commandments then in 462 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:37,100 a sense he can become his son and it's an adopted son ship 463 00:25:37,100 --> 00:25:40,700 where God chooses to bring people into his family and to 464 00:25:40,700 --> 00:25:42,700 partake of his kingdom out of God's Own. 465 00:25:42,700 --> 00:25:46,700 Love he chooses to adopt sons and daughters and that's an 466 00:25:46,700 --> 00:25:49,300 incredible thing. That's well worth Reflecting on. 467 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:53,300 So here Jesus says the peacemakers will get to be sons 468 00:25:53,300 --> 00:25:56,300 of God but as we go through The Sermon on the Mount will see 469 00:25:56,300 --> 00:26:00,800 that other people can also be added to the category of sons of 470 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:05,600 God verse 10, happy those who are persecuted in the cause of, 471 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:08,100 right? Or literally, for righteousness 472 00:26:08,100 --> 00:26:11,300 sake. So Jesus here is talking about 473 00:26:11,300 --> 00:26:16,000 people who are persecuted for following God's will Jesus knows 474 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:19,100 that many of his followers are going to be heavily Secured by 475 00:26:19,100 --> 00:26:21,300 the Jewish authorities in the coming years. 476 00:26:21,300 --> 00:26:24,200 And of course, we see that in the book of Acts, he knows that 477 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:27,100 that's coming for them. So that's why he tells them 478 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:30,100 blessed, are you when you were persecuted for righteousness 479 00:26:30,100 --> 00:26:33,600 sake, now, that might seem counterintuitive, why would that 480 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:36,200 make you happy or blessed to be persecuted? 481 00:26:36,900 --> 00:26:40,700 Well, well, Jesus says, theirs is the kingdom of heaven, and 482 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:44,300 probably that means those who persecute them won't get into 483 00:26:44,300 --> 00:26:47,100 the kingdom. Jesus nail develops. 484 00:26:47,100 --> 00:26:50,500 This last beatitude a bit more in verse 11. 485 00:26:50,900 --> 00:26:54,500 He says, happy are you when people abuse you and persecute 486 00:26:54,500 --> 00:26:58,400 you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my 487 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:00,800 account. This is pretty similar to the 488 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:04,000 previous verse except now he directs it directly at his 489 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:06,800 Apostles. Notice he's using the word you 490 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:08,900 now, rather than that. Happy are you. 491 00:27:09,300 --> 00:27:12,400 So maybe, at this point has turned to his closest followers 492 00:27:12,400 --> 00:27:17,100 who were nearby as he says these words, perhaps Jesus tells his 493 00:27:17,100 --> 00:27:20,100 followers here that when they're persecuted for following him and 494 00:27:20,100 --> 00:27:23,400 he knows that they're going to be they should be encouraged 495 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:26,500 rather than disappointed. And he tells them a great reward 496 00:27:26,500 --> 00:27:28,700 is waiting for them. When they're persecuted for his 497 00:27:28,700 --> 00:27:34,300 sake, notice how extravagant and radical this claim is Jesus, 498 00:27:34,300 --> 00:27:37,200 explicitly Ashok Associates being persecuted for 499 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:41,500 righteousness sake, with being persecuted, for my sake. 500 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:45,300 So, Jesus, he says that obedience to God's law. 501 00:27:45,900 --> 00:27:49,400 And righteousness now means obedience to Christ himself 502 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:51,700 other. Rabbis at that time, would never 503 00:27:51,700 --> 00:27:54,200 say anything like that. They would encourage persecution 504 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:57,000 for the sake of God or the Torah Jesus. 505 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,500 He says they're going to be persecuted because of him. 506 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:03,300 Jesus is claiming an authority that no Prophet or Rabbi in 507 00:28:03,300 --> 00:28:06,400 Israel would ever claim to possess and it's actually a 508 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:08,700 Blasphemous claim. If he's not really the son of 509 00:28:08,700 --> 00:28:12,100 God, he's saying that you're blessed to be persecuted for my 510 00:28:12,100 --> 00:28:15,600 sake. And this underscores how the 511 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:18,100 Beatitudes that we've been looking at and not merely 512 00:28:18,100 --> 00:28:21,100 ethical principles, they were about Jesus, they statements 513 00:28:21,100 --> 00:28:24,800 about the unique authority of Jesus and what it means for 514 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:27,300 Christians to orient their lives around him. 515 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:31,400 So living the Beatitudes in a sense is actually imitating. 516 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:34,600 Christ's life. Jesus was persecuted. 517 00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:36,700 His humble all the things that are said here. 518 00:28:36,700 --> 00:28:40,500 Do apply to Jesus as our model and we get to share in his 519 00:28:40,500 --> 00:28:44,900 sufferings and persecution. Verse 12, the final verse 520 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,600 rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in heaven. 521 00:28:48,700 --> 00:28:50,700 So this is attached to the previous one. 522 00:28:50,700 --> 00:28:54,600 About those who are persecuted for his sake, notice the future 523 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:57,700 tense here, your reward will be great in heaven. 524 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:02,000 Jesus tells his followers that when persecution comes on his 525 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:06,600 account and they should Rejoice since they have a reward in 526 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:09,900 heaven. Now this verse might imply 527 00:29:10,700 --> 00:29:13,900 possibly because he says your reward will be great in heaven. 528 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:17,300 Perhaps that implies that some people are going to have more 529 00:29:17,300 --> 00:29:20,900 rewards than others in heaven. That's a legitimate 530 00:29:20,900 --> 00:29:23,700 interpretation and Catholic teaching although it's not 531 00:29:23,700 --> 00:29:27,000 explicit there. It does tend to lend tend to 532 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:29,600 lean in that direction that there are different Levels of 533 00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:31,200 reward. That's not the only 534 00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:32,800 interpretation of this passage though. 535 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:36,000 Because you could just say your reward in heaven will be getting 536 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:38,600 into heaven. That is the reward that not 537 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:44,000 everyone gets Jesus continues. This Is How They persecuted the 538 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:47,600 prophets before you, if, you know, your Bible all throughout 539 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:50,300 Jewish history. Profits appeared in Israel who 540 00:29:50,300 --> 00:29:53,200 are doing God's will? However, their message was 541 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:56,800 usually rejected by the Jewish leadership and they were 542 00:29:56,800 --> 00:29:59,700 persecuted and sometimes killed as a result. 543 00:30:00,300 --> 00:30:02,800 Jesus, now tells his followers that they're going to face a 544 00:30:02,808 --> 00:30:06,000 similar situation, they're going to follow God's Will and they're 545 00:30:06,008 --> 00:30:08,700 going to try to Proclaim his truth and particularly they're 546 00:30:08,700 --> 00:30:11,100 going to Proclaim that Jesus is the messiah. 547 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:14,200 Yeah, but the Jewish leadership is going to reject them and 548 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:18,800 persecute them in a similar way, to the way the Jewish leadership 549 00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:20,900 has done to the prophets in the past. 550 00:30:22,900 --> 00:30:25,200 So those are the eight Beatitudes as you can see. 551 00:30:25,200 --> 00:30:27,500 There's a lot in them, there's so much that could be said about 552 00:30:27,500 --> 00:30:31,100 them, but I think that gives you a decent sense of what is going 553 00:30:31,100 --> 00:30:34,000 on in the literal sense. In terms of it being promises 554 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:36,800 about the future Kingdom of Heaven. 555 00:30:37,500 --> 00:30:39,600 Now there's still a future question here that Scholars 556 00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:43,700 raised about what's the point in Jesus saying this when he 557 00:30:43,700 --> 00:30:48,700 speaking to the crowd, You see encouraging them by saying that 558 00:30:48,700 --> 00:30:51,400 they're already blessed. That's one interpretation. 559 00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:54,500 He's saying that this is you, you're you're in the good books, 560 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:58,100 you're being blessed, or is he telling the crowd of what they 561 00:30:58,100 --> 00:31:00,600 need to do in order to become blessed? 562 00:31:01,100 --> 00:31:04,800 So some Scholars really think that we shouldn't say that Jesus 563 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:06,900 would be, is being prescriptive here. 564 00:31:06,900 --> 00:31:10,300 He's not saying this is what you should be like rather, what he's 565 00:31:10,300 --> 00:31:13,700 doing is he's just being descriptive, so he's making a 566 00:31:13,708 --> 00:31:16,600 contrast. Between his true disciples and 567 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:21,100 he's describing what his true disciples are like already and 568 00:31:21,100 --> 00:31:23,400 his contrasting. That with the self-righteousness 569 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:27,400 of the Pharisees that I think is a reasonable interpretation. 570 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:31,200 Because a lot of The Sermon on the Mount is contrasting false 571 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:34,600 righteousness with true righteousness, still though, 572 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:37,200 even if we're saying, if we want to say that Jesus is being 573 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:42,300 descriptive, telling it like it is at his present time rather 574 00:31:42,300 --> 00:31:44,100 than telling them what they have to do. 575 00:31:44,800 --> 00:31:47,600 Even if If we go with that, the message for us is still the 576 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:50,100 same. The message for us is that for 577 00:31:50,100 --> 00:31:53,300 us to get into the kingdom of heaven, we need to be like, what 578 00:31:53,300 --> 00:31:55,900 Jesus is describing at that particular time. 579 00:31:55,900 --> 00:31:58,200 So the message for us is the same regardless. 580 00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:02,600 Now The Sermon on the Mount continues over the next couple 581 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:05,800 of chapters and we're look at that in the coming days as part 582 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:09,500 of the weekday cycle. So the next part will be read on 583 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:12,600 Tuesday of week, 10 in ordinary time. 584 00:32:14,900 --> 00:32:18,000 Now, as you can imagine there's a lots of places or lots of 585 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:21,100 really, really interesting places in the catechism where 586 00:32:21,100 --> 00:32:24,000 the Beatitudes get reference quite explicitly, there's 587 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:27,100 sections in the catechism about poverty of heart which is based 588 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:29,700 on what we see here. There's Sections there about 589 00:32:29,700 --> 00:32:33,200 Christine Beatitudes about what it means to be pure in heart. 590 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:38,200 It gets summarized as part of the fifth commandment, and it's 591 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:42,100 linked to what Jesus says here about be a peacemaker and 592 00:32:42,100 --> 00:32:44,200 there's all sorts of really interesting ones but in the 593 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:47,500 interest of time because I know this is a long episode, I'll 594 00:32:47,500 --> 00:32:53,300 just read out paragraph 17 16 and 17 17 which is all about 595 00:32:53,300 --> 00:32:55,100 this passage. It's a commentary on the 596 00:32:55,100 --> 00:32:57,800 Beatitudes. So here's what the Catholic 597 00:32:57,800 --> 00:32:59,800 Church teaches. Is about the Beatitudes that 598 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:03,300 we've heard today. The Beatitudes are the Heart of 599 00:33:03,300 --> 00:33:06,500 Jesus preaching. They take up the promises made 600 00:33:06,500 --> 00:33:08,400 to the chosen people since Abraham. 601 00:33:08,900 --> 00:33:11,800 The Beatitudes fulfill the Promises by ordering them no 602 00:33:11,800 --> 00:33:15,300 longer merely to the possession of a territory, but to the 603 00:33:15,300 --> 00:33:18,500 kingdom of heaven and then it goes on to list all the 604 00:33:18,500 --> 00:33:23,500 Beatitudes And then it finishes by saying the Beatitudes depict, 605 00:33:23,500 --> 00:33:27,000 the countenance of Jesus Christ and portray his charity. 606 00:33:27,600 --> 00:33:31,000 They express the vocation of the faithful associated with the 607 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:34,200 glory of his passion. And Resurrection, they shed 608 00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:37,200 light on the actions and attitudes characteristic of the 609 00:33:37,200 --> 00:33:39,700 Christian Life. They are the paradoxical 610 00:33:39,700 --> 00:33:42,900 promises that sustain hope in the midst of tribulations. 611 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:47,600 They proclaim the blessings and rewards already secured however, 612 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:51,500 dimly for Christ's disciples. They have begun in the lives of 613 00:33:51,500 --> 00:33:53,600 the Virgin Mary and all the saints. 614 00:33:55,600 --> 00:33:58,800 So that's paragraph. 17, 16 and 17 17. 615 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:02,300 I'll include all the paragraphs and they're well worth reading 616 00:34:02,300 --> 00:34:04,000 all include those in the show notes. 617 00:34:05,300 --> 00:34:07,800 Hopefully you learned something new today I certainly did as I 618 00:34:07,800 --> 00:34:11,400 Was preparing this there's a lot of richness in the entire Sermon 619 00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:14,000 on the Mount. If you think there's people in 620 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:18,100 your life, who would benefit from hearing this exegesis of 621 00:34:18,100 --> 00:34:21,400 the literal sense of the Beatitudes, then please share it 622 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:22,300 with them. I would love it. 623 00:34:22,300 --> 00:34:24,600 If you could do that more and more people could hear about the 624 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:26,400 podcast. Thank you. 625 00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:28,100 And we'll continue tomorrow.