Happy and Blessed

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, C

[The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord]

Matthew 5:1-12

February 2, 2012

Preached at Tagaytay United Methodist Church

Introduction

In today’s Gospel we read the beginning of the Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount: the Beatitudes. We read in the preceding passage, Matthew 4:23-25, that Jesus had been preaching throughout Galilee, healing the sick and casting out demons. His fame spread throughout the land and people everywhere came and followed him. Because he saw the “multitudes”, Jesus went up a mountain and sat down to teach them. The “disciples” here were not just the twelve Apostles: as John Wesley pointed out, it would have been enough for them to meet in a room instead of on a mountain (Sermon 21: Upon our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount: Discourse 1). These included “all who desired to learn of him” (Notes Upon the New Testament, Matthew V:1).

There is much to say on today’s Gospel reading. This could be made into a series of eight sermons; one for each beatitude. John Wesley himself wrote three sermons on the Beatitudes, which is part of his series on the Sermon on the Mount. These are Sermon 21 (Discourse 1), Sermon 22 (Discourse 2), and Sermon 23 (Discourse 3). In this sermon, we will attempt to:

1) define the word “blessed”;

2) identify what sort of people who are “blessed”; and

3) see the rewards of those people who are “blessed”.

I. What is “being blessed”?

The word that Jesus used in the Beatitudes is μακαριος, makarios, which means both ‘happy’ and ‘blessed’ (which explains why different English translations of the Bible render this word either as “happy” or “blessed”). In the Greek New Testament, the other word used that is translated as “blessed” which is ευλογεω, eulogeō, (lit. ‘to speak well of’) which can be rendered as ‘to praise (somebody, e.g., God)’ and ‘to ask for God’s blessing upon someone’.

Similarly, there are two words for “blessed” in Hebrew:בָּרַךְ, barāk, which means ‘to praise (somebody, esp. God)’ and ‘to ask for God’s blessing upon someone’—similar to ευλογεω. Meanwhile, the other word is אַשֵׁר, asher, which can be rendered as either ‘happy’ or ‘blessed’—also similar to μακαριος. Had Jesus been preaching in Hebrew (which he probably did, although this was in “Galilee of the Gentiles” where a lot of the population probably spoke Greek), he would have used אַשֵׁר instead of בָּרַךְ.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus is showing us that to be “blessed” is to be “happy” and to be “happy” is to be “blessed”. But what sort of people does Jesus call “happy” and “blessed”?

II. Who are those who are considered “blessed”?

A cursory look of those people whom Jesus considered “happy” and “blessed” are those not considered happy and blessed by this world: the poor, the hungry, those who mourn, the persecuted, & c. Who are these people called by Jesus as “happy” and “blessed”?

1. “Happy are the poor in spirit”: These are not those who are literally poor, for that would mean a salvation by “good works”; i.e., that one needs to divest oneself of wealth to be saved. Rather these are those “are unfeignedly penitent, they who are truly convinced of sin; who see and feel the state they are in by nature, being deeply sensible of their sinfulness, guiltiness, helplessness” (Notes, Matthew V:4). Thus, those who are “poor in spirit” are those who recognize their own spiritual poverty and need of God’s grace. (The Magandang Balita Biblia [Tagalog Popular Version] translates it very accurately: “Mapalad ang mga aba na wala nang inaasahan kundi ang Diyos”.)

2. “Happy are they that mourn”: These are those who mourn “[e]ither for their own sins, or for other men's, and are steadily and habitually serious” (Notes, Matthew V:5). They also mourn because they feel that God has “hidden his face” from them on account of sin (Sermon 21, Discourse 1)

3. “Happy are the meek”: Meekness is not the same as weakness: the meek are “[t]hey that hold all their passions and affections evenly balanced.” (Notes, Mattew V:6). “It poises the mind aright. It holds an even scale, with regard to anger, and sorrow, and fear; preserving the mean in every circumstance of life, and not declining either to the right hand or the left….”. It is “a calm acquiescence in whatsoever is his will concerning us, even though it may not be pleasing to nature; saying continually, ‘It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good’ (Sermon 22, Discourse 2).

4. “Happy are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness”: These are people who are hungry and thirsty for God. John Wesley wrote,

And it is as impossible to satisfy such a soul, a soul that is athirst for God, the living God, with what the world accounts religion, as with what they account happiness. The religion of the world implies three things: (1.) The doing no harm, the abstaining from outward sin; at least from such as is scandalous, as robbery, theft, common swearing, drunkenness: (2.) The doing good, the relieving the poor; the being charitable, as it is called: (3.) The using the means of grace; at least the going to church and to the Lords Supper. He in whom these three marks are found is termed by the world a religious man. But will this satisfy him who hungers after God? No: It is not food for his soul. He wants a religion of a nobler kind, a religion higher and deeper than this. He can no more feed on this poor, shallow, formal thing, than he can “fill his belly with the east wind.” True, he is careful to abstain from the very appearance of evil; he is zealous of good works; he attends all the ordinances of God: But all this is not what he longs for. This is only the outside of that religion, which he insatiably hungers after. The knowledge of God in Christ Jesus; “the life which is hid with Christ in God;” the being “joined unto the Lord in one Spirit;” the having “fellowship with the Father and the Son;” the “walking in the light as God is in the light;” the being “purified even as He is pure;” — this is the religion, the righteousness, he thirsts after: Nor can he rest, till he thus rests in God. (Sermon 22, Discourse 2)

5. “Happy are the merciful”: These are people who truly love their neighbors. They are “the tender-hearted; those who, far from despising, earnestly grieve for, those that do not hunger after God. ‘[T]he merciful,’ in the full sense of the term, are they who love their neighbours as themselves. (Sermon 22, Discourse 2).

6. “Happy are the pure in heart”: These are those who whose hearts have been purified by God from sin:

[T]hey whose hearts God hath “purified even as he is pure;” who are purified, through faith in the blood of Jesus, from every unholy affection; who, being “cleansed from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfect holiness in the” loving “fear of God.” They are, through the power of his grace, purified from pride, by the deepest poverty of spirit; from anger, from every unkind or turbulent passion, by meekness and gentleness; from every desire but to please and enjoy God, to know and love him more and more, by that hunger and thirst after righteousness which now engrosses their whole soul: So that now they love the Lord their God with all their heart, and with all their soul, and mind, and strength. (Sermon 23, Discourse 3)

7. “Happy are the peace-makers”: John Wesley points out that the word “peace” “implies all manner of good; every blessing that relates either to the soul or the body, to time or eternity.”

In its literal meaning it implies those lovers of God and man who utterly detest and abhor all strife and debate, all variance and contention; and accordingly labour with all their might, either to prevent this fire of hell from being kindled, or, when it is kindled, from breaking out, or, when it is broke out, from spreading any farther. They endeavour to calm the stormy spirits of men, to quiet their turbulent passions, to soften the minds of contending parties, and, if possible, reconcile them to each other. (Sermon 23, Discourse 3)

8. “Happy are they who are persecuted for righteousness sake”: John Wesley noted since peace-makers are so amiable in temper and behavior, they would be “darlings of mankind” (Notes, Matthew V:9). But since Satan is “the prince of this world”, the followers of Christ will be persecuted “for righteousness sake” (Notes, Matthew V:10). These are people who are being persecuted for doing what is right and for following Jesus.

The reason is plain: The spirit which is in the world is directly opposite to the Spirit which is of God. It must therefore needs be, that those who are of the world will be opposite to those who are of God. There is the utmost contrariety between them, in all their opinions, their desires, designs, and tempers. And hitherto the leopard and the kid cannot lie down in peace together. The proud, because he is proud, cannot but persecute the lowly; the light and airy, those that mourn: And so in every other kind; the unlikeness of disposition (were there no other) being a perpetual ground of enmity. Therefore, were it only on this account, all the servants of the devil will persecute the children of God. (Sermon 23, Discourse 3)

III. Why are they “blessed”?

In spite of not being considered happy and blessed by the world, why are the poor, the hungry, those who mourn, and the persecuted considered happy and blessed?

1. “Happy are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”: Because they recognize their spiritual poverty, God will let them inherit his kingdom. By “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” John Wesley writes, “The present inward kingdom: righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, as well as the eternal kingdom, if they endure to the end. Luke vi, 20.” (Notes, Matthew V:4)

2. “Happy are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted”: Because they mourned on earth, they will be comforted in this life and in the life to come. “[W]eeping may tarry for the night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5, Jewish Publication Society, 1917). They shall be comforted “[m]ore solidly and deeply even in this world, and eternally in heaven” (Notes, Matthew V:4)

3. “Happy are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth”: Because they practice self-control on earth, God shall make them inherit it. “They shall have all things really necessary for life and godliness. They shall enjoy whatever portion God hath given them here, and shall hereafter possess the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (Notes, Matthew V:5)

4. “Happy are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be satisfied”: Because they hungered and thirsted not for the things of this world, but only in God, God himself will be their satisfaction. They will find rest, because they will rest in God.

5. “Happy are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy”: Because they have shown mercy to their neighbors, they shall also be shown mercy from God.

6. “Happy are the pure in heart; for they shall see God”: Because they have made their lives pure, they “shall see him as he is”: “Beloved. Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know, when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every one that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself even as he is pure” (I John 3:2-3, John Wesley New Testament).

7. “Happy are the peace-makers; for they shall be called children of God”: “God shall continue unto them the Spirit of adoption, yea, shall pour it more abundantly into their hearts. He shall bless them with all the blessings of his children. He shall acknowledge them as sons before angels and men; “and, if sons, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ.” (Sermon 23, Discourse 3)

8. “Happy are they who are persecuted for righteousness sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”: They are persecuted because they do what is right (“for righteousness sake”) and because of their testimony for Christ (“for my name’s sake,” v. 11). The world, ruled by Satan, hates them. But just like the “poor in spirit”, they shall “inherit the kingdom of heaven”; moreover, Jesus said, “for great is your reward in heaven”. (v. 12)

Conclusion

The Beatitudes challenge us to redefine our understanding of the words “blessing” and “happiness”. What are the things which we consider “blessings”? What are the things which make us “happy”? Are these things the things of earth, here today and gone tomorrow? We need to redefine our understanding of “blessedness” and “happiness” according to the definition of Jesus. We must consider ourselves happy and blessed when we are poor, hungry, mournful, or persecuted, because we will inherit the things that will endure for eternity. Amen.