For the Sake of the Gospel #5 - The Blessings of the Kingdom

For the Sake of the Gospel # 5
The Blessings of the Kingdom
 
            In last week’s column, I indicated that Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is the way in which his disciples should live for the sake of the gospel. I noted that in the early church most Christians viewed this sermon as the perfect measure of the Christian life: the rule by which they should live their lives. In this week’s column I am focusing on the beginning of the sermon, what we commonly call the eight beatitudes.
            These eight beatitudes can be viewed as the blessings of the kingdom, by which I mean the blessings that Jesus promises to those who willingly embrace the kingdom that he proclaims. Each of the beatitudes begins by describing a particular kind of person: the poor in spirit, those who morn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the clean of heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted. Following this, Jesus describes the blessings of the kingdom that God has in store for such people: theirs is the kingdom of heaven; they will be comforted; they will inherit the land; they will be satisfied; they will receive mercy; they will see God; they will be called children of God; the kingdom of heaven will be theirs.
            Although Jesus pronounces eight beatitudes, he is speaking of the same reality from several different points of view. He is speaking of those who are utterly dependent on God, and so rely on God to bring about the salvation that they cannot bring. For example, the poor in spirit and the meek are those who know that no matter how powerful and affluent they may be, they are utterly dependent on God.
Likewise, the blessings that Jesus describes in these beatitudes are different facets of the kingdom of God. For example, those who enter the kingdom of God will see God and be called children of God; their hunger and thirst for God will finally be satisfied.
            The purpose of the beatitudes, then, is to provide us with a description of the blessings of the kingdom and the behavior that is appropriate to the kingdom of God. God is the only one who can bring us the blessings of the kingdom. Only God can enable us to stand in his presence. And only those who know their dependence upon and their need for God can enter into the kingdom.
            Those who have no need for God in their lives cannot share in the blessings of the kingdom. Those who believe they are self-sufficient and capable of saving themselves cannot participate in the blessings of the kingdom, for they do not understand that only God brings the fullness of the life.  The first step in the morally good life, then, is to know and acknowledge our need for God. When we acknowledge our profound need for God, all else follows.