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Guest
Several years ago, I was studying what the meaning of "humility" was in Scripture, as my own concept of it was flawed. Meg pointed out the Beatitudes spoken by Jesus on the Mount:
"When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."" (Matthew 5:1-12, NASB, emphasis mine)
When Jesus started the Sermon on the Mount with these statements, He was describing the type of person who would inherit the Kingdom of God. But what exactly do the Beatitudes mean? And how do they fit together?
Let's take them one by one:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Those who are "poor in spirit" know that they are poor in spirit. They know that they have no standing on their own merits and are bereft of anything spiritually worthy or capable of reaching the Lord on their own. Jesus recognizes them as being heirs to the kingdom of heaven because it is this humility that brings one before the Lord and willing to trust His promises and take His precious Gift. It is this humility that Christ compares to when He mentions who may enter into the Kingdom:
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." (Mathew 18:1-6, NASB, emphasis mine)
But what consists this humility?
It is not a false humility: often, humility can be put on as an act by those whom seek to appear humble. But true humility is not something that is put on; rather, it is a quality that is displayed, and the Lord proceeds to describe the traits of humility:
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Here, the Lord is not talking about mourning in general. Instead, He is speaking of the genuine sorrow that comes with truly being sorry for sinning against the Lord:
"For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while— I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter. So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God. For this reason we have been comforted. And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. " (2 Corinthians7:5-13, NASB, emphasis mine)
It isn't a sorrow over consequences, nor a sorrow over the condition we are now in, but a sorrow that we have offended God and are grieved that we did so to Him. Being truly sorry is not being sorry for the penalty, but sorry for what has happened to the person we have wronged. We cannot ask the Lord to save us or to forgive us if we come before Him with a heart that is flaming with pride or spiteful rage; instead, it is brokenness.
"Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth."
Jesus' mention of the gentle here are those who are not seeking to deliberately harm another out of malice or spite; instead, He was describing those that simply want to "live and let live". He was speaking of those who meant no harm to anyone:
"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." (Colossians 3:12-17, NASB, emphasis mine)
This doesn't mean believers never become angry, but that we don't spend our time seeking targets amongst people to take our feelings out on.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
Jesus speaks here of those who are so seeking righteousness, that they are described as hungering and thirsting for it. And the righteousness they are so desperately seeking is not mere human righteousness; the word used in Scripture is dikaiosuné, which translated means: "justice, justness, righteousness, righteousness of which God is the source or author, but practically: a divine righteousness."
"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3:7-11, NASB, emphasis mine)
"But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.” " (1 Corinthians 1:30-31, NASB, emphasis mine)
In short: what they are seeking is the righteousness of the Lord, which is only obtained through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
Mercy is defined as "withholding punishment that is deserved"; that being the case, the Lord here speaks of those who do not seek to punish those that have wronged them receiving the same mercy from God Almighty:
"Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:21-35, NASB, emphasis mine)
Those that have mercy are not trusting in their own hand for righteousness; instead, in humble submission, they turn it over to the Lord and instead repay evil with good. Put another way:
"And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. “When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” And He said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:40-50, NASB, emphasis mine)
When we realize how much we have been forgiven and how much mercy we have received, we realize when others wrong us how much we were once like them. When we see others wrong us, we realize the amount of mercy and grace we received.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
A pure heart is one in which sin has not hardened it against the Lord; instead, it is a heart that is after the Lord and is soft. A heart can only be soft when it is not filled with spite, envy, wrath, and all other sorts of vile things which harden it to the consistency of stone:
"You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." (James 4:4-10, NASB, emphasis mine)
This is why we need to guard our hearts and not be of a "double mind" when it comes to sin: giving it any sort of quarter in our lives gives it a tremendous foothold in our hearts. And since sin always fails, it will drag down the heart that is hardened by it along with it:
"Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears." (Hebrews 12:14-17, NASB, emphasis mine)
We are saved by the blood of Christ, but the lord expects us to walk with Him. Those that would see God are those whose hearts are clean, and we can only have clean hearts if we strive to keep them clean and come before the Lord in repentant prayer when we fail.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
Jesus' opinion of a "peacemaker" is not necessarily one who seeks to mediate others' disputes, but according to the Greek word eirénopoios used in Scripture: "pacific, loving peace, a peace-maker". This is one whom seeks to be at peace with those they encounter. Scripture says:
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:14-21, NASB, emphasis mine)
The Lord is seeking those that seek to, as much as they can, live in peace with those around them. They don't seek to rile people up, cause rumors or other kinds of trouble, and seek to quietly live and work:
"Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need." (1Thessalonians 4:9-12, NASB, emphasis mine)
To "make peace", we must first have it in our hearts.
"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me."
Jesus did not say here "if they are persecuted"; He clearly stated those that "have been persecuted". Those who have been attacked for what is right, and instead of defending themselves, defended the truth. And for doing so, they were attacked and hated:
"Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." ( 2 Timothy 3:10-12, NASB, emphasis mine)
Paul was far from the only one to be persecuted for trying to live godly; the Lord Himself was attacked for what He preached and had this to say:
"“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.’ "
Those who are persecuted for the Lord's sake are not those who have struck back at their attackers out of spite; instead, they are those who taught the truth and defended it. Humility is not defending our own, but the truth we have been given. If we stand for that truth, we are not going to be popular, and if we try to live according to God's word, those of the world stand accused in the light of the truth.
"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6, NASB, emphasis mine)
And the Lord stated what those of the world do when confronted by the truth:
"“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (John 3:16-21, NASB, emphasis mine)
"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
There is a common denominator in all those that have served the Lord, prophet and saint alike: the heart they have had for the Lord. The prophets, like those that followed Jesus, were persecuted and even killed for their faith:
"“Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation." (Matthew 23:34-36, NASB, emphasis mine)
All of these served the Lord and were murdered horribly for it, Stephen was an example, yet he praised the Lord and asked for no revenge against his murderers:
"Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep." (Acts7:54-60, NASB, emphasis mine)
The prophets who came before the Lord were killed, and those who cling to the Lord since are shaken and persecuted.
So, in examining this passage, we see that humility as described by the Lord is:
- seeing our spiritual condition as poor
- being sorrowful over sin against the Lord
- tenderness and kindness towards others, not seeking malice
- seeking the divine righteousness of God as one hungering and thirsting for it
- withholding retribution from those that offend
- a clean heart that seeks forgiveness when wrong is committed
- seeking to live peacefully (which can be difficult given this world and our inner disposition)
- willingness to suffer for what is right and defend the truth, not oneself (hich can also be difficult for many of the same reasons aforementioned)
All of this points towards a heart that is not concerned with self, but instead is for the Lord. We see ourselves as we are, and we are patient in our place in the Body. We do not place others so far above us that they become idols or "gods", nor do we exalt ourselves to highly that we force God out of the rightful place in our hearts: the throne. Instead, we know where we stand and are content with it, seeking to serve the Lord with whatever he gives us, patient in all trials and afflictions, and faithful to the end, whatever end that may be.
This is not something that we are granted in an "instant", but rather, it has to be cultivated and nourished in us by the Lord, as we walk with Him. And in this process we grow and mature, while the "dross" of the old is slowly removed. the process is called sanctification, and it works over one's lifetime.
Ultimately, humility is a heart that knows that it is not God, that no other is God but God, that Jesus Christ is God, and that He died for us in our place. And it is something we learn as we trust the Lord and let Him work on us and in us.
I bid you all peace.
YBIC,
-Sojo414
"When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."" (Matthew 5:1-12, NASB, emphasis mine)
When Jesus started the Sermon on the Mount with these statements, He was describing the type of person who would inherit the Kingdom of God. But what exactly do the Beatitudes mean? And how do they fit together?
Let's take them one by one:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Those who are "poor in spirit" know that they are poor in spirit. They know that they have no standing on their own merits and are bereft of anything spiritually worthy or capable of reaching the Lord on their own. Jesus recognizes them as being heirs to the kingdom of heaven because it is this humility that brings one before the Lord and willing to trust His promises and take His precious Gift. It is this humility that Christ compares to when He mentions who may enter into the Kingdom:
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea." (Mathew 18:1-6, NASB, emphasis mine)
But what consists this humility?
It is not a false humility: often, humility can be put on as an act by those whom seek to appear humble. But true humility is not something that is put on; rather, it is a quality that is displayed, and the Lord proceeds to describe the traits of humility:
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."
Here, the Lord is not talking about mourning in general. Instead, He is speaking of the genuine sorrow that comes with truly being sorry for sinning against the Lord:
"For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within. But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus; and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more. For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while— I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter. So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God. For this reason we have been comforted. And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all. " (2 Corinthians7:5-13, NASB, emphasis mine)
It isn't a sorrow over consequences, nor a sorrow over the condition we are now in, but a sorrow that we have offended God and are grieved that we did so to Him. Being truly sorry is not being sorry for the penalty, but sorry for what has happened to the person we have wronged. We cannot ask the Lord to save us or to forgive us if we come before Him with a heart that is flaming with pride or spiteful rage; instead, it is brokenness.
"Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth."
Jesus' mention of the gentle here are those who are not seeking to deliberately harm another out of malice or spite; instead, He was describing those that simply want to "live and let live". He was speaking of those who meant no harm to anyone:
"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." (Colossians 3:12-17, NASB, emphasis mine)
This doesn't mean believers never become angry, but that we don't spend our time seeking targets amongst people to take our feelings out on.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
Jesus speaks here of those who are so seeking righteousness, that they are described as hungering and thirsting for it. And the righteousness they are so desperately seeking is not mere human righteousness; the word used in Scripture is dikaiosuné, which translated means: "justice, justness, righteousness, righteousness of which God is the source or author, but practically: a divine righteousness."
"But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3:7-11, NASB, emphasis mine)
"But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.” " (1 Corinthians 1:30-31, NASB, emphasis mine)
In short: what they are seeking is the righteousness of the Lord, which is only obtained through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
Mercy is defined as "withholding punishment that is deserved"; that being the case, the Lord here speaks of those who do not seek to punish those that have wronged them receiving the same mercy from God Almighty:
"Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. ‘Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” (Matthew 18:21-35, NASB, emphasis mine)
Those that have mercy are not trusting in their own hand for righteousness; instead, in humble submission, they turn it over to the Lord and instead repay evil with good. Put another way:
"And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.” “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. “When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” And He said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” (Luke 7:40-50, NASB, emphasis mine)
When we realize how much we have been forgiven and how much mercy we have received, we realize when others wrong us how much we were once like them. When we see others wrong us, we realize the amount of mercy and grace we received.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
A pure heart is one in which sin has not hardened it against the Lord; instead, it is a heart that is after the Lord and is soft. A heart can only be soft when it is not filled with spite, envy, wrath, and all other sorts of vile things which harden it to the consistency of stone:
"You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.” Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." (James 4:4-10, NASB, emphasis mine)
This is why we need to guard our hearts and not be of a "double mind" when it comes to sin: giving it any sort of quarter in our lives gives it a tremendous foothold in our hearts. And since sin always fails, it will drag down the heart that is hardened by it along with it:
"Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears." (Hebrews 12:14-17, NASB, emphasis mine)
We are saved by the blood of Christ, but the lord expects us to walk with Him. Those that would see God are those whose hearts are clean, and we can only have clean hearts if we strive to keep them clean and come before the Lord in repentant prayer when we fail.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."
Jesus' opinion of a "peacemaker" is not necessarily one who seeks to mediate others' disputes, but according to the Greek word eirénopoios used in Scripture: "pacific, loving peace, a peace-maker". This is one whom seeks to be at peace with those they encounter. Scripture says:
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:14-21, NASB, emphasis mine)
The Lord is seeking those that seek to, as much as they can, live in peace with those around them. They don't seek to rile people up, cause rumors or other kinds of trouble, and seek to quietly live and work:
"Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; for indeed you do practice it toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, to excel still more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you, so that you will behave properly toward outsiders and not be in any need." (1Thessalonians 4:9-12, NASB, emphasis mine)
To "make peace", we must first have it in our hearts.
"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me."
Jesus did not say here "if they are persecuted"; He clearly stated those that "have been persecuted". Those who have been attacked for what is right, and instead of defending themselves, defended the truth. And for doing so, they were attacked and hated:
"Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." ( 2 Timothy 3:10-12, NASB, emphasis mine)
Paul was far from the only one to be persecuted for trying to live godly; the Lord Himself was attacked for what He preached and had this to say:
"“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. But they have done this to fulfill the word that is written in their Law, ‘THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.’ "
Those who are persecuted for the Lord's sake are not those who have struck back at their attackers out of spite; instead, they are those who taught the truth and defended it. Humility is not defending our own, but the truth we have been given. If we stand for that truth, we are not going to be popular, and if we try to live according to God's word, those of the world stand accused in the light of the truth.
"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6, NASB, emphasis mine)
And the Lord stated what those of the world do when confronted by the truth:
"“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (John 3:16-21, NASB, emphasis mine)
"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
There is a common denominator in all those that have served the Lord, prophet and saint alike: the heart they have had for the Lord. The prophets, like those that followed Jesus, were persecuted and even killed for their faith:
"“Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation." (Matthew 23:34-36, NASB, emphasis mine)
All of these served the Lord and were murdered horribly for it, Stephen was an example, yet he praised the Lord and asked for no revenge against his murderers:
"Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep." (Acts7:54-60, NASB, emphasis mine)
The prophets who came before the Lord were killed, and those who cling to the Lord since are shaken and persecuted.
So, in examining this passage, we see that humility as described by the Lord is:
- seeing our spiritual condition as poor
- being sorrowful over sin against the Lord
- tenderness and kindness towards others, not seeking malice
- seeking the divine righteousness of God as one hungering and thirsting for it
- withholding retribution from those that offend
- a clean heart that seeks forgiveness when wrong is committed
- seeking to live peacefully (which can be difficult given this world and our inner disposition)
- willingness to suffer for what is right and defend the truth, not oneself (hich can also be difficult for many of the same reasons aforementioned)
All of this points towards a heart that is not concerned with self, but instead is for the Lord. We see ourselves as we are, and we are patient in our place in the Body. We do not place others so far above us that they become idols or "gods", nor do we exalt ourselves to highly that we force God out of the rightful place in our hearts: the throne. Instead, we know where we stand and are content with it, seeking to serve the Lord with whatever he gives us, patient in all trials and afflictions, and faithful to the end, whatever end that may be.
This is not something that we are granted in an "instant", but rather, it has to be cultivated and nourished in us by the Lord, as we walk with Him. And in this process we grow and mature, while the "dross" of the old is slowly removed. the process is called sanctification, and it works over one's lifetime.
Ultimately, humility is a heart that knows that it is not God, that no other is God but God, that Jesus Christ is God, and that He died for us in our place. And it is something we learn as we trust the Lord and let Him work on us and in us.
I bid you all peace.
YBIC,
-Sojo414
