Theology 4

The Beatitudes: The Key to Joy

MATTHEW 5: 1-12 CHRISTIAN BEATITUDE
When He saw the crowds, He went up the The 8 Christian Beatitude are not the
mountain, and after He had sat down, his descriptions of 8 different people. They are
disciples came to Him. He began to teach the descriptions of one person. They are the
them. descriptions of the character of the
Christian and they can divide into 3 sections
But Jesus tells us we are blessed if we are: which are as follows:
Poor in spirit, for ours is the kingdom of
heaven. A. Beginning of the Christian Life
Mourning, for we will be comforted. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is
Hungry and thirsty for holiness, for we will the kingdom of heaven.”
be satisfied “Blessed are those who mourn, for they
Persecuted, for ours is the kingdom of shall be comforted.”
heaven “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst
Insulted, for we will be rewarded after righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

The Context of Beatitudes B. What the Christian is

Jesus went up the mountain “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall
 In the Old Testament, people go up obtain mercy.”
the mountain believing they can “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
have easy access to God who is in see God.”
the highest heaven “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall
 We can see Jesus goes up to the be called the children of God.”
mountain to pray
 Mt. Tabor – Transfiguration C. Result of the Christian Life
 Mt. Eremos – Beatitudes “Blessed are they who are persecuted for
 Mt. Calvary – Crucifixion righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when
More than any other place in the NT, we people insult you and persecute you and
find the: utter every kind of evil against you falsely
 Morale teaching of Jesus bet because of me. Be happy and glad, for a
summarized in Matthew’s Gospel in great reward is kept for you in heaven. This
the famed sermon on the Mount. is how the prophets who lived before you
 The Sermon is found in chapters 5 to were persecuted.”
7 of Matthew’s Gospel
 It is to the NT what the ten Alexander the great’s 3 last wishes
commandments are to the OT He asked his generals to fulfill his following
three wishes:
The Beatitudes teach us the Final End (Goal 1. My physicians must carry my body
of Human Existence, the Ultimate End of alone.
Human Acts) to which God calls us: to be  I want my physicians to carry my
Joyful and Holy. body alone because I want people to
know that no doctor can cure
people’s illnesses, especially when
 Theology 4
The Beatitudes: The Key to Joy
they face death. No physician or  “Blessed are they who are persecuted
doctor is as powerful to save people for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the
from the clutch of death. So, don’t kingdom of heaven.”
let people take life for granted.  “How lucky you are to give honor and
2. I want the path leading to my grave to righteousness to God by suffering
be strewn with gold, silver, and precious amidst persecution” – Pandemic
stones that are in my treasury while my
body is being carried to be buried. Matthias Grünewald’s Ishenheim
 I want people to know that not even Altarpiece
a fraction of gold will come with me.
I spent my whole life chasing power “If you want the perfect exemplification of
and wealth. Whatever earned in the the beatitudes, look up Christ crucified.” –
earth remains here. I want people to St. Thomas Aquinas
realize that it is a complete waste of
your life and time to run after The BEATITUDES and Jesus
wealth and power. “Jesus is poor in spirit, He has the kingdom
3. My third and last wish is that both my of heaven”
hands be kept dangling out of my coffin “Jesus mourned, He is comforted”
 I want my both hands to keep “Jesus is hungry and thirsty, He has filled.”
dangling out of my coffin because I “Jesus is merciful, we will obtain mercy.”
want people to know that we came “Jesus is pure in heart, He will let us to see
empty-handed in this world and we God.”
will go empty-handed. “Jesus is a peacemaker, He calls us to be
children of God”
St. Thomas Aquinas’ Four Substitutes for “Jesus is persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
God He promises us the kingdom of heaven”
 Wealth – He has nothing, naked
 Pleasure – He is suffering
 Power – He is nailed on the cross
 Honor – They mocked him
*Jesus is detached on these things
*If Aquinas is right, Jesus is a happy man

Wealth and Power

 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God”
 “How lucky you are if you are not
attached to the worldly power.”
 J.R.R. Tolkien the writer of “The lord of
the rings” wrote about worldly power

Honor and Pleasure