Beatitudes Into your life
──8 modes of entering a happy new life
Scripture: Matt 5:1-12
Target of the Sermon on the Mount: Many people and disciples
When Jesus saw these many people, he went up the mountain. After sitting down, his disciples came to him (Matthew 5:1)
Values in the world: abundance, happiness, strength, compromise, self-preservation, flexibility, strife, strength
1. Happiness is poverty in the spirit(v3)
The Beatitudes in Chapter 5 of Matthew is a parallel verse with Luke 6:20, where it says: Blessed are the poor
There is a rather discordant picture in this passage: poverty and heaven
All the enjoyment in the world must have money and power
2. Happiness is grief and heartache(v4)
Those who mourn are those who have no hope
Ex: Ruth, Naomi
When they come to God, they can be comforted, and only from God’s comfort can they gain strength
3. Happiness is meekness and humbleness(v5)
From the perspective of modern people, gentle people are unlikely to get land.
Usually there are three ways to get land:
(1) Force, this is the ancient times, the one who can get the land is the victor
(2) Fraud, obtaining land by deception
(3) Financial resources, this is the way of modern people
(4) Luck, inherit the land
Gentle people, some Chinese translations are “gentle and humble” people
Ex: Isaac, in the Bible, he is less likely to fight. He often gives it to others. He is very gentle, but God blesses him
5. Happiness is compassion for others(v7)
Why pity others?
(1)Do it on the Lord(Matthew 25:40)
(2) Do it on yourself(Matthew 7:12 )
(3) Respond to God’s love(Matthew 18:23)
6. Happiness is to be focused(v8)
The human heart is very complicated, often not so simple
7. Happiness is to make people harmonious(v9)
8. Happiness is persecution for righteousness(v10-12)