The Beatitudes
If we look at the Sermon on the Mount thematically, we see that Jesus is concerned about relationships—man’s relationship with God, man’s relationship with his fellow, and man’s relationship with himself. The material in the first part of the Sermon on the Mount, commonly known as the beatitudes, concerns the last of these categories: man’s relationship with himself. It is presented at the beginning of the sermon to emphasize the point that one cannot begin to deal with the other relationships until one has dealt with the inward man.
The word “beatitude” comes to us from Latin and means “blessed.” It correlates with the Greek word “markarios” used at the beginning of each beatitude. Sometimes the word is translated “happy,” but this is not the “happy” that is used to describe the common feeling of momentary delight upon eating an ice cream or one’s favorite snack. Rather, the word refers to a deeper, abiding joy that one experiences as a result of making these attitudes one’s own.
The beatitudes take a special form. A blessing is pronounced; the attitude is described; and a promised result follows. The repetition of this form throughout the beatitudes emphasizes the need for their ongoing practice in the life of the spiritual person. The beatitudes are not a “rinse once or twice if desired” solution, but require constant attention in application and maintenance. At any given moment, our orientation towards others should reflect these inward ideals.
The beatitudes are somewhat paradoxical; they seem contradictory at first glance. Nevertheless, as one contemplates the meaning of the statement, one realizes that such attitudes foster within the inward man a spirituality that cannot be contradicted. The result that one might expect to occur looking at the beatitudes from a physical/naturalistic perspective does not follow because one is not cultivating one’s physical/natural self, but one’s spiritual person. Consider the following chart that illustrates this thought.
| Attitude | Physical Expectation | Spiritual Result |
| Poor in Spirit | Poor, Without Possessions | Possessors of the Kingdom of Heaven |
| Mourn | Sadness, Depression | Comfort |
| Meek | Low, Humiliated, Degraded | Heirs of the Earth |
| Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness | Empty, Meaninglessness | Filled |
| Merciful | Taken Advantage of, Used, No Justice | Obtain Mercy |
| Pure in Heart | Unfulfilled, Not Authentic, No Physical Satisfaction | See God |
| Peacemakers | Lose in Battle, Will not Prevail | Called the Children of God |
| Persecuted for Righteousness Sake | Suffer Pain, Personal and Financial Loss, Die | Possessors of the Kingdom of Heaven |
Cultivating these inward attitudes best facilitates one’s relationship with God, and one’s fellow man, both of whom are ultimately spiritual beings. They enable us, ultimately, to practice the golden rule consistently (Matthew 7:12). It is in this final state, when one’s relationships with one’s fellow have been cultivated by spiritual truths, that one may find the joy the beatitudes promise to those seeking spirituality in their lives (Philippians 4:4).
This issue of the Christian Worker explores these beatitudes. It is our hope that those who study it will come out with a deeper desire to cultivate the spiritual self by focusing on and developing these attitudes within one’s heart. The heart of man is where the battle for truth lies; what we believe today will affect the actions we take tomorrow (Mark 7:21). May we so cultivate our hearts so as to live lives that obtain beautiful consequences.