Kingdom Living: Counterculture & Blessings in The Beatitudes (Ep 117)

Introduction and Welcome

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Jason: Thank you for listening, and welcome to the podcast. I am your host, Jason McConnell. What if I told you that Jesus's most famous sermon begins with a list that seems well a bit backwards? Not blessed are the wealthy or the confident or the religious. Instead, he says, blessed are the poor in spirit. On a quiet hillside in Galilee, the son of God looks out over a crowd filled with the tired, the oppressed, the spiritually hungry, and he starts a revolution, not with a sword.

But with a blessing. Now, these aren't just nice things that he says. They're radical invitations. You see, Jesus is flipping the world's values completely upside down, or maybe he's turning them right side up. In this episode of Kingdom Living, we're gonna dive into what are known as the Beatitudes eight Shocking Soul shaping declarations from Matthew five verses one through 12.

We'll explore why each blessing is more than just encouragement. It's a portrait of who belongs in the Kingdom of heaven. Grab your Bible, open your heart, and let's journey up to the mountainside with Jesus.

Understanding 'Blessed'

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Jason: So this word beatitude, sounds a bit churchy like a term reserved for Sunday school or something that should be embroidered on a wall, but its roots are a bit more profound than that.

It comes from the Latin word beis. Uh, in Greek it's makarios, which means blessed or happy. In the Bible, happiness or or being blessed doesn't really look the same as it does in the world's view in our culture. Blessed is often maybe nothing more than a hashtag. Hashtag Blessed because of a promotion.

Hashtag. Blessed. We're on this great vacation. I have a healthy family or successful project. I hashtag Blessed, hashtag Blessed. And while those are certainly good gifts, it's not really what Jesus is talking about here. Instead the Beatitudes describe the kind of person who is truly blessed in the eyes of God, not necessarily in the eyes of man.

Now, these blessings are not transactional. They're not rewards for any sort of performance. They're descriptions of kingdom character, hard attitudes of those who truly belong to the kingdom of heaven.

Setting the Scene: Jesus' Sermon

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Jason: But let's begin where Jesus began in Matthew five verses one and two. It sets the stage. Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the mountainside and sat down.

His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. This moment is significant. Jesus didn't pace back and forth in front of the crowd like a, a philosopher or raise his voice like a street preacher. He sat down. This is a posture of authority for Jewish teachers. And his audience. It was both the disciples who were already following him and the crowds, many of whom were curious, desperate, or even spiritually hungry.

Now, speaking of this crowd, it kind of goes back to Matthew four, verse 25, which described crowds of people from, from Galilee, from Decaps, or the 10 cities from Jerusalem, Judea, and the region across the Jordan, and understand Jesus was speaking to people under Roman occupation. Oppressed spiritually dry longing for hope.

And instead of giving them a battle plan, plan or a political strategy, he starts with a series of statements that kind of turns the world's expectation upside down. And again, I wanna emphasize that the beatitudes aren't commandments. They're not even promises in a way that typically we think of them, their declarations.

Pronouncements of what life looks like when someone is walking in step with the kingdom of heaven. And here's what's radical. Many of these descriptions are connected to things that we often see as weakness, sorrow, humility, hunger, even persecution, things we typically avoid, not things we chase.

The Beatitudes Explained

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Jason: Yet, Jesus says that these people, the those who are poor in spirit, who mourn, who hunger for righteousness, those are the ones who are truly blessed.

Psalm one verse one gives us a foundation for this type of blessedness. It says, blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mocks. Now, the Hebrew word for blessed in this passage is, is Escher. Uh, and I'm not sure I'm saying that right, but it's a form of Asher meaning to be straight or to be right.

So blessedness biblically speaking, is often tied to living right or straight with God, or in other words, in alignment with God. It's not about doing the right things. It's about rocking, walking in the right direction. It's about heart, posture, not status, and it's not always comfortable. Romans five, verses three through six reminds us that even suffering can be part of the shaping process.

Not only so, but we also glory in our suffering because we know that suffering produces perseverance. Perseverance, character and character. Hope and hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. You see at just the right time when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.

When we face suffering in our lives, God uses this to shape us. He knows how much we can take and it's on us to trust him, to get us through it. But, but if we're not rooted in God and our faith, suffering will amplify the worst of us. Martin Luther wrote the following on this. Whatever virtues, tribulations find us in it develops more fully.

If anyone is carnal, weak, blind, wicked, I, erasable, haughty, and so forth, tribulation will make him more carnal, weak, blind, wicked, and irritable. On the other hand, if one is spiritual, strong, wise, pious, gentle and humble, he will become more spiritual, powerful, wise, pious, gentle, and humble. Basically, when Jesus begins his most important sermon with these statements of blessing, he isn't offering self-help slogans, he's laying a foundation for the kingdom that defies earthly logic.

One where lowly people are lifted up. Where? Where inner humility matters more than outer success, and where being aligned with God is the highest form of happiness. Or maybe fulfillment is better a word than happiness. The Beatitudes invite us to imagine a world governed, not by pride or performance, but by grace and transformation.

They show us what it means to belong to the kingdom, what kind of people we are called to be, not what we must do to earn our place. And as we unpack each of these beatitudes, keep this in mind. The blessings Jesus pronounces aren't achievements. They're descriptions of the kind of heart that flourishes under his reign.

This is not just Jesus giving a new list of rules. He's describing what it looks like to live in alignment with heaven's values, and that's good news for us today.

Living the Beatitudes

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Jason: So let's walk through each of these blessings in Matthew five verses three through 12, and discover the beauty of this kingdom counterculture, starting with Matthew five verse three.

Blessed on the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. To be poor in spirit is to recognize your spiritual bankruptcy. And it's not about low self-esteem, it's, it's a humble dependence. It's about recognizing and confessing our sins and rebellious ways. Think of this, in a world that applaud self-sufficiency, Jesus calls those who need him.

Blessed. Isaiah 57 15 tells us I live in a high and holy place, but also with. The one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, and, and Jesus illustrates this quite well in Luke 18 verses nine through 14 with the Pharisee and the tax collector who, who go up to the temple to pray. The Pharisee boasts and, and thanks God that he wasn't like the tax collector, whereas the tax collector simply cried out, God have mercy on me a sinner.

That man that the tax collector Jesus said he went home justified before God. In other words, being poor in spirit simply means we recognize that we have no spiritual assets of our own and, and it's no accident that this is the first blessing because we always wanna start with God. This can be a starting point for everyone.

In fact, Spurgeon wrote not what I have, but what I have not is the first point of contact between my soul and God. The kingdom of heaven is not given based on race, merit, zeal. Prowess wealth or any other worldly attribute, those who are poor in spirit are the ones who receive the kingdom of heaven. So we move on to Matthew five, verse four.

Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. And this isn't about grief over loss, it's it's about mourning over sin and the world's brokenness. When we truly see the damage sin causes to us, to others, to God's heart, it, it shouldn't move us to sorrow. This isn't casual sorrow either. It's intense mourning, but, but this kind of mourning leads to repentance, which leads to salvation and hope.

Second Corinthians seven, verse 10 tells us Godly sorrows brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regrets. And Isaiah six verses, or sorry, Isaiah 61, verses one and two reminds us that the Messiah came to bind the brokenhearted to comfort of who mourned. In the kingdom, sorrow isn't wasted.

It's the soil of comfort and transformation. This grief is a fellowship with Jesus. In Philippians three verse 10, it tells us, I wanna know Christ yes. To know the power of his resurrection and participation and suffering become like him in his death are becoming like him in his death. Those who mourn over their sin, over the brokenness of this world, over the sinful nature of man.

God promises, comfort, and our grief becomes a path, not a destination. So now we move on to one of my favorites of these blessings. Uh, Matthew Fives five. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth. Meekness isn't weakness. I love that term of phrase, but it's true though. Meekness is strength under control in a culture that praises power and dominance.

Jesus says the earth belongs to the gentle. Meek comes from the Greek word p pros, which means mildness of disposition or gentleness of spirit, and it really has nothing to do with the strength or weakness of, of a person at all. In fact, this word represents kind of a complex balance between power and humility.

eace and prosperity. Proverbs: 1632

Charles Bridges explains it this way. A great conflict and a glorious victory are set out here. The heart is, is a field of battle. All its evil and powerful passions are deadly foes. They must be met and triumphed over in God's strength. The meek trusts God to defend and deliver theologian. Matthew Poole wrote that the meek quote will not be angry unless they can be angry and not sin, nor will be easily provoked by others.

End quote. It reflects a heart that doesn't need to assert itself because it knows who's truly in charge and God. Huh. God will not let his meek ones get the shaft in the end. Uh, next one, Matthew five, six. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. This, this isn't a hunger that Snickers will satisfy.

It's a longing that can never be filled without God. I've experienced this hunger throughout my godless years, the majority of my life. Always seeking something to fill that hunger and never being satisfied even when I do get what I want. You just can't replace God with anything else. Now, there's an interesting passage in David Guzzis commentaries on this.

He wrote, it is good to remember that Jesus said. This in a day to a culture that really knew what it was to be hungry and thirsty. Modern man, at least in the Western world, is often so distant from the basic needs of hunger and thirst that they also find it difficult to hunger and thirst after righteousness.

That's kind of interesting, right. Basically, the majority of us in the western world are well fed of not, not over fed, and we have the luxury of drinking, sports, drinks, and soda. So we're not, we're never really hungry or thirsty and we never really. Experience hunger or thirst. So it's hard for us to understand, or maybe harder for us to recognize is a better way to put it, being hungry and thirsty for righteousness.

But the bottom line is this, kingdom citizens ache for God's justice and holiness. They wanna be sanctified, not just in the world, but in themselves. Psalm 42, 1 verses one and two, captures his thirst as the dear pants for streams of water. So my soul pants for you, my God. John six, verse 35 says, I am the bread of life.

Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. This is a soul level craving and God is promising to satisfy it. Matthew five verse seven. Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy. Now, this is another one that hits home for some people. Uh, uh, especially people of that time because he was speaking to many who have received some form of mercy and they really understood that.

Uh, mercy for those who are weak, poor, those who mourn mercy is about forgiving others and restoring broken relationships. Mercy is about showing compassion to those who are sinful and overall caring for the souls of all men. The kingdom is a place of compassion, not condemnation. Mercy sees pain and moves towards it, not with judgment, but with love.

James two 13 warns, judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment and Micah six verse eight lays it out kind of clear to act justly into love, mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. God is asking three things here. Act justly, basically be fair towards others.

Treat them as you would want to be treated. Love mercy. This isn't showing mercy, but a love for mercy and a love for showing mercy. God joyfully gives us mercy and expects that we reflect that to others. And then walk humbly with your God. Remember who God is. Remember that we should walk humbly before him.

The merciful reflect the very heart of the Father. And you and I can't expect to receive his mercy if we're not willing to show mercy and forgiveness to others. This means having compassion for the suffering and sins of others, and those who show mercy will receive mercy from God. Matthew five verse eight.

Blessed are the pure in spirit, in heart, for they will see God. Now understand purity here isn't about perfection. In ancient Greek, the idea of a pure heart, quote unquote, pure heart or pure and hard represents honesty and clarity. So this is about undivided loyalty, a heart that once God above all else, and Spurgeon wrote on this, he said Christ was dealing with men's spirits.

With their inner and spiritual nature. He did this more or less in all the beatitudes, and this one strikes the very center of the target. As he says, not blessed are the pure in language or are the pure in action. Much less blessed are the pure in ceremonies or in arraignment or in food, but blessed are the pure in heart.

Some wisdom right there. Psalm 24, verses three and four asks this question, who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place, the one who has clean hands and a pure heart. And John one, or sorry, first John three. Verses two and three reminds us that everyone who hopes, hopes in Christ purifies themselves as he is pure.

What? What is the reward? Seeing God not just in heaven, but in the clarity and intimacy of the relationship we have with him here and now. A heart pure person can see God in nature, in scripture, in church, family, in neighbors, and, and the list goes on. Being pure in heart fosters a more intimate relationship with God than, than a fear of consequences.

Matthew five verse nine. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God. Peacemaking is more than keeping the peace or even living in peace. I, I know that's wild, right? It's actively restoring what's broken. It's about bringing about peace and this reflects the very mission of Christ.

The order of the last be beatitude in this one that has significance too. Before we can be peace bringers, we have to be pure of heart because bringing a peacemaker, being a peacemaker can never coexist with sin or evil. The devil likes to stir up trouble, but God loves it when his children bring peace in this spiritual war.

Romans 12 verse 18 tells us if it is possible. As far as it depends on you live at peace with everyone. In Colossians one, verses 19 and 20, we're told God made peace through Jesus's blood shed on the cross. Peacemakers don't just avoid conflict. They step into it with grace and truth. We often look at a peacemaker as someone who stands in between two conflicting parties and organizes a resolution.

But sometimes being a peacemaker means you are one of the conflicting parties and you need to be the one to organize the resolution. Sometimes the peacemaker will be mistreated by man, but hold onto the knowledge that you are a child of God. Gotta hold onto that, and Matthew five 10 through 12.

The True Meaning of Blessings

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Jason: Blessed are you.

When people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me, rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven for in the same way that they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Jesus closes the beatitudes with a bit of reality. Kingdom living won't always be rewarded by the world.

In fact, it's more likely to cost us something. Second Timothy three verse 12 tells us. Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ will be persecuted. And one Peter four verse 14 reminds us, if you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed for the spirit of glory and of God rests on you in the kingdom.

Persecution isn't defeat, it's affirmation means you are aligned with the king. Early Christians were falsely accused of a lot of things, uh, cannibalism because they of an obvious misunderstanding of communion. Uh, fanatic Fanta fanaticism because when you believe Jesus will return and bring back the apocalyptic again, and people think that you're a bit of a fanatic, uh, they were accused of treason because they would not honor Roman Gods and refuse to participate in emperor worship.

Uh, they were accused of incest because we often refer to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, and, and yet. Men and women get married within the church. Uh, all sorts of things. Even today, we are accused of being a faith of violence, corruption, superior, uh, superstition, bigotry, homophobia, abuse of women's rights, and sec uh, sectarianism.

If you're openly Christian, you risk being mistreated. There are places in this world where Christians are still persecuted as far as beatings and, and even death. Jesus says, these are blessings because it means we are set apart from the world close to God, and the spirit of glory and of God will rest upon you.

These beatitudes will flip the worldly values upside down, placing humility over pride, mercy over revenge, purity over pretense. This is who we are as citizens of heaven engaged in kingdom living. Let's circle back to this word. Blessed. Uh, as I mentioned earlier, we often look at things. Going our way as blessings, good health, financial success, promotions, peaceful relationships, and, and the list goes on.

We might post a vacation photo with hashtag blessed or say thank God when we get an important promotion at work. And yeah, those are things we can call blessings. But Matthew five, uh, Jesus redefines the word and kind of alters our expectations. In truth, someone who is blessed is favored by God and in a state of spiritual wellbeing.

It's not really about our external circumstances, but about proximity to God. So the blessing Jesus talks about isn't comfort, it's closeness. It's the joy of being near to God, even in painful or difficult circumstances. That's why he can say blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are those who mourn.

Blessed are those who are persecuted. These aren't people our world would normally call hashtag blessed, but Jesus says they are because their hearts are aligned with God's. In Luke six, uh, verse 22 and 23, Jesus challenges our definition of success by saying something kind of radical. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the son of man.

Rejoice in that day and leap for joy because great is your reward in heaven for that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. I mean, that seems a bit much, but when the world shames you because of your faith, heaven applauds you. When you face rejection or hardship for your faith, you're not falling behind.

You're walking the same path as the prophets and the saints before you. And Jesus wants to look beyond the short term validation that we, that we normally look at and focus on internal rewards. Forget about the trophies and the social acceptance and, and look to the approval of the father. That's true Blessing.

The beatitudes describe people who may seem weak or broken on the outside, but are deeply connected to God on the inside because of it. I mean, think about it. The poor in spirit rely on God, not themselves. Those who mourn, grieve, and sin. And long for redemption. The meek must trust God's justice over the their own personal power.

Though those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, ache for God to make things right, the merciful reflect his kindness. The pure in heart chase him with singular devotion. The peacemaker mirrors his reconciliation in his heart. The persecuted stand with Christ no matter the cost. That's who God approves.

Not the strong, the flashy or the self made, but the humble, the hungry, and the Holy Second Corinthians four verses 16 through 18 says it quite beautifully. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly, we are wasting away. Yet inwardly, we are being renewed day by day for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen since what is seen as temporary. But what is unseen is eternal. I mean, that's it right there. True blessing is the invisible stuff to this world. But it's unmistakable to God. Being blessed means our lives probably won't be easy, but it means we have Jesus and walk in step with him.

Those who Jesus calls blessed in Matthew five are the ones who follow Jesus into the places others void, humility, mourning mercy, and even persecution. And when we live like that. We don't just receive blessings, we become a blessing. We carry the aroma of Christ into the A world that is starving for something real.

Conclusion and Reflection

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Jason: Jesus is revealing what the Kingdom of heaven looks like right here, right now. The people the world overlooks, dismisses, or even mocks, those are the one Jesus calls blessed. It's a message that flips everything upside down. These eight powerful statements are windows into the heart of God and the lives of those who belong to him.

They're not about doing more. They're about becoming more like Christ. And I invite you to consider these blessings as you ask yourself, which beatitude challenges you the most? Sit with it, pray on it. Meditate on his word. Let the spirit speak and then live it. Choose to live counter culturally. Until next time, keep loving your neighbors.

Dive into God's word daily and may the Lord bless you and keep you and fill you with his peace. Take care. God bless, and I'll see you in the next episode.

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