Where Are We (And What Are We Doing In This Handbasket)?
Someone once said that the one doctrine of Christianity that can be proved by objective observation is that of original sin. Another person said that he became a Christian because he became convinced of the reality of evil.
Given the state of the world, it seems unfortunate that true alternatives seem so few and far between. Individual attempts to “defect” from the norm are often costly. Most people follow the wide road that leads to destruction, not believing that the narrow road to life is a genuine alternative.
The good news of the beatitudes is that there is a genuine alternative. What is more, this alternative is God’s alternative — revealed and empowered by him. It is profoundly unrealistic, which I argue is a necessary characteristic of any real alternative to the way things are. But being unrealistic does not mean that it is a fantasy. It is, in fact, more permanently real than the reality that the world is based on.
Present Blessing
Each of the beatitudes has (implicitly) a present-tense verb. That is, each speaks of the present reality of blessing. This is important because a common criticism of Christianity is that it consists of “pie in the sky when you die.” This is similar to the notion of religion as the opium of the people, helping them to endure oppression by focusing their attention on the benefits they will obtain in a future life. (Ironically, one observes that Marx, who made this statement, talked about an eschatological communism that would come about after the state “withered away.” One humorous comment on this goes as follows: “They say that communism is just over the horizon. What is a horizon? Reply: A horizon is an imaginary line that constantly recedes as you approach it.”)
But the beatitudes speak of present blessings as follows:
Poor in Spirit — Belonging
Someone who is poor in spirit is blessed because, though the world may reject him, God wants him and gives him a kingdom. While the world may see him as a loser, he belongs to something far greater than anything the world can offer.
Relational Loss — Comfort
The promise of comfort to those who mourn means that we can take the risk of loving. Relationships in this life carry with them the risk of loss and consequent pain. But that pain is met by a deeper comfort and is thus bearable.
Meek — No Need to Fight
A meek person is free from the need to fight and win in order to survive. Because he will inherit the earth (this probably corresponds to land in Hebrew) he will have a place to stand and be.
This strikingly contradicts the worldly notion that you have to stand up for yourself, and if you do not fight for yourself nobody else will. God’s ultimate vindication of the meek means that we can do the things that foster relationships without worrying about our rights. We act from a position of strength and can afford to be magnanimous.
Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness — No Need to be Right
Someone who hungers and thirsts after righteousness has come to the end of himself. He does not find righteousness in himself; he has declared moral bankruptcy.
For most people this is hard; our psychological makeup seems to demand that we think of ourselves as in the right. And we will go through amazing mental gymnastics to establish that rightness.
But when we are able to admit our simultaneous need for righteousness and our complete lack, we can accept a righteousness that comes from another — from God.
This means that we can abandon our need to establish our own rightness in relationships. We can also let go of our need to prove that the other party is wrong in a conflict. Instead, we can, again, seek that outcome that fosters the relationship. We can love, even to our own cost, because we are not trying to prove anything.
At the same time, we know that our righteousness before God is unshakable, because God himself has made us righteous.
Merciful — No Need to Destroy or Be Destroyed
The world seems to believe that enemies must be destroyed. An enemy who is spared is an enemy who might come back and destroy you.
This need to destroy or be destroyed creates the need to win every battle. But that is impossible — eventually time itself conquers us and someone else takes our crown. Thus the world’s view is ultimately one of despair.
A merciful person can spare and even help his enemy. Assured that he himself will be given mercy when he needs it, he can break the cycle of violence that makes relationships impossible. This opens the door to the ultimate victory — to make your enemy into a friend.
Pure in Heart — No Need to “Grab for the Gusto”
Someone who is pure in heart is focused on the one thing that matters. As a result, he does not need to be afraid of missing out in this life. Because he is promised the ultimate experience — to see God — he can let go of anything lesser, knowing that it does not matter. Like someone on a quest, he can focus on the goal without worrying about what may go by the board along the way.
Peacemakers — Fulfilling God’s Agenda
A peacemaker has the joy of bringing God’s shalom to a situation. As such he becomes identified with God’s agenda to such a degree that he is called a child of God.
In some sense peacemaking is the outcome of the rest of the beatitudes. Knowing you belong; being able to take risks relationally; not needing to win; not needing to be right; not needing to destroy enemies; not focusing on anything but the kingdom of God — all these things make peacemaking possible, because through them we become committed to relationships while not needing to win on our own behalf.
Persecuted for Righteousness — But Belonging
As with the one who is poor in spirit, the one who is persecuted for righteousness’ sake is rejected by the world. But the present reality for a person who refuses to conform to this world out of a desire to take up God’s agenda is one of belonging. And God promises that one who seeks first his kingdom and his righteousness will be spared the need to chase after the things of this world.
Conclusion
The beatitudes, along with the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, may seem unrealistic. But that very sense of unreality is a strong argument that they are a real alternative to the assumptions and traps that the world is caught in.
The beatitudes are not a set of commandments or demands. Even from a grammatical perspective they are presented in the indicative mood — as descriptions. In this way they describe God’s values — the things he cares about. And thus they become good news because they express possibilities. Because God affirms these things, you can get away with living like this. And that is blessedness.
Thanks for this summary!! I love that phrase “no need” that you keep using. And I think the theme that comes out from all of your descriptions of the blessings is these blessed people are in a unique state of worldly lack—and so they are open to the otherworldly. God fills the space of their lack with his presence, which shows itself in comfort, in righteousness, in security, in belonging. The people who the world has cast out are open to God.
Makes me want to do this passage with my high school small group! 😀