The world assumes, speaking very generally, that the discourse known as the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. chaps. 5-7) was a code of conduct given to all men to observe, and at the same time not infrequently assert that it is an impractical and impossible one. The writer remembers discussing the teaching of the Master with a Jew who was widely read, and obviously familiar with this address. Quite emphatically, he stated that he had yet to meet anyone who even remotely approximated the ideals laid down in this most important address given by Christ.
These, and other points of view held by many of the Christian denominations of the world, are a very real challenge to those who, like ourselves, consider the Lord’s teaching of paramount importance.
First of all, it is quite evident that the discourse was not intended for general use. It was only for those who had separated themselves from former associations, and were to share the Master’s trials and temptations in the coming months.
“And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and when he was set, his disciples came unto him ; and he opened his mouth and taught them.” We are deeply privileged, through the record, to participate in a very intimate discourse by Jesus to a group of men and women, who were, by world standards, impractical. They had left all, and followed him.
To what extent are these sayings of Jesus practical, or otherwise, in a modern world in which we are forced to make a living? Our Lord, of course, recognised that there were practical problems involved in applying his teaching to everyday life. His concern with this is evident in his talks to his disciples, and his inspired Apostles later, were to fill in the gaps with their valuable instruction to the organized ecclesias. But always, spiritual principles were foremost in Christ’s advice to his disciples.
The history of the Christian Era is tragic witness to the fact that, when men and women try to bring down the Master’s teaching to a practical level of negative and positive rules, spirituality dies. It is regarded as almost axiomatic that, when ceremony and tradition become supreme, then moral and spiritual values cease to exist.
It is vital to our continuance, as a bright light stand of high moral and spiritual values, that the teaching of the Master in the “Sermon on the Mount,” particularly the first 15 verses of Matt. 5, be our constant ideal. How striking it is that our Lord put at the forefront of his teaching the spiritual principles enumerated there.
This is a description of the perfect man of God; or perhaps it is safe to say that it is an outline of the character of the Master Himself.
There are quite singular aspects to this message. We note at once that there is no positive Commandment here at all. He does not say, “I command you to be meek,” or command you to be merciful.” These are qualities of mind and heart.
There is mourning and persecution, yet the subject is a “happy” person. That is the significance of the word “blessed.”
We should also remember that this is not a series of blessings to seven different people, or that the seven characteristics are necessarily present all at once. There is development in the Master’s theme, from the contrite humble beginning, to the bringing in of the fruits of righteousness, peace, and the wonderful promise that such an one would be a “Son of God.”
These principles are beautifully arranged. The first three simply describe a mental attitude: the last three, the fruits of that attitude toward God. These pivot around the one most positive and vigorous principle—that the desire for righteousness is as demanding as physical hunger and thirst. The first three might form a parallel with the greatest commandment “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, with all thy mind and with all thy strength.” And the last three, a parallel with the second great commandment, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
Of all the principles, however, the first is the most important. “Blessed are the poor in Spirit.” This statement is the very core of Christ’s life and teaching. The word translated “poor” implies someone completely destitute, yet it is not intended that we should think a life of poverty in material things is necessarily blessed, or that there is merit in poverty. On the contrary, this can be due to indifference and laziness.
The source of our Lord’s thought was the Psalms and the Prophets. In Psalm 69, and Isaiah 66, we find the term poor used in conjunction with humility and contrition of heart. In effect, Jesus is saying to us that blessed, indeed, is the man who comes to God, destitute of human pretence, of ambition, of self-esteem—poor, as it were, in terms of human values.
Only one man has achieved this ideal to perfection. Of this man Paul speaks in Philemon 2: “Have this mind among yourselves, which you have in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself. Over the long ages of Christianity men have sometimes made a difficult and involved thing out of Christ’s sacrifice, but here it emerges in its utter simplicity”. There is another example in Heb. 9:26, “As it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.”
In such a mind there will be mourning. Not entirely mourning over the strife and contention around us and the indifference to Divine Law by a materialistic world, but also at the sharp and bitter conflict within ourselves—between the “mind of the flesh” and the “mind of the Spirit.” A conflict which caused Paul to exclaim in desperation “0 wretched man that I am, who can deliver me from this body of death,” Yet, with unmeasured joy, he could say also, “I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” “Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted.”
“Blessed are the meek.” The English word meek is not quite adequate to express the full thought intended. There is the suggestion in the Greek word Praus of a receptive mind, one who is teachable. It is James who advises us to “receive with meekness the implanted word” (James 1 :21). And in the third chapter of this epistle, he says, “The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits.”
We are reminded of the Lord’s saying, “Except ye be as little children.” Such a man, opening his mind with complete selflessness to the inflowing of the Divine teaching, like a flower opening to the rays of the sun, will reflect, in a measure, to all about him, in or cut of the Truth, worthy or unworthy, the grace he has received from the Eternal Father without measure.
“Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.” An elaboration of this thought, and an indication of the measure by which we should mete out this grace, is given by Jesus and recorded by Luke 6:35,36. “Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great. And you will be the Sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful, and the selfish. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”
From this we move to pureness of heart—clean, clear, like a mirror reflecting God-likeness and finally blessing to the peacemakers. Sometimes we apply this term to those who strive with great sincerity to solve the conflicts between men, or equally sincerely, to heal a breach between brethren; but there is a deeper thought. The very effect of the elimination of self and the bringing of our minds into harmony with the Divine, is to quell our inner conflicts and bring the “peace that passeth knowledge.”
The very effect of reflecting qualities of grace received from the Father is to make peace, by resolving our conflicts with others. The Apostle James, remembering vividly, no doubt, the gracious words that poured from the mouth of the Master, pinpoints the cause of strife and contention and its cure in his epistle (James 3:13).
To those who reach, possibly only in part, the exalted ideal here sketched by Jesus, the promise has a very real application– “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This is distinct from the kingdom yet to be revealed. It is of this realm of heart and mind than Paul speaks so eloquently in his letter to the Ephesians 2:4, “But God who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Such are those who are the light of the world, a lamp in a dark place, bringing the radiance of the character of Christ into the dark places of the world.
This is our ideal. It is like a star, beautiful as we gaze upon it, seemingly beyond our reach. But we must never try to reduce it to our level, it is something to reach for and, by God’s grace, attain. “My strength is made perfect in weakness” was his saying to Paul, we can be clothed upon with his righteousness ; attain an exalted relationship with the Father and the Son today, and experience glory in the age to come.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One