Matthew 5:1-12

The Beatitudes

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Matthew 5:1-12 · 12 verses

Matthew 5:1-12

1And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. falsely: Gr. lying

12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

On a mountainside in Galilee, Jesus sat down — the posture of a teacher with authority — and opened the greatest sermon ever preached with a list of blessings no one expected. Not blessed are the powerful, the prosperous, the pure of pedigree. Blessed are the poor in spirit. The mourning. The meek. Those who are hungry for righteousness rather than full of themselves. The merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted. Each beatitude pairs a posture of the soul with a promise from God — and every pair upends the world's ranking. Mary had sung something like this at the Annunciation: He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. Now her Son sits on the hillside and names the exalted ones. They look like the last people on earth anyone would call blessed. That is the point. These are the citizens of the kingdom of heaven, described from the inside by its King.