Matthew 5:1-12 The Blessed continued CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
During Jesus’ ministry, he preached to the Jews their gospel of the kingdom, Matt 4:23. Matthew 5 through Matthew 7 is Jesus’ teaching on their conduct under this gospel. He was not preaching to Christians. While there is no real doctrinal application to Christians in these chapters, you will find some spiritual application. But the doctrine is all Jewish, pertaining to the gospel of the kingdom. Here he continues his preaching on the blessed.
According to the King of the Jews, the blessed are:
1. Pure in heart
In Psalm 24:3-4, David shows that a man in the Old Testament had to have a pure heart to ascend into the hill of the LORD. Hebrews 12:14 shows you that it takes holiness to see the Lord. A blessed disciple who was pure in heart would have been keeping himself pure if he wanted to see his King, just as Christians are to keep themselves pure while we wait for our Saviour, 1 John 3: 1-3. The pure in heart therefore will see God.
By contrast, the Pharisees were not pure in heart. Their hearts looked like Mark 7:20-23; they were filled with all kinds of vile sin that was manifested in their actions. Therefore they will not see God, except in Revelation 1:7.
2. Peacemakers
Matthew 5:39-42 shows you that Jesus expected his disciples to turn the other cheek. The blessed disciple would not fight until his King said so. In John 18: 36, Jesus told Pilate that his disciples wouldn’t fight. He won’t fight until Revelation 19:11-16. Until then, the peacemakers under the law are the children of God (notice that this is not New Testament salvation).
By contrast, the Pharisees were violent, John 7:25; John 10:31. Therefore, they were not the children of God since they tried to kill Jesus. Because of Matthew 26:52, they died by the sword under Titus in 70 AD.
3. Persecuted
When Jesus came, his blessed disciples were rejected even by their families. Jesus Christ warned them of this in Matthew 10:34. Thus, in John 9:33-34, the blind man was cast out of the synagogue for professing Jesus Christ. The blessed who were persecuted like this will receive the kingdom of heaven. Like Jesus said, “he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it,” (Matthew 10: 39). And they were to rejoice in the persecution since their reward was so high.
Since the Pharisees did the persecuting (Matthew 23:34-35) they lost the kingdom of heaven and will receive no reward. Instead of rejoicing and being exceeding glad like those they persecuted, their worst nightmare came true with the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Matthew 27:62-66; Matthew 28:11-15).