Week of August 24, 2025
Sermon on the Mount - Week 1 Devotional (Matthew 5:1-16)
Day 1: Matthew 5:1-10
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Christians tend to forget that the story of God doesn’t begin with the brokenness of humanity. It started in Eden with relationships of completion and wholeness - the relationship between divinity and humanity, the interpersonal relationship between man and woman, and the relationship between humanity and the earth were all perfect and whole. Since the fracture that occurred in Genesis 3 God has been working to restore those relationships.
Throughout the beatitudes Jesus uses the Greek word μακάριος/“makarios" to describe the state of each of the groupings of people listed in the beatitudes. This word is translated in the NIV (along with most modern versions) as “blessed.” However, this translation sells short the depth of the term Jesus carefully selected. Some translation experts have linked this word to the restoration of an Eden-like relationship with God. In other words in the same manner he was present with Adam and Eve just after creation, God is with the “poor in spirit, mourners, meek, hungry/thirsty, etc.”
In the Bible Project podcast, the hosts suggest that a slightly different interpretation be applied to makarios - “God’s favor rests upon” in place of the NIV’s “blessed are.” This exposition further deepens the idea that makarios is not a quality to be obtained, rather it is a divine benefit of those whose status is found within this grouping of Scriptures.
The usage of the word makarios by Jesus/Matthew in the beatitudes is intentional. This passage challenges us to consider that God is calling those who are marginalized and rejected and broken back into relationship and favor with Him. If it is difficult for us to consider that God desires relationship with us, this passage reminds us that the kingdom of heaven is at our doorstep in the most vulnerable of times.
Consider:
Read the beatitudes aloud, replacing “Blessed are” with “God’s favor rests upon. In what ways does this change your perspective of the opening of the Sermon on the Mount? How might this perspective deepen your walk in times of difficulty?
In what ways are might you be missing out on intimacy with God? With which of the beatitude(s) can you relate? How can you allow God to strengthen your walk through the promise of his presence in this/these beatitude(s)?
Day 2: The poor in spirit, mourners, meek
The traditional western Christian way of reading the beatitudes involves viewing the list as a set of virtues that should be attained by all Christians, much like Paul’s list of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. In Sunday’s sermon, JT challenged us to consider that the beatitudes actually reveal the places in which we can find God’s unexpected presence. If we take on this outlook, we can discover hope when we find ourselves in the spaces described in Matthew 5:1-12. Let’s use our devotional time today to consider God’s presence among the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
In Luke 6, he writes his version of the sermon on the mount. Instead of identifying the “poor in spirit,” he simply says: “blessed are you who are poor, for yours in the kingdom of God.” If we are to compare these two gospels, we can conclude that either Matthew spiritualizes this group by adding “in spirit” or he draws an assumed conclusion that we fail to make in our modern western culture - that Jesus implied “in spirit” when he said “blessed are the poor.”
In his portion of the Story of God Commentary Scott McKnight describes the Anawim as a “group of economically disadvantaged Jews…(who) had three features: they were economically poor and yet trusted in God, they found their way to the temple as a meeting place, and they longed for the Messiah, who would finally bring justice.” Simeon (Lk. 2:25-35), Anna (Lk. 2:36-38), and Jesus’s mother, Mary, could be considered to be part of the Anawim. The messianic longing among the Anawim is realized as Jesus speaks God’s favor through the promise that the kingdom of heaven would come to the “poor in spirit.”
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
In Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 Solomon reveals that a “house of mourning” is more desirable than a “house of feasting.” His reasoning is that growth comes in times of adversity more readily than in times of good fortune. Don’t ever try to comfort a mourner with this verse when the pain is still new and raw (and the rawness of the pain may never subside). However, those who have felt as though they were drowning in seas of sorrow and have surfaced can appreciate the comforting presence of God in the depths; they can also understand the sorrows that must come as God attempts to bring the kingdom to a resistant world and a messiah to those who reject him. This mourning is not just for loss in this world but it is also a “longing for grace and justice and for kingdom, and at the same time a commitment to faithfulness and hope (McKnight).”
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
Meekness could be the beatitude most important to our current cultural climate. This attitude of meekness is reflected in Matthew 21:5 when Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey signifying his desire for peace in a tumultuous time. He understood that peace would not come if he took Jerusalem by force but only if he submitted himself to the will of the Father. When people are vying for personal, political, and public positioning at every turn, we would do well to remember that Jesus didn’t just call us to be meek, he modeled it when his basic rights were being violated. Jesus reveals that the meek will receive an inheritance of the earth as God blesses people who display strength through acts of peace rather than acts of force.
Consider: As you reflect on these first three beatitudes, which one do you relate to least? What about this beatitude is difficult for you? Which beatitude do you understand most deeply?
Day 3: The hungry & thirsty
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
When discussing this beatitude, we must begin with a good, accurate definition of “righteousness.” I used to believe to be righteous meant that one must successfully avoid sin - don’t drink, don’t cuss, avoid sexual impurity, don’t smoke were the big four in my younger days. But righteousness is more than avoidance of wrong actions; one can be unrighteous through inaction. People can also fail to live up to the call of righteousness through wrong attitude. In fact, righteousness must begin with thinking that aligns with the will and intent of God.
McKnight defines two components of righteousness - behavior and gift. As our behavior lines up with Torah, we fulfill the behavior side. As we accept that true righteousness can only come by the grace of God on the “basis of Christ’s meritorious life, death, and resurrection (McKnight),” we begin to fulfill the gift side.
Later in this teaching, Jesus states: “…Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven (Mt 5:20).” What are we to do with such a bold statement? We must come to the realization that our righteousness is grace-based, but Christ’s call is that we live up to God’s original intent in each of the Laws. The Laws lead us to the heart of God. If we view Torah as a set of boundaries for us to approach rather than understanding them to be insight to deepen our love of God and people, we sorely miss the point.
To complete Jesus’s words in this beatitude only requires that we understand hunger and thirst. If we are hungry and thirsty, we will seek out whatever it will take to sate that feeling of emptiness. The assumption, then, is that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will live their lives in pursuit of righteousness. As we pursue righteousness, we will “find a kingdom society where love, peace, justice, and holiness shape the entirety of creation.”
Consider:
In what ways has your understanding of righteousness developed over the years? How has that helped your faith and understanding of God deepen?
Are you in a season of life in which you feel a hunger and thirst for righteousness? If so, in what ways are you pursuing righteousness? If not, what might be temporarily sating your yearning?
If we are to view righteousness as an accepting of grace that leads to aligning our behavior with kingdom actions rather than following an ancient law book, how might that change our perception of our faith community? of our neighbors, classmates, and co-workers? of ourselves?
Pray for the righteousness of yourself and those around you.
Day 4: The merciful, pure in heart, the peacemakers
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
If you have truly allowed the mercy of God to impact your life, your hesitation to show mercy to others fades. If you hold to the sins of your youth, you likely have a difficult time extending mercy to others, especially in the moments following their acts of indiscretion.
Our world is filled with injustice, and we are confronted at every turn to do our part to help through news reports, social media feeds, GoFundMe campaigns, people holding cardboard signs on the side of the road, the list goes on. Social media has become such an “in your face” part of our world, it’s simple to desensitize ourselves for the sake of self-preservation. However, when opportunities to bring mercy to the doorstep of the oppressed, the merciful partner with God to carry out His will.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
The concern for the praise of other people will corrupt the purest of hearts. Those who are pure in heart reflect Matthew 6:4,18, 22-23, and other passages that convey practices spiritual disciplines so that only your Father in heaven can witness them. The pure in heart seek an eternal reward find their greatest satisfaction in a connection with God. The reward of such people is recorded in 1 John 3:2 they “shall see Him as He is.”
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Peacemakers understand the shalom of God, as they have found peace with Him through Christ, know He is the restorer of peace, and seek to be vessels of reconciliation in all circumstances. In a culture of volatility and strife, peacemakers are more difficult to find that they once were. It has become quite popular to be a critic, pot-stirrer, and a vocal opponent to all things mainstream, and many in our world wear as a badge of honor their stance as oppositionist. While circumstances arise in which it is proper for us to stand in opposition to fight for mercy, picking fights for the sake of engaging in argumentation is usually not a mark of a child of God.
It is important to remember that “peacemaking is neither being ‘nice’ (as defined today), not is it “tolerance” (again as defined today); rather it is an active entrance into the middle of warring parties for the purpose of creating reconciliation and peace (McKnight).” Peacemakers bring out the love of others that allows us to transcend our differences and come to a place of compromise. As McKnight says, the pivotal question for the peacemaking follower of Christ can be: “What does it mean to follow Jesus in this concrete situation?”
Consider:
Can you think of a recent time in which you have displayed mercy to another person? In what ways did you experience God’s mercy reflected back to you in that moment?
Read Matthew 6:1-4 or 6:16-18 or 6:19-21. In what ways do you believe God will reward those who give benevolently, fast, pray, or take part in other spiritual disciplines secretly?
Do you recognize the tension in a culture that is divided on many fronts? What division in today’s world is most concerning to you? In what ways do you believe God might use you to bring peace in this area?
Day 5: The persecuted
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely speak 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 they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Jesus expands the definition of the persecuted further than any of the seven other beatitudes, and he defines them as “those who seek God’s will in spite of what others want (McKnight).” The connection he makes between the persecuted prophets and God’s persecuted of the first century (and any other time, for that matter) is striking. There is reward found in connection with Christ and the prophets of old when we suffer persecution. My mind immediately goes to the divine-centered reaction of the leaders of the early church in the book of Acts (4:1-22, 5:17-42, 6:8-7:60 just to name a few). When they faced persecution they sometimes sang, sometimes prayed, sometimes mourned, sometimes celebrated, but always continued spreading the message of the gospel. They did indeed keep their eyes on the reward.
“You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world…”
Salt is used in today’s western homes mostly as a means of seasoning. In the first century world, it was used as both seasoning and as a means to preserve foods. If we apply both metaphors to our role in this world as followers of Christ, it would help us live out our calling - both as those who bring proper seasoning to this world and those who preserve the goodness of this world.
The two light images (city on a hill, lamp stand in a house) Jesus gives us bring out both the broad and intimate influence we can have on the world around us. The call for us to use our light as it was intended is both unquestionable and undeniably challenging. If we are to be salt and light, we must live out the call Christ has set forth. This is much more manageable when we understand that God does not call us to do so perfectly but with a mindset of grace for others and for ourselves. Be salt and be light, even in the times when you fall short.
Consider:
Have you ever faced times of persecution? Did it shake your desire to share your faith? Did you feel a connection with Christ and the prophets? How might you be called to help those who face constant and consistent persecution?
In what ways have you been salt and light over the past week? What can you do in the next 2-3 days to live out your call to be salt and light?
The call to live out Matthew 5:13-16 will sometimes lead to the fulfillment of Matthew 5:10-12. Pray that God will prepare you for the times that your influence as a believer will lead to persecution.