The Sermon on the Mount is the first major sermon Jesus gave. Right at the beginning are the Beatitudes. The word "blessed" means "happy." The Beatitudes, therefore, describe paths to happiness. The search for happiness has driven and motivated humankind throughout history. It is thus worthwhile to reflect on what Jesus understands by happiness and what can truly make people happy. In this series, we will examine the individual Beatitudes in more detail.
By Kees de Vreugd, translation by Marie-Louise Weissenböck
The Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew chapters 5-7, is the first of five major sermons given by Jesus. In it, Jesus essentially lays out the constitution of the kingdom. As a teacher, he sits on the mountain and instructs his disciples, while the people who had flocked there from all over the land remain at the foot of the mountain. The situation is similar to that in ancient times when Moses received the Torah on the mountain while the people waited at its base.
The Sermon on the Mount begins with eight Beatitudes. There are actually nine, but the last one directly addresses the disciples ("blessed are you"), setting it apart. This also distinguishes it from the Beatitudes in Luke, which are all direct addresses to the disciples. Luke mentions four Beatitudes (Luke 6:20–22). They appear at the beginning of a discourse Jesus delivered on a plain (v. 17), which is therefore also called the "Sermon on the Plain." Three of these correspond to the Beatitudes in Matthew. One is different: "Blessed are you who weep now..." This brings the total to ten Beatitudes. A beautiful, biblical number, reminiscent, for example, of the Ten Commandments or the ten words God spoke at creation.
What does "blessed" actually mean? For the Greek word "makarios," there are several possible Hebrew words that could be its origin. The most obvious, however, is the word "ashrei," which we know, among other places, from Psalm 1. There, the psalm praises the person who walks in the way of God's commandments and therefore prospers: "Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked... but whose delight is in the law of the Lord." Those who gladly follow God's law, reflect on it, and fill their lives with it, prosper. They feel at peace. One could almost say: Then, circumstances don't matter.
Asher is related to the Hebrew word osher, which means happiness. The name Asher (Asser = happy one, blessed one) is also connected to this. So, "blessed" simply means "happy." The Beatitudes show the path to happiness. Ten times happy, then. Given everyone's search for happiness, this is extremely interesting. That's what we want to explore in this series.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit.” With this, Jesus begins the Beatitudes and, so to speak, sets the tone for the entire series. Who are these people? The expression “poor in spirit” is well-known in the Bible and in Jesus’ time. Some religious groups in Israel described themselves as “poor in spirit.” They suffered not from material, but from spiritual deprivation.
The parallel passage, Luke 6:20, simply states: “Blessed are the poor.” Even those who are materially poor are described as blessed. However, the phrase “poor in spirit” expresses their longing for God. They have nothing of their own to show for themselves and are dependent on God’s coming and intervention. This attitude leads to a magnificent perspective: “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The Dead Sea Scrolls reveal yet another dimension of this poverty. They use phrases like "poor in your redemption" or "poor in grace." These people are poor in themselves, yet simultaneously experience God's redemption and grace. Figuratively speaking, they may be poor, but they possess the spirit of God. Human poverty and divine wealth can coexist. For human poverty is the prerequisite for divine wealth to find its place within people.
A third interpretation is a forward-looking one: While poverty of spirit exists, God will one day change that. Jesus' statement in Luke 4:18 (referring to Isaiah 61:1-3) points in this direction: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor…” The gist: Misery is present, but Jesus will meet it. Poverty of spirit exists, but Jesus will come and satisfy. Unrest exists, but one day Jesus will return and establish his kingdom of peace.
Jesus gives a special promise to the poor in spirit: “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God.” For the poor in spirit, God’s kingdom is already present and perceptible, while those who are self-sufficient pass it by. But their gaze also extends to the future: those who have tasted the kingdom of God long for its visible breakthrough at the end of days. The poor in spirit are those who will one day enter God’s eternal kingdom. This prospect already brings them happiness.
This article first appeared in our newspaper "Israelaktuell," issue 143. You can order the newspaper here . We would also be happy to send you several copies for distribution.
