The Beatitudes
Judith Quitoriano D.D.
St. Elias School of Orthodox Theology
1. INTRODUCTION
To examine the message of the Beatitude we must say something about the messengers.
From earliest times in the history of Israel, people had expectation of blessings by God.
Jesus' ministry did not meet the expectations of Israel. Many did not recognize him because he was not a military leader to restore Israel to power in the world. He walked with the poor and lowly and he healed them. He taught in the synagogues and was called Rabbi or Teacher.
He was not here to affirm the legalism of the Pharisees. Instead he emphasized the importance
of faith in God and charity toward all.
In accordance with his Father's will, Jesus chose not only to live among the poor,
the suffering and sinners, but to be wholly dedicated to them and identified with them.
His joy is in healing the sick, freeing the oppressed, proclaiming the Good News to the poor,
for he came not for his own glory or to do his own will but to glorify the Father and to reveal
the kingdom of God. Therefore, the Father gave him a name above all names. He is called
Lord because he is a servant of all."1
The Beatitudes according to the Gospel of Matthew were recorded many years after Jesus had risen.
When Matthew brought together the various sources, writing and traditions that became his Gospel as we know it today, he was trying to bring hope to his community, which had lost perspective about its identity and purpose.2
The Church was changing. The message had gone far beyond the countryside of Galilee and into an urban and affluent society of gentiles.
Matthew's community experienced upheaval and change in its understanding of religious experience, of the nature of the Church and its authority, and of the credibility of Christ's presence in the Church in various cultures . . . The majority probably did not know what to think or how to act. All they knew for sure was that God was not with them in the way they once thought and experienced.3
Although the beatitudes were originally intended as 'messianic proclamations' and did not indicate virtues to be practiced, Matthew now stresses the internal disposition . . . a certain mentality, a moral disposition it expresses a necessary condition for participation in the promise of salvation. Those referred to are no longer people paradoxically privileged. Nevertheless, virtuous people who commit themselves morally: in other words, Matthew has transformed a negative life situation into positive attitudes. In Matthew, the beatitudes have become a description of the virtues which the Christian should practice . . . The beatitudes are an almost complete list of virtues.4
Jesus preached the Good News to all. He came to fulfill the Father's will and humbly offered himself to the people. His teaching was with authority and the poor recognized him for this.
In the Beatitudes, Matthew's Jesus offered a new moral code. The Beatitudes extolled virtue. Though they don't mention sin, he gave them to sinners to affirm positively the virtuous life. The virtue was something to strive for and yet never quite attain, for Christ is the example of perfect Beatitude.
Matthew's Gospel offers a redaction which would equip the Church for the future. The Gospel offered hope among all people. The image of Jesus, which Matthew's community needed, promised links with the past, in the Jewish heritage, and a message for a diverse and changing people. He pulled from Christ's message, things which would unify a more diverse and more comfortable following, so that they too, would acknowledge the radical message of Jesus
2. Blessed are the Poor in Spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
...Before we start speaking of the 'poor in spirit' . . . almost all biblical scholars agree that Jesus, too, was addressing the materially poor, and the phrase 'in spirit' was added by Matthew.5
Christ accepted and ministered to the poor and lowly. He went out of his way for them and treated them with compassion. His love and teaching urges his disciples to allow others to impose.
In Matthew the meaning becomes more intrinsic. One setting sights on the blessings of God is more necessary than worldly possessions. Matthew also urges his followers to take lightly preconceived attitudes. Often the apostles did not understand what Jesus was doing. They had their ideas which were in the Jewish tradition. They could not recognize Christ's true message.
Matthew was stressing the need for God in the life of the early Church. That is why he added 'in spirit.' The gifts of life are simply gifts, they are not possessions which one accumulates. Instead God wants a humble heart that professes gratitude. That sort of humility does away with expectations and relies on God for nurturing.
It is on Faith that they base the relationship with God. Possessions of a spiritual or temporal sort eliminate reliance on God.
"He must learn to deny himself for love, not hatred and the effort to place himself under the law of poverty."6 They promise people with such faith that they can overcome obstacles. They keep difficulties in perspective. It allows a simplicity of life that reaches to God.
In the exegesis on the beatitude one again recognizes that an attitude and faith dependant on God will cause the blessings which God shares from his self-giving love. God wants a response of love from his creation.
In secular Greek, the term 'poor' (ptochos) means materially destitute . . . Hebrew equivalents ebion and ani can have several meanings. Firstly, they can mean 'poor' in the sense of destitute . . . Secondly, it may mean people who are downtrodden and oppressed because of their poverty . . . Thirdly, the poor and oppressed have no power, no prestige . . . There remains only God, and because of their situation God shows special attention to the poor and decides to bring glad tidings to the poor. Subordinately, therefore, ptochos and its Hebrew equivalents come to describe people, who, because they have nobody on earth to defend their rights, have put their confidence in God. Moreover the Hebrew Language frequently spiritualizes a physical or material quality by means of the addition of the words 'spirit' or 'heart' to an adjective.7
They promise those who depend on God this blessing so that things never supercede the need for God. God wants to shower his children with favor. He opens his heart to the faithful and takes the compassion to be involved in their dilemmas. With such faith and reliance on God, one is never destitute. Difficulties are more manageable and they readily share resources. Such followers share the bounty of the blessing, whether materially or spiritually. This generosity extends the ripple of love through humanity like the pebble in the pool, reaching an ever-widening circle.
The law of poverty of the spirit is the keynote of the spiritual life. It is the first step that leads to the blessings promised by our Lord.8
3. Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted.
In the Bible, the Greek word Penhein is used for mourning the dead (Gen 23:2), national catastrophe (Isa 3:26) and fear of divine punishment (Amos 5:16). Nevertheless, mourning may also be the result of oppression (I Macc 1:25-27: 2:24, 39). The term is often associated with weeping . . . Jesus did not intend to call a simple spiritual disposition blessed...He announced the eschatological counterpart of authentic human suffering, whatever its origin might be: unconditional messianic comfort...Where he (Jesus) passes mourning changes into joy...Jesus shows an uncompromising solidarity with outcasts and all those who in one way or another are victims of discrimination...they call those who mourn blessed, not because of their mourning of course, but because 'They shall be comforted'...their situation will change and because their tears will be wiped away.9
Jesus is present to those in sorrow. He doesn't turn away but allows the imposition. His compassion and comfort are present to all those in sorrow.
In proclaiming the virtue of this beatitude, we too, are called to be present to sorrow, whether others or our own.
The measure of our capacity to open ourselves to blessed sorrow is our readiness to bear one another's burden. To sorrow for others' unhappiness or distress is easy enough express, but it is a kind of lie to express compassion if we are unwilling to suffer with them and for them.10
Presence, whether a listening ear or a help, is a grace which calls us beyond ourselves and our personal comfort zones. It fulfills the scriptural message by walking into difficulties with hope. Such a message allows movement and growth. It is the antithesis of despair and frustration. It is the promise that life will continue and that suffering is a temporary state.
Such suffering offers the promise of the compassion of Christ. "To live is to suffer," as the Buddhists say. Yet, this is not bound in a stoic philosophy, instead it is a promise of unity with God.
...For us this mourning will be a blessing in disguise, for through it God will call us.'
By comfort the bible means the presence of God, which is the end of all mourning.11
4. Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.
The Hebrew word anawim may be translated in Greek as 'poor' as well as 'meek, gentle.' In favor of the second place is the parallelism: to the poor belong the kingdom of heaven--the meek will inherit the earth. (I.e., the land in Greek ge). In the New Testament the word 'meek' is (praus) is found three more times ... (It is devoid of all sociological and economic nuances.) It expresses an ideal which Jesus is the unmistakable model ... It should be admitted that it fits perfectly into the spiritualized character of his redaction and allows him to reinforce the moral importance of the beatitude of the poor . . . The meek are people who have surrendered themselves completely to God. They have broken through the narrow circle of their own wishes and dreams and have opened their hearts to the dream of the kingdom of God to come . . . They have entered God's service. The beatitude demands a great readiness and creative commitment to a future which God wants to realize through men. The meek are all intent on service to their fellow-men...they do not fight to obtain a better situation . . . They are confident that to inherit the land they should be meek, and convince that violence is a way that does not lead to the land which God promises.12
Meek does not have the meaning of lowly. Instead, it is a mental attitude in which one does not violently force an opinion. Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. were meek. They advocated justice through a correct attitude of nonviolence. The changes they induced were not from weakness. They showed courage and faith which transcend injustice.
Submission to God’s will allowed them to lead rather than follow. Their example allowed them to persevere, with dignity, in areas that never they could foresee. Whether it is to lead or to serve, the meek stand bravely against injustice, without violence.
Meekness is the interior attitude which relies on God for a place on this earth. It is submitting personal will to God’s will. Such an attitude allows one to stand firmly within that belief.
The promise is that the meek will inherit the earth. Within such a framework, individuals don’t have to worry about their place in the world because God will make their place for them. They simply have to open their lives to God and he will make a path for them.
Jesus again shows the perfect way to such a course. He submitted himself to do the Father’s will . Yes, such a way called him to lay down his life. The grace to lay down one’s will, even to the point of death, is no small task. Facing such adversity points to the true message of death and resurrection. It is through such grace that our way, in God, is fulfilled.
This attitude runs counter to human nature. Becoming angry about oversights and annoyances is human. Wanting a self-preservation is natural. Such an attitude forces us to focus on the Holy, through virtue. It is through the beatitude that we can surrender ourselves and our world to the greater glory of God.
5. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied.
Matthew amplified the text under the influence of the traditional pair hunger-thirst , as found e.g., in Isa 49:10 and Isa 32:6 . . . Matthew adds the object of their hunger, righteousness. Righteousness refers here to God’s saving will . . . As expressions of his faithfulness to the covenant people. He also allays the hunger of those who place their hope in the justice of the covenant. This emphasis can be understood only on the level of Matthew’s composition and his concern for ethical response to the initial messianic proclamation.13
It is as Augustine articulated, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” To be righteous we must fulfill God’s will. This is the correct way of living. It does take discernment and prayer to fulfill God’s will.
In the covenant, God wanted Israel to have faith and respond in love. Righteousness is not self-righteous. It is choosing God in our lives above all else. It is in our surrendering to God rather than sin and idolatry. It is thinking of Christ’s teachings in all situations of our lives. Israel missed the mark repeatedly. All people fail to follow this call at times.
Following this path is not a simple task. It is counter-cultural and subject to external influences and difficulties in life. People tend to be self-righteous within these circumstances. It is the virtue then to surrender this attitude and become truly humble.
Christ’s work in the world raised many questions because it was not self-righteousness. He taught instead, true humility. The virtues of the beatitude were taught to sinners. They are positive models for Christ’s work in the Church.
Christ, as servant, put himself last. He humbled himself to do the Father’s will. God’s righteousness takes us beyond our narrow vision. It expands our true freedom. True freedom, fulfills us in God. That is what God wants of us. That is the highest order. This law graciously states that we can surpass our limitations in true freedom if we put God above all else.
6. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
This has no counterpart in Luke . . . We are dealing now with Christian attitude and with Christian ethics which are based on the most fundamental demands of the gospel.
Except for Heb 2:17 where it is said of Christ, the word ‘merciful’ is found only in the present beatitude in the New Testament. The Hebrew word chesed which underlies the Greek eleemon is practically intranslatable. It is first of all an attitude of the God of the covenant himself, but he expects the same attitude from men. It does not mean to pity or feel sorry for someone in trouble. It means rather, the ability to get into another person’s skin until one can see and feel things as the other sees and feels them, in other words the ability to identify with the other person . . . Men’s mercy should be a spontaneous response to divine mercy which is freely and undeservedly extended to them . . . The allusion to the final judgment is clear.14
Being merciful excludes judgment. It is to be open to a response of love, even in the toughest situations. Mercy extends hospitality and affirmation to all. It is in this self-giving love that bears the lesson we learn. Walking in mercy means to be open to life, growth and love. Mercy is to be one with God’s creation. Mercy calls us to be open to the gifts of others and ourselves.
Such compassion allows all humanity to carry on the creation of God. In identifying our gifts and the gifts of others we empower the world by becoming a grace to a broken world.
Mercy allows true dignity to all humanity. It is not a self-glorifying attitude. Mercy allows the gifts that we are to be gifts to one another, to bear fruit.
Christ’s mercy forgave sins. We are called to forgive others. Christ’s mercy healed the sick; we are called to be instruments of healing. Christ’s mercy laid down his life. Can one do any less than surrender the ego?
The compassion of true mercy takes one beyond ego, beyond hypocrisy and into grace. It is the true transformation of God’s love.
7. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
Ps 51:10 says, ‘Create in me a clean heart, o God and put a new and right spirit within me.’ Ps 73:1 states ’Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart.” Pure in heart then are those who are upright , whose motives are unmixed, whose minds are utterly sincere, who are completely and totally single-minded whose interests are undivided. To be pure in heart does not mean to be sinless and should not be interpreted in terms of chastity. In the New Testament ‘to see God’ often has an eschatological meaning Rev. 22:4 ‘They shall see his face.’
15
‘Pure in heart’ is a mindfulness of God. It is a focus that takes one beyond sin and into the sight of God. It is not sinlessness because humanity sins. Instead it allows people to strive for virtue in their lives. The focus eliminates duplicity and offers a simple life. This life is not simple in the sense of easiness. It is simple in focus and motive. It offers a oneness with the creator.
The beatitudes offer perfection. They offer us the struggle to keep our attention on God, to see the face of God and live.
Mindfulness of God enjoins us to fulfill our purpose. It is keeping things in perspective. Mindfulness carries us beyond the struggle of daily life and into the realm of love.
“Pure in heart” is a love for God. It is in following Christ that we navigate our direction.
God has remained faithful to his people. We followers need to develop our hearts and minds in God. We must be faithful and true to the one true God. In this way we experience the true freedom of God’s love and will.
8. Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called Children of God.
The Hebrew word shalom is very rich in content and is hard to translate, as can be seen from the Septuagint, where more than twenty-five words are used to render it. Shalom is derived form a root which means ‘complete, intact, or to be in the process of being fulfilled’ To biblical man, ‘peace’ is the sum total of all that makes people contented....It is the condition of those who live in complete harmony with themselves, with their fellow-men, with nature and with God.16
To become a child of God we must maintain our serenity and centeredness within God. Peacemakers strive for the Godly treasures. They seek justice. They choose growth in their relationship with God. To be called God’s child is to be recognized as a temple of God.
God’s indwelling blesses all aspects of being. It is approaching the sacred within, to be centered in God.
Christ again, was the only one to maintain this perfectly. His words, works, death and Resurrection are signs of our calling. He fulfilled God’s revelation and we are called to imitate his path.
Without being centered in God our concupiscence is manifested. We revert to the weakness of human nature after the fall. We do less in this weakened state than love fully. The fullness of Christ’s modeling is lost.
Striving to become a child of God, we embrace the virtue of becoming peace. We face our intrinsic inequities and tackle social sins.
The peace beyond all understanding is God. Therefore, we take up our portion and follow Christ as sons and daughters of God.
9. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The final beatitude is more developed than the preceding ones . . . (This) Means an obvious parallelism with Matthew 5:6 ‘for righteousness sake’ which concludes the first stanza. In Matthew we find three kinds of bad treatment...while in Luke we have four.
Blessed means both an extension of congratulations and a call: Congratulations and keep it up . . . This reward is not in proportion to what we have done, but rather a ’hundredfold.’ All reward is a reward of grace, or as it has been expressed very adequately : a surprise thankfully accepted. The reward is ultimately God himself, as expressed in the eightfold promise of the beatitudes. The disciples should rejoice in the sufferings because they are on the right track, they are in good company: as persecuted they are the successors and imitators of the prophets, men of God par excellence.17
It is the experience of life that we suffer. Such suffering is the way that we grow in Christ. Shedding comforts is the way to reveal the essence of our nature in God.
Suffering persecution brings us closer to the perfection of God. Through legitimate suffering, we grow and learn. Such suffering for what is right is the way of the prophets.
The reward is promised. God will bless legitimate suffering. We don’t need to hold on to comforts because we are moving forward. Having the courage to face such trials is difficult., they only reconcile the uncertainties in faith. To do well in the face of personal persecution is real charity.
We need our base in a faith community to encourage others and have them encourage us. It is difficult and embittering if we suffer without the support of others. If we fall, they can help us up.
Persecution has a way of stripping away all the unnecessary values. It is a way attaining the true virtue of Godliness. It is a way to be one with God because we are following in the steps of our Savior.
Reflection helps us to heal the wounds and losses coupled with such persecution. Prayer leads to higher communion with God. Prayer helps ennoble us to the path of the prophets.
Finding joy in the worst situations is part of a Godly attitude. This grace promises we are on the path toward God.
10. SUMMARY
Having recognized, a need for God takes us on the path of virtue and wholeness in God. The path transforms us through sorrows and suffering without succumbing to despair and bitterness.
Christ walked the path of the Beatitudes perfectly. Trying to model his example gives us hope in a broken world. The Church provides community and support for changing our attitude. It offers the sacraments to feed and nurture the faithful who try to walk this path. Courage and faith in God’s love help the process. Only recognizing the need for God can we simplify our lives.
When we put our love for God as a priority, things fall into place. We become recipients of the blessings of God. We are then aware of the tentative nature of discouragement and frustration.
Having the attitude to see the best in situations is one of the blessings. Things which complicate our lives become much more tolerable.
Faith in virtue (Godliness) transforms the lives of the faithful. Acceptance becomes a more frequent element in the spiritual journey. The experience of life becomes much more enjoyable. We then find that courage is no longer elusive. With a God-centered way of being, people move into more challenging roles.
Yes, the Gospel challenges people. It transforms maladies into blessings. The beatitudes are a key component in this right attitude.
Notes:
1 Haring, Bernard, Blessed Are the Pure in Heart, Crossroad Book, Seabury Press, New York, 1975, p. 18.
2 Crosby, Michael, Spirituality of the Beatitudes, Orbis Books, Maryknoll, New York c.1981, p. 2.
3 Maturin, B.W., Laws of the Spiritual Life, Longmans Green and Co., London, 1919, p. 3.
4 Hendrickx, Herman, The Sermon on the Mount, London, Geoffrey Chapman, c. 1979, p.20
5 Hendrickx, Herman, The Sermon on the Mount, London, Geoffrey Chapman, c. 1979, p. 19.
6 Maturin, B.W., Laws of the Spiritual Life, Longman’s, Green and Co., London, 1919, p. 19.
7 Hendrickx, Herman, The Sermon on the Mount, London, Geoffrey Chapman, c. 1979, p. 19.
8 Maturin, B.W., Laws of the Spiritual Life, Longman’s, Green and Co., London, 1919, p. 24.
9 Hendrickx, Herman, The Sermon on the Mount, London, Geoffrey Chapman, c. 1979, p. 20.
10 Haring, Bernard, Blessed Are the Pure in Heart, Crossroad Book, Seabury Press, New York, 1975, p. 31.
11 Fox, Emmet, The Sermon on the Mount, Harper, San Francisco, 1989, p. 13.
12 Hendrickx, Herman, The Sermon on the Mount, London, Geoffrey Chapman, c. 1979, pp. 22-23.
13 Hendrickx, Herman, The Sermon on the Mount, London, Geoffrey Chapman, c. 1979, p. 25.
14 Hendrickx, Herman, The Sermon on the Mount, London, Geoffrey Chapman, c. 1979, p. 27.
15 Hendrickx, Herman, The Sermon on the Mount, London, Geoffrey Chapman, c. 1979, p. 30.
16 Hendrickx, Herman, The Sermon on the Mount, London, Geoffrey Chapman, c. 1979, p. 31.
17 Hendrickx, Herman, The Sermon on the Mount, London, Geoffrey Chapman, c. 1979, p. 33.
Bibliography:
Fox, Emmet, The Sermon on the Mount, Harper, San Francisco, copyright 1989.
Haring, Bernard, Blessed Are the Pure in Heart, Crossroad Book, Seabury Press, New York, copyright 1975.
Hendrickx, Herman, The Sermon on the Mount, Geoffrey Chapman, London, copyright 1979.
Killenger, John, Letting God Bless You, The Beatitudes for Today, Abingdon Press, Nashville, 1993.
Maturin, B.W. Laws of the Spiritual Life, Longmans, Green and Company, London, 1915.
Niswonger, Richard L. New Testament History, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids Michigan, copyright 1992.
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