Seek ye first the Kingdom of God
Matthew 5:1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he began to speak and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The Roman Empire of the first century was in the middle of its ‘Golden Age’. The empire had gained such power and prominence that it could enforce the Pax Romana (The Roman Peace). This was a period of over 200 years of stability. Roman law prevailed, internal conflict was at a minimum and there was economic stability. The law was what the Romans said was the law and it was enforced with force. Unfortunately, however, it was also true that over 70% of the population lived marginal lives marked by food insecurity. Most Israelites fit into that category. It is in this political context that the Israelites yearned for a Messiah—someone would free the people from Roman domination and institute a New Kingdom in which the lowly and disenfranchised would be lifted up.
As mentioned last week, a major focus of the Gospel of Matthew is to announce the Kingdom of Heaven. The Beatitudes, which is our scripture this week, is the manifesto for that Kingdom. Below are some brief notes regarding each one. Please notice how sharply different the Kingdom of Heaven is from the Kingdoms of this earth.
These first four beatitudes declare divine favor on situations and practices of exploitation. They promise divine reversals in both the present and the future.
1.“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
These are people who are not only materially poor, but particularly those whose spirits are crushed by economic injustice and deprivation of resources. It refers to abject destitution rather than simple poverty. Therefore, being “poor in spirit” describes those who have realized their “utter helplessness” and have placed their whole trust in God. It is often true that it is only after all hope of human agency is lost, that we discover what is eternal and what really matters. Learning and trusting that there are possibilities beyond our imagining is the beginning of knowledge of God. Societally, earthly kingdoms stratify, compare and assign worth based upon worldly criterion–skin color, gender, education, sexuality, power etc. God sees beyond all such categories. Jesus consistently loved the person in front of him. This is the heart of the good news. The marginalized by the world are members of good standing in the kingdom of heaven.
2. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
So where is the comfort in mourning? The blessing lies in the realization that pain is not a sign of weakness or God’s abandonment, but an unavoidable part of life where God is present. Mourning is painful—often excruciatingly so but it is not bad. In the heavenly Kingdom two things can be true. We can be in great pain AND we can be comforted. In FIRL, several participants reported they discovered an inner strength they did not know they had. They discovered a depth of care and community they had not fully known. And they discovered a capacity to go on when they had lost someone they could not imagine living without.
3. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” This particular beatitude has been the source of many jokes pointing to the naivete of the Christian faith. Secularly, it is perfectly obvious that the meek are likely both humiliated and defeated. But the Greek here is a different use of the word meek. It is a reference to Psalm 37:11 where “meek” refers to those who are abused by the wicked who seem only to prosper. God reassures the meek that they will inherit the land. It offers hope to those who are disregarded because they are landless. In more modern usage, it signifies a gentleness that chooses to do the “right thing” instead of insisting on one’s own rights. It is a promise that God’s way will prevail, even when we feel threatened by the powers of the world.
4. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.“
This is another example of a context that is not obvious to the modern reader. Righteousness in the Hebrew Bible (for example, Isaiah 51) refers to a total societal restructuring that includes the equitable distribution of resources. Seeking such a world embodies the hope that love will prevail. It is another promise which is secularly silly. Survival of the fittest guarantees competition for resources. There are winners and losers. The Kingdom of God promises something beyond our natural tendencies. It offers the supernatural promise that sharing, regard and mindfulness of the value of us all leads to a life that gives life.
The next beatitudes (Matthew 5:7–12) name human actions that express God’s -transforming and challenging work for a just world. They identify distinctive practices—doing mercy, being pure in heart, making peace, being persecuted and reviled—that further God’s justice.
5.“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.”
Mercy is defined as kindness when punishment is actually due; it is distinct from grace, which is receiving unmerited favor. The merciful are not governed by rules or by what people deserve, but rather, by the understanding that all of us are in need of mercy.
Retaliation and punishment are the way of the world. Mercy is the way of God.
6.“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Purity here does not mean achieving a state of perfection, but rather a willingness to rely on God with one’s whole self. The “pure in heart” trust God with their “impure hearts” in the faith that God loves them; this internal surrender allows them to “see God”. This moves faith from a performance-based “outside-in” model to a transformative “inside-out” experience.
7.“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Compare the Pax Romana which was gained by domination and the just peace of Jesus gained through respect, mindfulness and humility. In a polarized world filled with enemies and fear, this Beatitude calls believers to rely on God and resist the human temptation to meet disagreement with rebuttal.
8.“Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. When we are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, we are choosing God’s way over safety, acknowledging that truth-telling is risky. It is a reminder that while the world rewards power and control, those methods ultimately fail. Every human empire has fallen. Force and domination can only work in the short term—even if that short time is multiple generations. It is the only thing that is eternal. Jesus’ Kingdom of Heaven declares the way of love is the only sustainable path. But that path is marked with the stark knowledge that walking it does not mean we will be well received. In fact, when we live a life of justice for the oppressed and marginalized, when we extend mercy to the outcast, when we live the values outlined in the beatitudes, the rulers of this world will resist. It has been true for every earthly Kingdom.
The Beatitudes are a deeply subversive text in the American context where the word “blessed” is often associated with and hijacked by the wealthy, the healthy and the most powerful. Jesus clarifies that it is precisely the poor, the sick and the meek that are entitled to the blessings of the new kingdom. Raj Nadella – Working Preacher from Luther Seminary
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God. Let it be so.
