Matthew 5:1-3
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus sits down and opens his mouth to teach - what he is about to say is big. The sermon on the mount is one of the most important pieces of teaching ever delivered. It is widely admired, even outside of the Christian faith. The fact that Ghandi loved the sermon on the mount suggests that the sermon on the mount may be one of the most misunderstood pieces of teaching ever delivered as well as the most important!
Two important ideas are introduced straight away:
- Blessed - Jesus is going to describe who is blessed, what being blessed is like. The greek word is makarios which means happy or fortunate. If we want to think of this as happiness, then we need to think of it as true happiness (Calvin) rather than the fleeting happiness of the world that is dependent on circumstances. This true happiness is not found in what is happening around you but it is a gift of God, it is God's favour shown towards you, God's approval shown towards you.
- The kingdom of heaven - In one sense, the whole universe is God's kingdom, the kingdom of heaven. But the kingdom described here is found within that wider kingdom, where Jesus rules and reigns, where true life is found. At the moment there is an overlap between this kingdom and the world but in the future this kingdom will endure forever. The kingdom of heaven is now and not yet (see Carson)
Jesus will talk about what it means to live in his kingdom and what it means to be blessed by God. His teaching will be quite different to what the world considers happiness to be
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