The Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount is equal to Moses standing on Mt. Sinai and teaching the Israelites the laws and commands. It is the foundation for the life of a Believe and addresses the basic and expanded principles of our faith.
The Poor in Spirit
Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. - P'shat: (Plain) - The phrase ‘the poor in spirit' does not have a clear interpretation, however, the Dead Sea Scrolls have aided in helping us to understand who might have been in the crowd that day. The Essence, a religious group that held to the Law and promoted “poverty, humility, purity, and simplicity”, was active in this area, and “The Poor in Spirit” was a title they used to honor one among them that met this criteria. Because of this, the audience would have understood that this phrase referred to those who valued a simple life, void of riches, humble, and pure in their lifestyle. They are the ones to whom the Holy Spirit is given because of their repentance (mourning) and trust in Jesus. The Kingdom of Heaven would then live within them. It is important to note that they would not have understood the price that would be required to provide this redemption. - Remez (hint) - To be Poor in Spirit is to recognize our spiritual poverty, that we have nothing of worth to offer God. We must come to Him, in faith, to receive the rich salvation and citizenship into The Kingdom of God, made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ (His death, burial, and resurrection). The Kingdom of Heaven is both eternity with God after death (Romans 6:23) and the quality of life with God before death (John 10:10). When Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” He is declaring that, before we can enter God’s kingdom, we must recognize the utter worthlessness of our own spiritual condition and the inability of our own works to earn salvation.
The Mourners
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. To express grief or sorrow and it can be expressed by weeping or audible sounds, or by sobs, sighs or inward silent grief. P'shat: (Plain) In Isaiah 61, the prophecy of the coming Messiah included the fall of Israel due to sin. This resulted in the bondage and suffering they faced at the hands of foreign conquerors, leaving them in “mourning”. It also includes a coming change. Those in sin will repent, and the mourners will become comforted because they will see that Israel will be delivered and restored. This Beatitude states that the mourners "will be" or "shall be" comforted. It will occur in the future. This contrasts with the 1st Beatitude in which the blessing will be bestowed more or less immediately. Remez (hint) The mourners today are the worshippers of God who mourn over the downfall of the entire earth because of sin, this would include their personal sins. When one repents (mourns) of their sins and trust in Jesus, they will receive the Holy Spirit. This results is the Kingdom of Heaven living within them, as referred to in the 1st Beatitude.
This is a space to promote your business, its products or its services. Use this opportunity to help site visitors become more familiar with your business and its offerings. Reach out to current and potential clients and customers to build a sense of connection and trust.
This is a space to promote your business, its products or its services. Use this opportunity to help site visitors become more familiar with your business and its offerings. Reach out to current and potential clients and customers to build a sense of connection and trust.
