October 2008 - Vol. 23

Commentary on the beatitudes, by Steve Clark, continued
 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
'Blessed' means fortunate, one to whom good things have been given. In this setting, we might take it to mean 'truly fortunate' or 'most fortunate of all'.

Truly fortunate, then, are the poor in spirit. The term 'poor' here probably does not mean just materially poor; that is one reason why 'in spirit' is added to it.

In the Old Testament, 'the poor' often refers to people who rely on God to provide for them, who are faithful to God. When Psalm 9 says, "The needy shall not perish," its meaning goes beyond simple lack of material goods. 'The poor' are people who lack means to provide for themselves, so they rely on the Lord to provide for them.

The spiritually poor — the poor in spirit — are people who lack not so much material resources but a certain type of self-reliance. They don't rely on their own gifts, skills, resource; they look to the Lord.

Theirs, says Jesus, is the kingdom of heaven. Note that the kingdom of heaven is the reward in both the first and the eighth beatitudes. That probably is meant to indicate that all the rewards that are mentioned are really the kingdom of heaven in one way or another. In other words, the beatitudes tell what kind of person we have to be in order to receive the kingdom of heaven, to dwell under the reign of God.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
The term 'mourn' seems straightforward. But for most of us it actually isn't, because in scripture mourning was not only something you did when you were unhappy. To be sure, you did mourn on certain occasions when you had been deprived of something, as when somebody died. But mourning customs were used in other ways as well.

For example, one of the ways of showing that you were seeking pardon, or turning to a person for help or direction, was to use the mourning customs. That was a way of expressing submission, and also a way of expressing repentance. When you repented, you mourned. In that way you showed sorrow for your past action, but you also expressed that you were looking for a new way of life.

Jesus, then, is saying, blessed are those who submit their lives to God, who are repentant of their past disobedience, who seek a new way of life.

Such people, he says, shall be comforted. The word for comfort there is parakaleo. This has the same root as parakletos, or Paraclete, referring to the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Spirit is sometimes called the comforter. Parakaleo could also be translated 'strengthened': the Holy Spirit, the comforter, the strengthener, comes to provide the strength, the assistance, the comfort lacking to somebody on his or her own resources.

Another way to state the second beatitude, then, is, blessed are those who turn away from their old ways and submit to God, for they shall be given strength and comfort — quite likely by the giving of the Holy Spirit.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Being meek does not mean getting pushed around. Meekness means not always insisting on one's own way, not always belligerently fighting for what one wants, but taking the attitude of a servant.

This beatitude is derived from Psalm 37: "Yet a little while and the wicked will be no more; though you look well at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall possess the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity" (verses 10-11). The psalm is about people who are not in a position to overcome the power of the wicked and need to rely on God. It is a promise that God will establish them such that they will inherit the land. 'The land' might mean the earth, or perhaps the land of Israel, but it at least means a place of resource and power.

Jesus is saying, blessed are those who don't rely on their own devices, who don't take matters into their own hands, but who rely on the Lord to establish them, for they shall inherit the land.