Happiness is… - Matthew 5:1-12
Happiness is… - Matthew 5:1-12
By Pastor Lee Hemen
February 17, 2019
Folks look for happiness in many ways in our day and age. Some use exercise, sports, food, money, recreation or other activities in order to find happiness while others may look to spirituality, religion, or philosophy to try to find personal happiness. The Bible teaches us that happiness in life is not truly found until one first finds God and develops a relationship with him.
People in Jesus’ day were not much different from us except they lived more of a day to day existence. Daily food and water, safety and personal health were of the foremost concerns of their lives. Most individuals did not live past their late 40s and just about any illness could be disastrous. Purchasing or growing food and getting clean water were also daily concerns; much of their happiness in life centered on these simple things. And all of it revolved around their relationship with God. So in the following teachings of Jesus we discover what happiness is; let’s find out what Jesus taught and what he meant.
READ: Matthew 5:1-12
Jesus begins his ministry by teaching people what it meant for God to be in their midst. Never forget that up until Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection no one could be saved by faith alone. God had always desired it to be that way but people proved to be a frustrating lot and God gave them laws and sacrifices to follow. Jesus begins by teaching…
I. We are kingdom material! (Vv. 1-4)
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
1. Wanting those he had chosen to develop their full understanding of who he was and what he was about Jesus begins by teaching them some eternal truths. We discover that “when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down.” When my father wanted us to pay attention to what he was trying to teach us he would call us to his side so we would focus on what he had to share. Jesus was like this as well. He gets away from the crowds, goes up on a mountainside (hill for us here in the Northwest) and sat down so his followers could hear him better. We discover that in fact “His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them”. This was a common means rabbis used for teaching their students or disciples. We understand that the crowd gathered around the edges of the disciples and listened in as well to what Jesus was teaching. Jesus began by telling them, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus begins here because I believe he was building a foundation. Folks wanted to know if God cared about them. “Am I good enough for God to love me?” (Hasn’t changed much has it?) The Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees taught them strict religious rules and regulations instead. Jesus was not teaching them a set of guidelines to follow but rather how God saw them and how he could change them. If they realized their impoverished spirituality, they would be good candidates for the kingdom of heaven! In fact Jesus continued by telling them “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Everyone has experienced some kind of personal loss but it was more evident in the lives of the poor; especially those who understood their circumstance. If one was willing to “mourn” for their spiritual loss or poverty, they would be “comforted” by God! If they understood how much God loved them they would be more willing to follow him. God loved them for who they were not their position in life. If we are willing to see our spiritual poverty and grieve over over our condition we are kingdom material!
EXAMPLE: I learned from my mother-in-law that you had to have patience and use only the best ingredients in order for whatever you were cooking to turn out consistently good. Too often people think that God could never forgive them or love them because of who they are or what they have done. God loves us and willingly came to walk with us and to show us the way back to him. In fact we learn from his words that we are kingdom material!
When my mother wanted us to truly understand what she was telling us she would ask, “What did I just tell you?” Our answers would reflect if we had been listening or not! Jesus continued with his disciples and the crowd by developing what he meant by their spiritual poverty. Jesus teaches that when we realize our spiritual condition…
II. We can become the children of God! (Vv. 5-8)
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
1. Jesus understood that those who realized their spiritual position in life would be more able to receive his gospel message! So he continued by telling them that “Blessed (or happy) are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”. Meekness here is not weakness as some would have you believe. Rather it is a positional. Like a powerful horse controlled by tiny reins we are to control ourselves. It is like when one entered the throne room of a king he would willingly bow down low to the ground to display his position of humility before his king. If we want to inherit the kingdom of heaven we have to be willing to be meek in our attitude and not think of ourselves as more than we are then we “will inherit the earth”! Earth here is a familiar term every farmer in the crowd would understand because they worked it daily. In Genesis because of Adam’s sin the earth would yield its fruit at a very high cost; but because of Jesus our inheritance in heaven would be an existence without hard labor! In fact, Jesus continued by relating, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Instead of spiritual hunger the sons of God would experience fullness! Little did Jesus’ listeners realize that this would be through the power and presence of the Spirit of God! He would become our living water and our daily bread! Jesus continued, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” And since God’s “mercy” is given to us as his children we should therefore show his mercy to others as well! Jesus goes on to relate that “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” If we are pure we would know and see God! The heart here means who we totally are as a person. How could we be pure or holy in all we are; isn’t that impossible? And yes it is without Jesus yet he is the one who would make peace between us and God! Therefore happy or “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” As God’s sons and daughters we are to bring his peace to others. We can become the children of God!
EXAMPLE: I know my folks did not always want to claim us as their kids all the time, especially when we got into trouble. I remember having to walk home after school realizing that my father already knew about how I had been sent to the principal’s office. There are times in the lives of parents when they wished their kids belonged to someone else. It’s normal. How good to know then that God has provided a way for us to be called his children. It should humble us, give us strength, help us to display kindness toward others, because we know God and bring his message of peace to the world! How good to know we can become the children of God!
We all like to be thanked once in a while when we do something for someone else. It’s a nice surprise when someone thanks you for opening a door or giving up your place in line for them; you know what I mean. However not everything we do justifies a thank you and not everything we do as believers will beings us a prize, however, we discover that…
III. We will inherit a great reward! (Vv. 9-12)
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
1. When we become part of God’s family it changes us. And when we are changed we become different than the rest of the world around us. Because of Jesus we will be persecuted for what we believe. Jesus taught his disciples not to be surprised by this fact. He tells them, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” If we are mistreated or disdained because of what we believe it means we have been made righteous because of our faith! We are different from the world around us and our kingdom is not of this world! There are only two kinds of folks: Those who know God and those who don’t. In fact Jesus goes on to tell them, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” It has become popular to ridicule Christians in movies, on TV, and in the media. They depict us as ignorant and kind of antisocial. Evil does this when confronted with whatever it dislikes. It cannot use reason because their worldly atheistic philosophy makes no sense. And evil hates anyone that desires to live a holy life. Jesus knew his disciples would face severe persecution for their faith in him. Their world put their faith in manmade idols fashioned from wood, stone, or metal. Jesus came as a man to show the world God does indeed exist and to prove his love for mankind. After Jesus’ death on the cross, his resurrection and ascension, they would be the ones to share his gospel message with the world. All that was ungodly would be against them. It is just as true today as it was then. Yet he encouraged them and us by reminding us to “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” The ungodly have always disdained and persecuted those who live for God and bring his message; but when that occurs we can smile and realize that the end justifies the means. We suffer now for a greater reward that awaits us. We will inherit a great reward!
EXAMPLE: If we know the outcome and we know why it will happen, why in the world are we so worried when folks treat us with contempt for what we believe? In fact I’ve often wondered why folks get all concerned about things getting worse when they believe that things will get worse before the Lord comes back! Shouldn’t we do like John and say, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”? (Revelation 22:20 NIV)” Why are we surprised to see the world getting worse or folks treating believers harsher when we know Jesus could come back at any time? Shouldn’t we therefore be about sharing the good news instead of worrying so much, like Jesus shared with his disciples? After all, we will inherit a great reward!
Conclusion:
We are kingdom material! We can become the children of God! We will inherit a great reward!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2019 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
February 17, 2019
Folks look for happiness in many ways in our day and age. Some use exercise, sports, food, money, recreation or other activities in order to find happiness while others may look to spirituality, religion, or philosophy to try to find personal happiness. The Bible teaches us that happiness in life is not truly found until one first finds God and develops a relationship with him.
People in Jesus’ day were not much different from us except they lived more of a day to day existence. Daily food and water, safety and personal health were of the foremost concerns of their lives. Most individuals did not live past their late 40s and just about any illness could be disastrous. Purchasing or growing food and getting clean water were also daily concerns; much of their happiness in life centered on these simple things. And all of it revolved around their relationship with God. So in the following teachings of Jesus we discover what happiness is; let’s find out what Jesus taught and what he meant.
READ: Matthew 5:1-12
Jesus begins his ministry by teaching people what it meant for God to be in their midst. Never forget that up until Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection no one could be saved by faith alone. God had always desired it to be that way but people proved to be a frustrating lot and God gave them laws and sacrifices to follow. Jesus begins by teaching…
I. We are kingdom material! (Vv. 1-4)
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
1. Wanting those he had chosen to develop their full understanding of who he was and what he was about Jesus begins by teaching them some eternal truths. We discover that “when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down.” When my father wanted us to pay attention to what he was trying to teach us he would call us to his side so we would focus on what he had to share. Jesus was like this as well. He gets away from the crowds, goes up on a mountainside (hill for us here in the Northwest) and sat down so his followers could hear him better. We discover that in fact “His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them”. This was a common means rabbis used for teaching their students or disciples. We understand that the crowd gathered around the edges of the disciples and listened in as well to what Jesus was teaching. Jesus began by telling them, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus begins here because I believe he was building a foundation. Folks wanted to know if God cared about them. “Am I good enough for God to love me?” (Hasn’t changed much has it?) The Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees taught them strict religious rules and regulations instead. Jesus was not teaching them a set of guidelines to follow but rather how God saw them and how he could change them. If they realized their impoverished spirituality, they would be good candidates for the kingdom of heaven! In fact Jesus continued by telling them “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Everyone has experienced some kind of personal loss but it was more evident in the lives of the poor; especially those who understood their circumstance. If one was willing to “mourn” for their spiritual loss or poverty, they would be “comforted” by God! If they understood how much God loved them they would be more willing to follow him. God loved them for who they were not their position in life. If we are willing to see our spiritual poverty and grieve over over our condition we are kingdom material!
EXAMPLE: I learned from my mother-in-law that you had to have patience and use only the best ingredients in order for whatever you were cooking to turn out consistently good. Too often people think that God could never forgive them or love them because of who they are or what they have done. God loves us and willingly came to walk with us and to show us the way back to him. In fact we learn from his words that we are kingdom material!
When my mother wanted us to truly understand what she was telling us she would ask, “What did I just tell you?” Our answers would reflect if we had been listening or not! Jesus continued with his disciples and the crowd by developing what he meant by their spiritual poverty. Jesus teaches that when we realize our spiritual condition…
II. We can become the children of God! (Vv. 5-8)
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
1. Jesus understood that those who realized their spiritual position in life would be more able to receive his gospel message! So he continued by telling them that “Blessed (or happy) are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”. Meekness here is not weakness as some would have you believe. Rather it is a positional. Like a powerful horse controlled by tiny reins we are to control ourselves. It is like when one entered the throne room of a king he would willingly bow down low to the ground to display his position of humility before his king. If we want to inherit the kingdom of heaven we have to be willing to be meek in our attitude and not think of ourselves as more than we are then we “will inherit the earth”! Earth here is a familiar term every farmer in the crowd would understand because they worked it daily. In Genesis because of Adam’s sin the earth would yield its fruit at a very high cost; but because of Jesus our inheritance in heaven would be an existence without hard labor! In fact, Jesus continued by relating, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Instead of spiritual hunger the sons of God would experience fullness! Little did Jesus’ listeners realize that this would be through the power and presence of the Spirit of God! He would become our living water and our daily bread! Jesus continued, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” And since God’s “mercy” is given to us as his children we should therefore show his mercy to others as well! Jesus goes on to relate that “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” If we are pure we would know and see God! The heart here means who we totally are as a person. How could we be pure or holy in all we are; isn’t that impossible? And yes it is without Jesus yet he is the one who would make peace between us and God! Therefore happy or “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” As God’s sons and daughters we are to bring his peace to others. We can become the children of God!
EXAMPLE: I know my folks did not always want to claim us as their kids all the time, especially when we got into trouble. I remember having to walk home after school realizing that my father already knew about how I had been sent to the principal’s office. There are times in the lives of parents when they wished their kids belonged to someone else. It’s normal. How good to know then that God has provided a way for us to be called his children. It should humble us, give us strength, help us to display kindness toward others, because we know God and bring his message of peace to the world! How good to know we can become the children of God!
We all like to be thanked once in a while when we do something for someone else. It’s a nice surprise when someone thanks you for opening a door or giving up your place in line for them; you know what I mean. However not everything we do justifies a thank you and not everything we do as believers will beings us a prize, however, we discover that…
III. We will inherit a great reward! (Vv. 9-12)
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
1. When we become part of God’s family it changes us. And when we are changed we become different than the rest of the world around us. Because of Jesus we will be persecuted for what we believe. Jesus taught his disciples not to be surprised by this fact. He tells them, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” If we are mistreated or disdained because of what we believe it means we have been made righteous because of our faith! We are different from the world around us and our kingdom is not of this world! There are only two kinds of folks: Those who know God and those who don’t. In fact Jesus goes on to tell them, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” It has become popular to ridicule Christians in movies, on TV, and in the media. They depict us as ignorant and kind of antisocial. Evil does this when confronted with whatever it dislikes. It cannot use reason because their worldly atheistic philosophy makes no sense. And evil hates anyone that desires to live a holy life. Jesus knew his disciples would face severe persecution for their faith in him. Their world put their faith in manmade idols fashioned from wood, stone, or metal. Jesus came as a man to show the world God does indeed exist and to prove his love for mankind. After Jesus’ death on the cross, his resurrection and ascension, they would be the ones to share his gospel message with the world. All that was ungodly would be against them. It is just as true today as it was then. Yet he encouraged them and us by reminding us to “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” The ungodly have always disdained and persecuted those who live for God and bring his message; but when that occurs we can smile and realize that the end justifies the means. We suffer now for a greater reward that awaits us. We will inherit a great reward!
EXAMPLE: If we know the outcome and we know why it will happen, why in the world are we so worried when folks treat us with contempt for what we believe? In fact I’ve often wondered why folks get all concerned about things getting worse when they believe that things will get worse before the Lord comes back! Shouldn’t we do like John and say, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”? (Revelation 22:20 NIV)” Why are we surprised to see the world getting worse or folks treating believers harsher when we know Jesus could come back at any time? Shouldn’t we therefore be about sharing the good news instead of worrying so much, like Jesus shared with his disciples? After all, we will inherit a great reward!
Conclusion:
We are kingdom material! We can become the children of God! We will inherit a great reward!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2019 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
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