DAY EIGHT
The kingdom of God is not like any other kingdom. In fact, most examples of worldly kingdoms that come to mind, are the opposite the kingdom of God. So, when Jesus started talking about the kingdom, it no doubt drew a lot of attention. No one had ever heard these things before. Even the best of the Old Testament scholars would have been astonished at what He was saying.
In His second sermon, Jesus described a series of blessings that are part of the kingdom of God. When we believe in Jesus and become a part of the kingdom of God, we receive a unique standing before God. We become recipients of His favor. He pours out His grace, mercy, and loyal love on us in a way that none of us have ever experienced. And according to His second sermon, He also does it when we least expect it.
The sermon is recorded in Matthew 5: 1-10. I can imagine Jesus stretching out His arms, the palms of His hands open to heaven, as He faced the crowd and proclaimed blessing after blessing after blessing for those who would repent, believe, and follow Him. Jesus proclaims eight blessings, eight outpourings of favor, eight gifts from heaven that are ours as children and heirs of the kingdom.
He began in Matthew 5:3, saying…
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The poor in spirit are those who realize their own sin and recognize that apart from God, there is nothing they can do to regain a relationship with the Almighty God. They are completely dependent on God to find a way to renew a relationship with them. They are bankrupt when it comes to spiritual things. The spirit that God originally created within them is dead because of sin.
This is the realization of anyone who is standing at the edge of heaven, ready to confess their sins, repent, turn from their evil ways, and trust the work that Jesus did on the cross to make a way for them to return to a relationship with God. It is also the place where we start our spiritual journey, no matter who we are as men and women, no matter how long we have known Jesus.
When I am completely surrendered and recognize that there is nothing I can do, in and of myself, to pursue the kingdom of God, then I am suddenly availed of every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. The kingdom of heaven is mine, all the fullness of the kingdom, not because of anything in me or anything I do, but because of Jesus and the fact that He has made me a child of the King.
So, what do we have to do to avail ourselves to all the blessings and benefits of the kingdom of heaven? We simply recognize that there is nothing we can do in and of ourselves and it is ours. It is ours regardless of how long we have been believers, how much we know about the Bible, or how many good works we have done.
Next, in Matthew 5:4, Jesus says…
4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
As we experience the fullness of the kingdom of heaven, we will quickly recognize that we do so in a fallen world and in a fleshly body. We will have sorrows in this life, some brought about by our own sin and some from living in a fallen, Satan-lead world. Yet, the kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17). As we live our lives in the kingdom and encounter various trails and difficulties, we have a promise: we will be comforted by the King and by His Spirit that lives in us.
Remember what Jesus said about mourning in His first public sermon? In Isaiah 61:2-3…
“I have come…to comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting.”
And what do we need to do to receive this comfort from the King? We simply recognize that we cannot do anything apart from the Spirit and life in the Kingdom. Then, whenever we encounter hardship, God promises to pour out His favor upon us with the comfort of heaven. The blessings of comfort are ours.
Next, He says, in Matthew 5:5…
5 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Meekness is power under control. Jesus, Himself, was characterized by meekness. He had all the power and authority in the heaven and earth (Matthew 28:20), and yet, He only used it when He was instructed to do so by the Father. It was never of His own initiative (John 5:30, 8:28, 8:42, 10:18, 12:49, 14:10, 16:13). Everywhere He went at the bidding of the Father, He brought heaven to earth and took back ground that had been taken by the enemy, because He was surrendered fully to the Father.
In like manner, when we exercise meekness and follow the instructions of the Father, we inherit the earth. We take part in heaven coming to earth and the kingdom of God being established on earth. What a blessing to get to participate in the kingdom in this way.
So, what do we need to do to inherit the earth? We do nothing unless we hear it from the Father, see the Father doing it, or receive instruction from Him. Then, when we hear from the Father and walk into the works He has prepared for us, we bring heaven to earth in every place our feet tread. What a blessing it is to be part of God’s work in bringing heaven to earth!
Next, Jesus says, in Matthew 5:6…
6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Again, we have a blessing that has nothing to do with our efforts. We can do nothing to create more hunger and thirst for righteousness. These pangs are the result of recognizing our poverty of spirit, experiencing the fullness of the Kingdom, following the Father into His plan for the redemption of the earth, and finding amazing comfort along the way. Each blessing builds on the next.
When we experience the kingdom, it makes us want more and more of what is right for us and for the world around us. It makes us long for everything as it was meant to be according to God’s design. This is perhaps the only one of many longings and desires we have that can be completely satisfied. The more we receive, the more we desire, the more we desire, the more He gives.
Think of all the things we desire in the world: wealth, happiness, food, sensual pleasure, recognition, achievement, relationships. The list could go on and on. The one thing they all have in common is that they will never bring us true satisfaction. God made us to hunger and thirst for what is right! It is the only desire that can bring us true fulfillment. When we do what is right and live in the kingdom, here and here alone, we find deep satisfaction, a blessing that settles deep within our hearts.
Jesus continues in Matthew 5:7…
7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
Once again, being merciful is not something we will into being. It is the Spirit in us and our life in relationship with Jesus that produces mercy in us. As we journey together with Him, we receive mercy that is new every day (Lamentations 2:22-23). The more we soak it in, receive it and recognize it, the more we can give it away. And the more we give it away, the more we experience mercy in action. It is the snowball effect.
In our relationship with the Father, He calls us into His Kingdom work, which is always about showing mercy to His people. When we get to continually witness God pouring out mercy to those around us, we grow in mercy. The more we see, the more we can receive. And the more we receive, the more we have to give away. What a blessing to be a bearer and recipient of mercy.
In Matthew 5:8, Jesus adds…
8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
One more time, what can we possibly do to purify our hearts? Nothing. We are poor in spirit. Purification is the work of the Spirit in us. When we look at all the other blessings of Matthew 5, we can see how being in the kingdom keeps us in the process of sanctification. It continually purifies our hearts.
God, the Spirit is present within us through it all, and the longer we walk in the kingdom, the more we see of God. We learn to recognize His voice. We learn to see Him at work. And most importantly, God chooses to reveal Himself to us in new and exciting ways. We see Him! There may be no greater blessing than to see and hear God, to be in tangible relationship with Him, to finally see Him.
Jesus continues in Matthew 5:9…
9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Peacemakers are literally poets of peace. They are those who carry an offering of SHALOM wherever they go, spreading the good news of the Kingdom, inviting people in, and seeing the SHALOM of the kingdom spread all around them.
In the full experience of the King and His kingdom, we are fully covered by SHALOM. We are so covered by SHALOM, surrounded by it, and filled with it, that we carry it with us. It is a part of us. We never depart from it. We become bearers of SHALOM, taking it with us and offering it wherever we go.
There is a subtle principle here that I first learned from Howard Hendricks, a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary: "You cannot impart what you do not possess." In other words, you cannot be a peacemaker until you are peace-bearer, until you carry it in you.
As bearers of peace and those who offer SHALOM, we are suddenly very close to the heart of God, so close that people around us will recognize that such a presence can only come from the power of God. People will see us as children of the King, children of God, as those who are so close to the King that everything in the kingdom and all the blessings of the King are ours.
Finally, Jesus says in Matthew 5:10 says…
10 "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
It could just as easily read, “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for living in the kingdom the way Jesus just described it, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”
There are many who feel persecuted for “being a Christian,” but that is not what Jesus meant. He was speaking specifically to those who were experiencing every aspect of the kingdom that He had just described in His blessings. It’s safe to say that if we are not living in the Kingdom in the way Jesus described it, then our persecution is not what He was talking about either. He was not talking about persecution you face because you disagree with people, or even because you take a stand for truth.
On the contrary, if we are living in the kingdom and wielding kingdom authority, it will put us right in the face of the enemy. When we are taking back ground from the enemy, bringing heaven to earth as the Father directs us, we will be persecuted. In fact, it is not too much to say, that if we are not being persecuted, we may not be living in the kingdom.
How can there be blessing even in persecution? How could this be possible? The answer is hidden in verse 10 and in the verses that come before it. There is blessing when we are persecuted for living in the kingdom because we are living in the kingdom. We are in relationship with Jesus. We have the Spirit of God in us. We get to see lives being changed. We get to experience the miracles of God. Nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus. And nothing, absolutely nothing can prevent us from living in and giving away the kingdom of heaven. It is here. It is now. This is the blessing of the kingdom.
WORSHIP: Today, worship Jesus as the one who blesses you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Take time to realize how much He loves to bless you and how wonderful it is to be blessed by Him, over and over and over again.
PRACTICE: Start with the first blessing and work your way through to the end. For each blessing, personalize it and ask the Father what it means for your life specifically. Write down anything revealed through the process.
MEDITATION: Ask yourself this today: How would your life be different if you received these different blessings offered by Jesus? Meditate on each blessing, and as you do, ask the Father to give you what you need to experience each blessing.
ABIDING: Go back and read through this teaching one more time. Ask the Father if there is anything in these passages specifically for you. Write down anything you hear from Him. Spend some extra time listening to see if He has anything more to say to you or if there is a deeper teaching for you today. Write down whatever you hear.