Matthew 5:1-12a
Chapter 5
Sermon on the Mount: The Beatitudes
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. He sat down, and his disciples gathered around him.Then he spoke and began to teach them:
Fortunate are those who are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Fortunate are those who mourn; they shall be comforted.
Fortunate are the gentle; they shall inherit the land.
Fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied.
Fortunate are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.
Fortunate are those with pure hearts, for they shall see God.
Fortunate are those who work for peace; they shall be called children of God.
Fortunate are those who are persecuted for the cause of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Fortunate are you when people insult and persecute you and speak all kinds of evil against you because you are my followers.
Be glad and rejoice, for a great reward awaits you in God. That is how they persecuted the prophets who lived before you.
Commentaries
Sermon on the Mount: The Beatitudes.
The Sermon on the Mount (the first of Jesus’ five key discourses in this Gospel) is the Magna Carta of the new people of God. It should be read alongside Mount Sinai and Moses in the background (Ex 19) to understand the differences and contrasts. The discourse begins with the eight beatitudes that form the new program for the reign of God. They declare: “Blessed are the poor,” because in them the kingdom of God is already present as a gift and grace among us.
Jesus’ words mainly invite us to embrace poverty, suffering, detachment, hunger, and thirst for justice as “beatitudes.” As a result, material poverty becomes “poverty of heart” or trusting openness to the will and providence of the Father; suffering turns into messianic “consolation,” the only way to find meaning in pain and death; detachment becomes possession of the ‘inheritance’ of the earth; and hunger and thirst for justice become “hope” for the radical change that the Good News will bring.
These first four beatitudes might seem to provide an easy and false spiritualization of harsh reality with passive hope for vindication in a future God’s reign. But this is not true. These four are followed by four more beatitudes of action and dedication: commitment to mercy and solidarity; dedication to an honest and pure life; effort for peace and reconciliation; and perseverance in the face of persecution.