Beatitudes: What are the traits of a blessed person?

Rosselli Bergrede - Sistine Chapel

Sermon on the Mount: 
Who are the blessed or the happy ones in the Kingdom of God?  Quite the opposite of the “carnal expectations cherished by the Jews” and oftentimes people today (Broadus, 88).

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1. poor in spirit: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:3). Contrary to the thinking of Christ's Jewish audience and modern prosperity theologians, worldly wealth serves as no indicator of God's favor. Instead, the “poor were more likely to share the privileges of the Messianic reign than the rich, because [they were] more likely to be humble and looking for the Messiah's coming,” because they are poor in spirit or pure in heart in that they are “conscious of their spiritual destitution” (Broadus, 88-89). In this sense, we  must continue to recognize the sinful people that we are, incapable of adding a single thing to our salvation except the sin which made Christ's atoning sacrifice necessary. By extension we must do away with anything that gives us the false impression that we can impress God by our works.
   
   
2. mourn: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). Contrary to the notion that everyone is basically good, Christ declared that those who truly recognize their mournful state of personal sin will be led to repentance. Then the struggling and suffering of others comes into true clarity for us to empathize (Howell, 92) and the gift of the cross revealed as our only solution. We must continue to see sin and evil as God sees them, as despicable and an indescribable rebellion. Only then can we truly feel regret and remorse for our fallen state and learn loathe and make war on sin in our lives and the lives of others.
   
   
3. meek: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Contrary to the common zealous view of the Jews that David's Kingdom would be restored in an ambitious, arrogant, and violent revolution, the Messianic king himself appeared as meek as promised by Isaiah 57:13/60:21 (Broadus, 90). The humble and considerate treatment of others taught by Christ is to mark His current and future reign of the earth. We must follow Christ's humble example, being stern in our  beliefs, but never harsh, being forthright in leadership but never tyrannical, and being just, but never vengeful (Howell, 92). In this way, we will be with Christ when He inherits the earth now, during the millennium, and eternity to come.
   
   
4. hunger and thirst for righteousness: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). Contrary to the desires for personal gain and advancement in this world, Christ calls us to seek righteousness as the hungry and thirsty seek sustenance. Since, justice and righteousness are also desires of God, those who share in His desires will see them fulfilled. In this way, we must seek after the Lord and His desires so that our actions reflect His righteousness through biblical morals & ethics and seeking social justice (Howell, 92).
   
   
5. merciful: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7). Contrary to man's felt need for revenge and impassivity, Christ calls man to be merciful to the guilty and also “pity for the suffering, and help to the needy” (since mercy includes the idea of compassion). However, this is not in the sense that being merciful is “grounds of receiving mercy from God” as if we could earn any favor from Him (Broadus, 91). Thus, we must learn to forgive those who wrong us, pushing away bitterness, and the notion that “God will judge them.” Instead, we must learn to adopt a complete attitude of mercy as Christ did and exemplified for us.
   
   
6. pure in heart: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). Contrary to the external purity that Jewish Pharisees displayed and modern Pharisees display to earn the approval of men, pure motives and pure character must gird our thoughts and feelings (Broadus, 91). Since there is no way for man to obtain purity by his own works, we can only nurture it by “an undivided focus on God and his Kingdom” (Howell, 93). We must be constantly wary that our actions, even good actions, can be sinister to the soul if our true intentions are self-serving. In this we must overcome delusions of grandeur and other prideful premonitions to serve God in the time, place, and way that He desires.
   
   
7. peacemaker: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). Contrary to the world's way of esteeming warriors and kingdom makers, the Messianic Kingdom elevates and recognizes those who reconcile enemies. The far more difficult task of bearing bitter complaint (from both sides), exercising self control, being patient, being lovingly tactful, and remaining impartial and unselfish is thus lauded as Godlike work and a noble achievement (Broadus, 92). We  must learn to put theological and social squabbles aside, learning to be a true “ambassador of vertical peace with God” via the proclamation of Christ's gospel and an “agent for horizontal reconciliation between people” to bring glory to God as His witness (Howell, 93).
   
   
8. persecuted for righteousness’ sake: "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (Matthew 5:10-11). Contrary to the notoriety and prosperity that some believers think is due them for claiming the Christian God, Christ alluded to and foreshadowed the persecutions that would come in His name. Thus, believers are called to make a “courageous stand for God's truth” even if it entails enduring unjust retribution from the powers that be (Howell, 93). We must prepare ourselves for the inevitable scorn of the world (e.g. from liberal academia) for holding onto the Truth, that is God's word. Furthermore, we must see that our faith is strong enough to endure any manner of worldly bombardment from financial ruin to bloody martyrdom.  
   

• Broadus, John A.. An American Commentary on the New Testament: Matthew. Valley Forge: The American Baptist Publication Society. 1886.  
  
• Howell Jr., Don N.. The Passion of the Servant. Eugene: Wipf & Stock - Resource Publications. 2009.