The Beatitudes & Attitudes
Matthew 5:3-10
June 6, 2026
by Pastor Bob Barnes
THE BEATITUDES: A BRIEF REVIEW
The Beatitudes are to be viewed through the lens of inaugurated eschatology, that living out the Beatitudes should be the goal of all believers but that they will be fully observed only after Christ has returned. They are primarily intended as an ethical model to be followed by the new citizens of the Kingdom community. (Already/Not Yet)
Makarios: supremely blessed, fortunate, well off, happy
In the Beatitudes, Jesus gives us a fuller picture of what it means to be blessed.
1. POOR IN SPIRIT (humility)
5:3, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Ptochos: to crouch, a beggar (as cringing), destitute
In Spirit: a dative of sphere, indicates the realm in which the person is poor
Blessed are those who are humble in spirit, are not proud, and acknowledge their utter dependence of God.
THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
The promise is present & future; the Already/Not Yet
The Humble: are citizens of the New Kingdom Christ has inaugurated, and will someday live in its fullness, in all its perfection, and where Christ rules and is honored as King.
2. THOSE WHO MOURN (sin-sorrow)
5:4, Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Pentheo: to grieve (the feeling or the act); mourn, (be-)wail.
Those who “groan under the burden of sorrow and guilt” and thereby turn to God for forgiveness and help.
Ignatius of Loyola: “Sin is unwillingness to trust that what God wants for me is only my deepest happiness.”
THEY WILL BE COMFORTED
Parakaleo: to call near, to invite, comfort, desire, exhort
When I confess my sin for what it is, and mourn over it, God is there to comfort me in my sorrow.
3. THE MEEK (gentleness)
5:5, Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Praus: mild, humble, gentle, soft; a soothing medicine or balm
The meekness Jesus describes here is our gentleness towards other people. It describes an attitude of being gentle in spirit, quiet, and tenderhearted.
Meekness is not weakness, but power under control.
THEY WILL INHERIT THE EARTH
In the Old Testament, the term “inheritance” was a reference to the Promised Land, but
here it is extended to the whole world. This is a promise for the future, not the present.
4. THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS (godly-craving)
5:6, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Peinao: to famish, to crave
Dipsao: to thirst for
Dikaiosune: equity (of character or act); justification; righteousness
Righteousness is a particularly important term for Matthew, especially in the Sermon on the Mount, and in that context it refers to right conduct in the eyes of God. So, here it means hungering and thirsting for doing what is right before God.
THEY SHALL BE FILLED
Chortazo: to gorge, feed, fill, satisfy (future tense)
5. THE MERCIFUL (compassion in action)
5:7, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Eleemon: compassionate (actively), merciful (present participle)
A study of biblical texts shows that the main purpose of God’s giving wealth to a person is not so that they can live luxuriously (though they can enjoy the blessing God has given them) but so that they can use that wealth to help the oppressed.
THEY SHALL RECEIVE MERCY
When we show mercy to others, we will receive mercy from God. (see Matthew 6:14-15; James 2:13)
6. THE PURE IN HEART (integrity / single-minded)
5:8, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Katharos: clean, clear, pure
Kardia: the heart (figuratively), the thoughts or feelings (mind)
This refers to those who are single-minded in their desire to live for God; their whole life is God-centered, and they seek to serve Him above all else. They love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and serve him with all their strength.
It is both an attitude of sincere loyalty to God and the action that results, namely, a wholehearted service of God.
THEY WILL SEE GOD
Horao: to stare at; to discern clearly (physically or mentally); to experience; behold, perceive, see, take heed.
7. THE PEACEMAKERS (reconciliation)
5:9, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Eirenopoios: pacificatory; peaceable.
Jesus is the supreme peacemaker, who reconciles human beings with God through the cross (Colossians 1:20).
Ephesians 2:14, For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall,
1. We have peace with God through Jesus.
2. That peace extends to our horizontal relationships, as the peace of God flows through us and into those around us.
“Jesus has in mind here primarily the healing of divisions in the community, so the primary thrust is reconciliation in the church and then between the church and the world.”
THEY WILL BE CALLED SONS OF GOD
They will be called: Divine Passive: “God will call them his children.”
8. THOSE PERSECUTED BECAUSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (courage)
5:10, Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The final beatitude centers on what the world gives to us, not what we give to others.
Dioko: to pursue; to persecute.
John 15-16: Premise 1: I and my followers are one; Premise 2: the world hates and persecutes me; Conclusion: the world will hate and persecute you.
2 Timothy 3:12, Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
When we do good to the people of this world, we cannot expect it back. When we follow the will of God and live as citizens of the kingdom, we will come into conflict with the world’s ways.
THEIRS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
As Believers, we not only belong to that kingdom now but are guaranteed to inherit it when Jesus ushers in the fullness of His Kingdom in the future.
THE BEATITUDES: APPLYING THEM
BARAKH: abundantly bless
BREICHA: a cistern; ancient water source, a spring, well. A source that flows outward, often feeding aqueducts that transported water miles away to water entire cities.
Genesis 1:22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”
Genesis 1:28a, God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.
BARAKH is about being plugged into the Source of life itself, like a cistern that fills until it has no choice but to overflow into the world around it.
John 4:13-14, Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 7:37-39a, On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.
BIG IDEA: The blessings of the Beatitudes are not things I seek only for my own benefit, but also for “us” (believers) and for “them” (unbelievers).
1. BE HUMBLE
5:3, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Am I living a life of utter dependency on God? Of Humbleness?
Where am I proud instead of humble, and what will I do about that?
2. MOURN MY SIN
5:4, Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
This begins Privately: before God. Confess my sin. Humble myself.
This is also Communal: Confess your sins to one another. (James 5:16)
3. BE GENTLE
5:5, Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
What might it look like in my relationships if I were meek, patient, kind, gently guiding and encouraging others, instead of bossing people around?
Who do I need to be gentle towards?
4. CRAVE LIVING RIGHT
5:6, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
How will I seek to let God fill me?
How will I overflow that satisfaction into my relationships?
5. PRACTICE MERCY
5:7, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
How can I prepare myself to show mercy today, wherever the need may arise?
Who, in my life, needs a Good Samaritan?
6. BE SINGLE-MINDED TOWARDS GOD
5:8, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
How might I grow (this summer) in a single-mindedness of following Jesus, and of loving God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength?
7. SEEK RECONCILIATION
5:9, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Who do I need to share the Gospel of Peace with?
How will I allow the peace of God to overflow from my life into the people around me?
Where might I need to stop fighting with someone and instead allow the Peace of God to rule?
8. BE COURAGEOUSLY RIGHTEOUS
5:10, Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Where do I need the courage to live boldly like Jesus today, even if it means I will be rejected and persecuted? Where do I need to let my confidence in my eternal inheritance strengthen me to live boldly right here, and right now?