The Beatitudes - Lesson 1: Introduction to the Beatitudes

The Beatitudes

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Beatitudes

Matthew 4:23-25; 5:1-12 [23] Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. [24] The report about him went out into all Syria. They brought to him all who were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, possessed with demons, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them. [25] Great multitudes from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and from beyond the Jordan followed him.

[1] Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him. [2] He opened his mouth and taught them, saying, [3] “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. [4] Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. [5] Blessed are the gentle [or meek], for they shall inherit the earth. [6] Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. [7] Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. [8] Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. [9] Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. [10] Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. [11] “Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. [12] Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

BEATITUDE

BEAT'ITUDE, n. [L. beatitudo, from beatus, beo. See Beatify.] 1. Blessedness; felicity of the highest kind; consummate bliss; used of the joys of heaven. 2. The declaration of blessedness made by our Savior to particular virtues.

"beatitude." Noah Webster's 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language. 2014. http://1828.mshaffer.com/d/word/beatitude (19 April 2014).

The main points for this lesson:

Introduce. The goal of this lesson is to introduce the words of Jesus often referred to as “The Beatitudes” found in Matthew 5:3-12, and some thoughts related to the whole. The goal of this lesson is not to explain in detail the meaning of each individual beatitude. (For a concise and simple explanation of the meaning of the eight beatitudes, I encourage you to read Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 5:3-12 at the bottom of this lesson.)

Beatitude. Jesus sat down on a mountain and spoke with his disciples. What he spoke on that occasion is found in Matthew 5-7 and is often called “The Sermon on the Mount.” The first thing Jesus spoke in this “sermon” is the “beatitudes.” (Some people count eight and others count nine beatitudes. For these lessons we will count eight.) The word beatitude comes from a Latin word that means happy or blessed. In these verses, Jesus tells us the way to be truly happy or blessed. The pleasures of the world are passing. God's happiness is lasting.

Happy – Who. Each beatitude shows us what kind of person will be happy (for example, a person who mourns, or a person who is pure in heart). We can choose what kind of person we want to be (we must choose to be peacemakers, or to be a meek person). This is true even for the eighth beatitude. While we cannot make someone persecute us, we can choose to live righteously or unrighteously, and we can also choose to continue or stop doing right when persecution comes.

Happy – Why. Each beatitude tells us why such a person will be happy. Those who mourn are happy or blessed because they will be comforted. The pure in heart are happy or blessed because they will see God. For all of these promised blessings, the world offers a substitute. Jesus offers an eternal kingdom to those who forsake riches for a life of lowly and humble obedience. The world offers happiness in an earthly kingdom to those who pursue wealth and rank in this life. Adam and Eve were the first of mankind to seek happiness in the earthly substitutes. They did not find what they were looking for.

Suggestions:

Open each lesson with prayer for the teacher and the students and this class time.

Begin by explaining what the beatitudes are and where they come from.

Talk about being happy, and what it means. Ask the children what they think are ways to be happy.

Read the beatitudes with the verses that lead up to them (Matthew 4:23 – 5:12). As you read through them, you could ask the children for each one, “what kind of person will be happy?” and “why will this person be happy or blessed?”

Based on the beatitudes, ask the children what are ways Jesus said to be happy.

Talk with the children about choosing to be the type of people mentioned in these verses. Hoping I have not made it too simple, I offer this illustration. Choosing to be the type of person who is happy or blessed in these verses is like choosing to play the piano. It is a choice you make at the beginning, and then it is an ongoing choice. You must choose to continue taking the lessons, and you must choose to practice between lessons. The initial choice and then the daily choices eventually lead a person to be able to play the piano well. In a similar way, we must choose to be meek initially. Then, we must choose to listen to God as he teaches us what meekness means, and we must choose to practice being meek in our daily life. Over time, by God's grace, we will become more and more meek.

Close the lesson with prayer related to the subject and the students. Pray the Lord's Prayer together.

Stories:

Read the beatitudes with the verses that lead up to them (Matthew 4:23 – 5:12).

More Stories and Examples:

This lesson contains no additional stories or examples.

Other Verses:

Luke 6:20-26 [20] He lifted up his eyes to his disciples, and said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. [21] Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. [22] Blessed are you when men shall hate you, and when they shall exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. [23] Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets. [24] “But woe to you who are rich! For you have received your consolation. [25] Woe to you, you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. [26] Woe, when men speak well of you, for their fathers did the same thing to the false prophets.

Psalm 128:1-6 [1] Blessed is everyone who fears Yahweh, who walks in his ways. [2] For you will eat the labor of your hands. You will be happy, and it will be well with you. [3] Your wife will be as a fruitful vine, in the innermost parts of your house; your children like olive plants, around your table. [4] Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears Yahweh. [5] May Yahweh bless you out of Zion, and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life. [6] Yes, may you see your children’s children. Peace be upon Israel.

Matthew Henry Concise Commentary – Matthew 5:3-12

3-12 Our Saviour here gives eight characters of blessed people, which represent to us the principal graces of a Christian. 1. The poor in spirit are happy. These bring their minds to their condition, when it is a low condition. They are humble and lowly in their own eyes. They see their want, bewail their guilt, and thirst after a Redeemer. The kingdom of grace is of such; the kingdom of glory is for them. 2. Those that mourn are happy. That godly sorrow which worketh true repentance, watchfulness, a humble mind, and continual dependence for acceptance on the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, with constant seeking the Holy Spirit, to cleanse away the remaining evil, seems here to be intended. Heaven is the joy of our Lord; a mountain of joy, to which our way is through a vale of tears. Such mourners shall be comforted by their God. 3. The meek are happy. The meek are those who quietly submit to God; who can bear insult; are silent, or return a soft answer; who, in their patience, keep possession of their own souls, when they can scarcely keep possession of anything else. These meek ones are happy, even in this world. Meekness promotes wealth, comfort, and safety, even in this world. 4. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are happy. Righteousness is here put for all spiritual blessings. These are purchased for us by the righteousness of Christ, confirmed by the faithfulness of God. Our desires of spiritual blessings must be earnest. Though all desires for grace are not grace, yet such a desire as this, is a desire of God's own raising, and he will not forsake the work of his own hands. 5. The merciful are happy. We must not only bear our own afflictions patiently, but we must do all we can to help those who are in misery. We must have compassion on the souls of others, and help them; pity those who are in sin, and seek to snatch them as brands out of the burning. 6. The pure in heart are happy; for they shall see God. Here holiness and happiness are fully described and put together. The heart must be purified by faith, and kept for God. Create in me such a clean heart, O God. None but the pure are capable of seeing God, nor would heaven be happiness to the impure. As God cannot endure to look upon their iniquity, so they cannot look upon his purity. 7. The peace-makers are happy. They love, and desire, and delight in peace; and study to be quiet. They keep the peace that it be not broken, and recover it when it is broken. If the peace-makers are blessed, woe to the peace-breakers! 8. Those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake are happy. This saying is peculiar to Christianity; and it is more largely insisted upon than any of the rest. Yet there is nothing in our sufferings that can merit of God; but God will provide that those who lose for him, though life itself, shall not lose by him in the end. Blessed Jesus! how different are thy maxims from those of men of this world! They call the proud happy, and admire the gay, the rich, the powerful, and the victorious. May we find mercy from the Lord; may we be owned as his children, and inherit his kingdom. With these enjoyments and hopes, we may cheerfully welcome low or painful circumstances.