You’ve arrived on this page because you want to know more about the Beatitudes.  Here you will find explanations about the rest of these sayings—and a connection to my book which gives an in-depth look at all of them.   Read on.

Skip Moen

The next Beatitude reads: “Blessed are meek for they shall inherit the earth.”  But, once again, we need to think of this as a paradox.  The word for meek really means “oppressed.”  The most interesting thing about this root is that it carries the sense of being forced into submission or being inflicted with pain for punishment.  Only through extension does it come to mean a moral and spiritual condition, denoting the inner self-inflicted pain and humiliation of contrition.  Its initial sense lies in the arena of conflict, oppression and war.  It is even used as a description of what God does to His enemies and the “humbling” of captured women (a euphemism for sexual intercourse).  How can those who are oppressed (which is unlucky) inherit the earth?  This Beatitude is actually a quote from Psalm 37:11.  If you look at that Psalm, what do you discover about being oppressed or humbled?  What do you discover about your relationship with God when your life is a mess, when you feel as if everything is against you?

The word “inherit” is the Hebrew term for “allotment.”  We should remember God’s allotment of the Land to the tribes of Israel.  God guaranteed the division.  That’s what is behind this idea: God guarantees something.  Now ask yourself, when you face a life full of troubles and you believe in God, what does He guarantee?  Perhaps being lucky means having the right perspective on suffering.

Next is “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6).  In Hebrew, “hunger and thirst” describe a state of constant malnutrition.  It’s as if the text read “always hungry and always thirsty.”  This isn’t a one time event that can be satisfied with a good meal.  It’s slow starving.  What is that experience like?  How does it feel to be constantly without nourishment?  Does that feel like happiness?   No, of course not.  So Jesus uses this gnawing feeling to tell us something about our search for God.  Do you find yourself constantly hungering for God, constantly thirsting for His spirit?  If you do, then you know that the terrible feelings of not every being satisfied are really an insight into the spiritual dimension. 

What does this paradox tell us about God’s response?  The Beatitude says that these people, these unlucky ones, “will be filled.”  But the word here is derived from a word for “grass.”  What sheep eat?  Now ask yourself, what is it about being sheep that connects us to God’s provision?  Do you see the paradox?

Now let’s look at a Beatitude that seems to be just redundant.  “Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy” Matt. 5:7.  In this verse, we have the familiar opening pattern.  Makarios – Happy! Be joyful!  Jesus is making an announcement.  This is not a conditional command.  It is not a statement that says “You should be merciful so that you will get mercy.”  This is not a variation of the Golden Rule.  Jesus is announcing that those who are already practicing mercy are happy.  Literally, the phrase reads “Happy the merciful”.  There is an implied verb in the English translation but the Greek makes it clear that Jesus is proclaiming a statement of fact, not an invitation to action. 

Our English word “mercy” is a word taken from the legal context.  We imagine a courtroom scene.  The guilty person stands before a judge waiting to be sentenced.  He falls to his knees and begs for mercy.  He is asking that the sentence he deserves be set aside.  For us, mercy is about removing punishment.  But it didn’t always have this kind of meaning.  In the Greek culture, mercy was not a moral or legal consideration.  It was a psychological emotional response.  We are swept into the emotion of mercy when we come into contact with someone who is experiencing undeserved suffering.  Something in us responds to the plight of another.  We just can’t help it.  And this creates another problem in the Greek mind.  Mercy is connected with fear, the fear that what has happened to this person who has aroused my feelings of mercy might also happen to me.  Mercy is not a passion that is aroused when we see someone suffering because they deserved it.  We don’t feel sorry for them.  Actions have consequences.  If they are suffering because of justified consequences, then that is right.  No mercy is required.  It is undeserved suffering that births mercy in our souls.  And precisely because it is undeserved, we fear it.  Since there is no apparent reason for this tragedy, it also could happen to us. 

But Jesus quotes the Psalms, and in Psalm 37 there is a very special Hebrew word that was translated into Greek as “mercy,” but really means something much bigger.  That word is hesed.  We could learn a lot about that word, but for now let’s just notice that Jesus says those who are undeserving of mercy are the happy ones.  But this seems entirely backwards.  We might understand mercy for the innocent, but how do we feel about mercy for the guilty?  That doesn’t seem fair.  Another paradox.

In the same verse, Jesus draws a conclusion.  The connecting word is the Greek hoti. We usually translate it as “because”.  If I read the Beatitude with “because” in the translation, then I might conclude that the reason for the happiness Jesus announces is due to the fact that these people will receive like-kind action, that is, they will be rewarded for their mercy.  Therefore, they are happy because they know that they are going to get what they need.  They gave mercy to someone who didn’t deserve it and now they get mercy too. This would make the Beatitude a self-fulfilling moral law, the practice of delayed gratification. 

Fortunately, there is another reading.  Hoti after words of emotion such as joy, pity, sorrow or rejoicing (happy) can be translated “seeing that”.  That is to say, the first idea is built on the second, not the other way around.  This little change makes all the difference.  Now Jesus’ words do not say “Happy are those who willing give up what is rightfully theirs because they will be shown the same consideration later.” Instead, Jesus says, “Happy are those paying the price of being merciful.  They understand that they stand in need of mercy too.”  I don’t show mercy in order to be rewarded with mercy.  I show mercy as a result of knowing why mercy is essential for me.  It is the fact that I am a candidate for mercy that makes me willing to pay the price of mercy now.  It is not my reward; it is my obligation.  In other words, the paradox of mercy is that I must need it first before I can understand how important it is to give it to someone else.

Apply this to your own life.  Have you ever been in a position to offer mercy to someone who didn’t deserve it?  Did you respond out of empathy or did you recognize yourself in the shoes of the other?  Which way of thinking fits Jesus’ words?  What do you think God is asking of you?

“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” Matthew 5:8.  This seems like a straightforward saying.  If you want to see God, then be pure in heart.  But there are two big problems.  The first is that no one is that pure!  And the second is that no one can see God.  So, what in the world is Jesus talking about?

We have an English word that is the direct descendent of the Greek word used in this Beatitude.  But it isn’t “pure”.  The Greek word that is translated “pure” in this verse is katharós.  Our direct descendent in English is “catharsis”.  In both Greek and English, the meaning is really “purged” or “cleansed”.  It’s easy to see how it could be translated “pure” since that is the result of being cleansed or purged, but there is just the slightest shift in nuance.  That shift makes a difference.  If the word is “pure”, we immediately think of something that requires no alteration.  It is perfect in itself.  But “cleansed” immediately implies that it was once not acceptable and has now been altered.  Suddenly, this Beatitude is on new ground.  It is about an essential change in quality.

There are two Greek words that are translated “pure”.  One is katharós, the other is hagnos.  The background of katharós is ritual cleansing.  The background of hagnos is holiness (it comes from a word meaning “to stand in awe”).  It is immediately apparent that Jesus deliberately talks about purity in the sense of religious ritual, not about purity in the sense of holiness before God.  Why would he do this?  If Jesus is speaking about how lucky you are to be katharós, this means you’ve gone through the fire of being cleansed.  Most of us don’t think of that as a happy experience at all.  But Jesus does.  Why do you think he tells us that these people are the luckiest people in the world?

Jesus is not saying, “You are blessed because you have a clean heart and that gives you a ticket to see God”.  He is saying, “You happy people who have clean hearts”.  In other words, it is the clean heart that brings about happiness.  And, by the way, says Jesus, this state of happiness also means you are going to see God.

Now we come to the conclusion of this verse.  “See God.”  But even the Bible says no one can see God and live.  What could Jesus possibly mean?  Let’s look at that phrase “you shall see God”.  The verb is horáō.  Here it is future tense, middle voice.  This is an activity that has particular importance to the subject.  It is not “you will see” but rather “you will see for yourself”.  We have already noted that “seeing God” was considered a fearful thing.  Since everyone is unworthy, standing face to face with absolute holiness meant certain destruction.  In light of this fact, what could Jesus possibly mean?

Here’s a clue.  There are several Greek verbs for observing. Greeks have been called “people of the eye.”  Their approach to reality is primarily visual.  But Greek influenced by Hebrew thought is not simply about recording what is visible. The Hebrew influence requires that what is seen is also understood.  Jesus is saying that the pure in heart rejoice because they truly see.  The character of their inner spiritual eyes has been changed so that their perception discovers God in what they see.  In this sense, seeing itself is paradoxical.  It is entirely possible to “see” and not “see” at all.  Only those who look with invisible eyes actually see – and what they see is the invisible God.

Now what do you think Jesus is saying?  What about all those people who think life is just a series of accidents, or who don’t see any spiritual side of life?  They don’t see.  But you do?  Or do you?

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” Matthew 5:9. 

Who doesn’t want to have a peaceful life?  Just a little time off from the daily grind.  No more arguments with the kids or the spouse.  Just getting along with the boss or the employees.  Wouldn’t it be nice?  Peace and tranquility.  Life as a vacation.  It seems that this Beatitude fails to comply with the pattern of a macarism.  On the surface, there is no sacred paradox in this statement.  If you go about trying to make peace between men, God recognizes your efforts.  It’s a bit more than common sense because God’s blessing is usually not part of our common sense language.  But it looks like a far cry from the upside-down backwards thinking of the previous announcements of Jesus.  Is this really all that Jesus is saying? 

Unfortunately, this Beatitude is not about “having peace.”  It’s about making peace.  The root Hebrew word here is shalom.  When the Hebrew Old Testament was translated into Greek so that it could be read by converts throughout the Roman Empire, the word eirene was used to translate shalom.  But eirene had nothing to do with relationships between men while shalom had everything to do with relationships between men and God.  The result of this combination meant that the Greek word eirene added the three meanings of shalom.  “Peace” came to mean a state of well being that described the entire condition of men.  This peace was internal and permanent protection and salvation because it was given by God.  Even death could not disturb it.

To see the paradox here, we need to look at the use of this Greek word in the rest of the New Testament.  What we find is this:  eirene is almost always used in the deeper sense of salvation, but rarely used to describe the relationship between God and man.  It is salvation in the Rabbinic sense – the end of strife with God.  It is almost always a present condition, not a future hope.  The New Testament understands peace as the cessation of hostility with God through salvation provided by Christ.  Peace describes the state of the believer, assured of God’s grace, content with God’s authority.  Peace is directly connected with righteousness, safety, love, grace and glory. 

Now the real twist.  Jesus does not say that those who have this kind of peace are the lucky ones.  He says that those who make this peace for others are the lucky ones.  This means that Jesus’ idea of the happy person is the one who stands in the middle of the war, and brings peace to the warring parties.  This is the person who is shot at from both sides.

Have you experienced this?  Are you willing to be the peace-maker, the one in the middle?

And what is the result?  Well, if you standing between warring parties and bring peace to them, then you will be called “son of God.”  Why?  Think of “like father, like son,” and see if this fits? 

The last Beatitude is “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”  Matthew 5:10.  Now it seems as if we are back at the beginning.  “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven” is the same phrase in the first Beatitude.  But we know it should be “because of them the kingdom of heaven is (comes).”  So what does the first part of this sacred paradox mean?

Happy are those who are described by the Greek verb dioko.  Of course, we won’t understand what makes this a sacred paradox until we know the meaning of this verb.  There are two uses of dioko.  The non-religious use means, “to set in motion” or “to impel”.  It is a short step from that idea of the second use, “to persecute”.  In the New Testament, the second meaning predominates. 

Unfortunately, we will need to do a bit of grammatical digging before the treasure in this word is revealed.  In Jesus’ statement, the verb is a perfect passive participle.  The grammatical construction is important.  First, it is in the perfect tense.  The perfect tense in Greek expresses an action that has been completed in the past but has continuing consequences into the present.  This allows us to see the first characteristic of these “happy” people.  They have been persecuted for a long time, and the effects of that persecution have not stopped. 

Secondly, the verb is passive.  The active voice implies that the subject of the sentence is the one acting.  But the passive voice implies that something is done to the subject.  Persecution has been put upon these people.  They did not go looking for it.  They did not encourage it.  Others inflicted it upon them. 

Finally, the verb is a participle.  A participle is a verb that acts like an adjective.  Adjectives modify nouns.  That means participles describe additional characteristics of nouns.  Here is a participle, but where is the noun?  We have to add it to make sense of the Greek words.  The Greek text literally reads, “Happy the being persecuted”.  So we add “those” or “the ones”.  The action itself makes them the subject of Jesus’ statement. 

We think those who are persecuted for their stance of God are unlucky; certainly not happy.  But Jesus tells us just the opposite.  Now that you know who he describes, why do you think he says these are the luckiest people on earth?  What is it about constant persecution that is so important?  Jesus is speaking to those who are presently suffering under accusation, who are at this moment being driven out, who are oppressed by unjust punishment.  The results of this persecution have not ended.  Their lives are under the thumb of those who judge them.

Jesus qualifies this chase with an important addition: “For the sake of righteousness”.  We have encountered this concept in the fourth Beatitude.  The concept of righteousness is closely linked to the Hebrew concept of Law.  From the ten commandants to the laws given in Deuteronomy and Leviticus, God’s rule governed all aspects of life.  The Old Testament consistently affirms that God’s rule is the proper order of all life.  God Himself is the embodiment of righteousness.  Does this mean that you must embrace God’s instructions about life if you wish to see the kingdom arrive?  How would you do that?  Does this change the way you think about the instructions in the Old Testament?

Consider this: In this Beatitude, Jesus makes it clear that the persecuted are not only those who are beaten and tortured for their proclamation, “Jesus is Lord.”  The persecuted are those who have been denied access to God’s grace because of legalism.  The persecuted are those who have been driven out of God’s house because they didn’t dress right or because they didn’t say the right things or because their lifestyle didn’t fit.  The persecuted are those who have been excluded from fellowship with God because they didn’t say the right prayers or take the right posture, because they didn’t give enough or didn’t look the part.  The persecuted are those whose lives have been weighed down by taskmasters who should have been burden bearers.  The persecuted are those who have been abused, neglected or dismissed by someone too busy to be a steward of God’s love.  Wherever men have erected barriers between God and His children, Jesus applies this Beatitude.

What does this mean for your actions toward others?  Are you someone who opens arms toward those seeking God regardless of their present state, or are you someone who thinks others should “fit the bill” before receiving God’s grace?

The Beatitudes aren’t spiritual blessings.  They are descriptions of the characteristics of those who are given over to God.  They are the paradoxes of faith.  And they’re found in the happiest people alive, the ones who are

the destitute
the losers
the oppressed
the ones under judgment
the ones who don’t get what they deserve
the ones who aren’t good enough
the ones who put themselves at risk
the ones who are persecuted|

For a deeper study of all of these paradoxical sayings, CLICK HERE to order the book.

Or CLICK HERE for a brief 6-hour discussion into “The Beatitudes”.