May 26, 2025; Matthew 5:1-12

Daily Dose of Hope

May 26, 2025

Day 1 of Week 8

 

Scripture - Matthew 5:1-12

 

Prayer:  Almighty God, We come to you today with humble hearts.  We are broken and we need you.  Help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you this morning.  Help us set aside distractions so we might hear your voice.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, help us just focus on Jesus...In Your Name, Amen.

 

Welcome back, everyone, to the Daily Dose of Hope, a Deep Dive into the Gospels and Acts.  Today, we begin the Sermon on the Mount, a block of Jesus’ teaching that is pretty life-changing; these are teachings that emphasize purity of heart.  While the Sermon on the Mount runs neatly from chapter 5-7 in Matthew’s Gospel, the reality is that this teaching probably took place over several days.  Matthew then organized it into sections and presented it in a way that he felt made the most sense, emphasizing the most critical parts of Jesus’ teaching.

 

I want us to think about to whom Jesus was speaking.  He was on a mountain, preaching mainly to Jewish farmers and laborers, people who had truly been hurt by the Roman oppression.  They are tired of being bullied, mistreated, and facing such a heavy tax burden.  Those who live in Galilee were often seen as unclean by the Pharisees and Sadducees, as well, because of their ethnic diversity.  These are people who are being hit hard from all sides.  They are eagerly awaiting the Messiah, the one who will save them.

 

The portion of Scripture we are covering today is called the Beatitudes.  The word “beatitude” means to be blessed.  And when we dig further, the term blessed is to be full of honor.  So, contrary to what culture says, Jesus is saying these specific groups are to be honored.  In the Kingdom of God, groups that would not normally be honored will be.  God’s economy is different.  That being said, who does Jesus say should be honored?

 

-The poor in spirit – This may include those who were economically poor (most of Jesus’ audience would have been) but also those who were socially poor, such as without family or standing.  When you were poor, you were not able to defend what was yours. The poor in spirit also indicates people who are humble, dependent on God, and have a desperate need for him. This would not have been a group that the culture at large would have found honorable at all, but Jesus says they will gain the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

-Those who mourn – In a society such as theirs, mourning would have been a fairly common experience.  Death and illness would be have been a regular occurrence. It is estimated that half of all children died before their first birthday.  The life e