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INTRODUCTION
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In Luke 6:20, Christ appears to be teaching that Christians need to be poor in order to enter the kingdom of God. But is that how that verse should be read? Could it be possible that some have read it wrongly? To address this question, some compare the Beatitudes in Matthew with the Beatitudes in Luke. Upon comparison, that reason that since Luke’s Beatitudes seem harder to accept and are apparently less explicit than Matthew’s, the more explicit should clarify the less explicit. That is, they suggest that Matthew’s Beatitudes should be used to explain Luke’s Beatitudes. On this view, being “poor in spirit” (Matt 5:3) is the correct interpretation rather than being materially poor (Luke 6:20). Others, however, argue the opposite: that the Beatitudes in Luke should be used to clarify the Beatitudes in Matthew – meaning that Jesus was teaching material poverty for all Christians and not merely being poor in spirit. Their view is that Christians need to be financially and materially poor in addition to being poor in spirit. So should the Beatitudes in Matthew be used to explain the one in Luke? Or should we see the matter in an entirely different light? Apart from the Beatitudes regarding poverty, we will also discuss other Beatitudes in both Matthew and Luke.
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ANALYSIS AND COMMENTARY
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THE BEATITUDES OF MATTHEW & LUKE ARE DIFFERENT SERMONS
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Matt 5:1 (NASB95) states:
(1) When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
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Luke 6:17 (NASB95) states:
(17) Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon
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Matt 5:1 and Luke 6:17 Commentary: It is clear that the Beatitudes in Matthew and the Beatitudes in Luke are not the same. In Matthew, Jesus went up on the mountain and sat down, whereas in Luke, Jesus came down from the mountain and stood on a level place. Going up on the mountain and sitting down is completely different from coming down from the mountain and standing up on a level place. The two sermons were given on two different occasions and in two different locations. They are not the same sermon. Readers should also notice that in Matthew, the crowds that followed Jesus came from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea and from beyond the Jordan (Matt 4:25), whereas in Luke, the crowds that followed Him came from Judea, Jerusalem, Tyre, and Sidon (Luke 6:17). Since they are different sermons given on different occasions, Bible commentators should not claim that both sets of Beatitudes are the same or that one should be used to “clarify” the other. Both sets of Beatitudes are important, and no one set should be used to nullify the other. So for example, blessed are the poor in spirit is different from blessed are you who are poor.
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POOR IN SPIRIT (MATTHEW) AND MATERIALLY POOR (LUKE)
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Matt 5:2-3 (NASB95) states:
(2) He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, (3) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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Luke 6:20 (NASB95) states:
(20) And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
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Matt 5:2-3 Commentary: The difference between Matthew’s Beatitudes and Luke’s Beatitudes is that, in Matthew, Jesus intended His teachings to be relevant to all His disciples across time. This is evidenced by Christ speaking mostly in the third person (Matt 5:1-10), with the exception of Matt 5:11-12). In Matt 5:11-12, Jesus spoke in the second person because He was comparing the persecution of the Old Testament (OT) prophets with that of His disciples. In the second half of Matt 5:12, Jesus said, “for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” So Jesus had to speak in the second person; otherwise, the meaning would not be the same, because the 12 apostles and His earliest disciples were all Jewish. The words “before you” referred to the OT prophets. We will discuss Matt 5:11-12 further later. In Luke, however, Jesus was speaking in the second person directly addressing His disciples who were in front of Him and within His field of vision. Evidence of this can be found in Luke 6:20, there it states that Christ’s gaze was toward His disciples. We will also explain more about this in the following commentary. Here in Matthew, Jesus said that the poor in spirit are blessed because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. So what does “poor in spirit” mean? First, the word “spirit” does not refer to the immaterial entity of the person; that is, it is not referring to the human ghost, but rather that the person’s “mindedness,” his attitudes toward how he lives in life. Second, the word “poor” does not refer to being low on cash or poor in terms of wealth and riches, but to being low in quantity. For example, a “poor” harvest means a lower-than-expected amount of crops produced, or a poor exam result means achieving a low score that is below expected standards. Thus, if we combine the two meanings – “poor” as low in quantity and “spirit” as his mindedness – then the words “poor in spirit” will mean “lowly minded.” In other words, blessed are the lowly minded, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Isa 57:15 tells us the God dwells with the contrite and lowly of spirit. As for those who are proud, they are an abomination to the Lord, and they will not be unpunished (Prov 16:5). So even as we conform to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29), what kind of Person is He? He is gentle and humble in heart (Matt 11:29). How, then, can His disciples not also be gentile and humble in heart?
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Luke 6:20 Commentary(I): Now let us look at a similar saying by Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. Similar to the situation recorded in Matthew, large crowds were following Him. However, if we look at Luke 6:17 again, it is clear that not only were there many people following Him, but Luke also recorded that a large crowd of His disciples was with Him. With so many disciples, it should be safe to assume that they had different levels of material well-being among them. Some were poor and some were rich. With this in mind, we read that Jesus turned His gaze toward His disciples and began the first Beatitude saying, “Blessed are you who are poor…” Jesus was speaking directly to His disciples who were poor, not the rich ones – Jesus had different words for His richer disciples as we shall see later. This should immediately clear up any possible confusion that Jesus requires all His disciples to be materially poor, for Jesus did not say, “Blessed are those who are poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” He said, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” The word “yours” in Greek is humeteros which means, “pertaining to you.” Jesus was speaking only to His poorer disciples who were with Him at that time. Thus Luke 6:20 is not likely to be relevant to anyone other than His poorer disciples who were within His field of vision at that time. Furthermore, just because a person is materially poor does not automatically mean that he is saved. A person addicted to gambling who hates Christ could have lost everything due to his gambling. He is certainly very poor since everything he had is gone, but is he saved? Definitely not. It is well established that a person who inherits the kingdom of God must be a true believer of Christ. Therefore, Luke 6:20 cannot be taken out of context and applied to just any poor person. Since Jesus was speaking only to His materially poor disciples and not referring to all His disciples of all time, does that mean that all Christians can or should be materially rich? Should Christians start dreaming about “their best life now”? It is not a sin to be rich, but it would be inadvisable, highly unwise, and even dangerous for any true believer to be materially rich. It is bad enough if wealth has come to him through inheritance or other obligations so that he has no choice but to be rich; it is much worse if he is striving to be rich or even richer that he currently is (1 Tim 6:9-10). Thus, it is good if a disciple can be neither rich nor poor (Prov 30:7-9). If he is poor, then Luke 6:20 will very likely apply to him as well. But what is considered rich? A below-average income earner of today in a wealthy city lives a much better life than King Solomon did because of modern-day conveniences and amenities such as air-conditioning, sanitary and plumbing systems, access to medicines, instant lighting on demand and so on. But is he richer than King Solomon? He may not be richer, but his life is far more comfortable than Solomon’s, that is for sure. Riding on a fine horse or chariot, exposing himself to changing weather surely cannot be compared to the comfort and stability of an old used car with shock absorbers, and rubber tires. So then, what is a rich man? A rich man in a poor city, could well be an average person in a rich city. Or a poor person of today in a rich city could be even richer than, or at least much more comfortable than, Abraham of the past. Therefore, in most cases, it would not be accurate to decide what is rich or poor purely on the basis of the amount of net assets a person has. It has to be measured against the people around that person, and those people surrounding him must be of the same era or period, and in the same location. So when the Bible talks about a rich person or a poor person, it is making a comparison of that person’s material well-being relative to the people around him. For example, if a person has excessive amounts of food, clothing, water and luxury goods while his neighbors have barely enough of food and clothing, then that person is considered rich. It does not matter if another person in another city is far richer than he is. Let us now take a look at why being rich is problematic.
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Luke 6:20 Commentary(II): In Luke 18:24-25, Jesus looked at the rich young ruler and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” Why did Jesus say it is hard for the rich to gain eternal life? We believe the answer can be seen in the Parable of the Sower. Jesus said in Luke 8:14, “The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.” So we see that such people have no initial issue with the gospel that saves them. But their worries, their riches and their pursuit of pleasures in this life choke the word of God that was planted in their hearts. When this happens, Scripture tells us that no fruit will be brought to maturity. Matthew 13:22 and Mark 4:19 use the words, “it becomes unfruitful.” The word “fruit” refers to a person’s observable behavior in every word and action of his life. Hence, being unfruitful means that the word of God sown in his heart did not cause any lasting or observable change in him. Being unfruitful in this context has consequences. Those who are unfruitful will be removed (Matt 3:10, John 15:2). In the Parable of the Talents, the worthless slave who did nothing with the talent (the word of God) that was given to him, was cast into outer darkness (Matt 25:24-30). It is clear from Scripture that riches are one of the key factors that has the ability to choke the word of God in a person’s life, leading to unfruitfulness and eventually eternal damnation.
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Luke 6:20 Commentary (III): To summarize Luke 6:20, it seems to us that this verse is not directed at anyone other than the poor disciples of Christ who were in front of Him at that time. Nonetheless, as we have already explained, it is highly inadvisable for today’s disciples of Christ to be materially rich. It is even worse if a person strives to make himself richer than he already is. As for believers who are already rich, we are not saying that they should sell all their possessions and give to the poor before following Christ. Christ’s instruction to sell all possessions in Mark 10:21 and Luke 18:22 was given only to the rich young ruler, not to all believers. Readers should note that the rich young ruler was not only rich but extremely rich (Luke 18:23). It should not be hard to imagine the number of “thorns” he had that were choking the word of God in his life (Luke 8:14). The richer a person is, the more thorns there are. Thus, it is better to be neither rich nor poor (Prov 30:7-9). That said, Christ did tell His disciples to sell their possessions and give to charity (Luke 12:33). So should all disciples of Christ sell everything in order to follow Christ? Readers should understand that Jesus did not tell His disciples to sell all their possessions, but to sell their possessions (implying some possessions but not all of them). If Christians sell everything they have to give alms (KJV uses the word ‘alms’) that is money or food given to poor people, then they themselves (those who earlier gave alms) will soon be the ones who need alms in return because they themselves have become poor. Do they then ask those to whom they gave alms, to give alms back to them since Luke 12:33 specifically says to give to charity (the poor and the needy)? Therefore, it does not make sense for Christians to give away everything. Fervent and zealous givers of personal wealth need to know that the maximum they should give is the amount that does not make them poor. Of course, if they give with the intention of becoming destitute (which is not commanded by Christ), they have the freedom to do so. To recap, the reason those poor disciples are blessed is because they have none of the worries, riches and pleasures of this life to choke the word of God planted in their hearts (Luke 8:14 and 6:20). So therefore, readers should understand that Luke 6:20 and Luke 12:33 is not an instruction from Christ to all His disciples to sell everything they possess. If readers are not convinced, they can read Luke 19:8-9 and Luke 19:2. Zaccheus was a rich man, who gave away half his possessions and whoever he had defrauded, he was aiming to give back 4 times as much. Clearly, he did not give away everything, yet Luke 19:9 tells us that Zaccheus is saved.
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THOSE WHO MOURN (MATTHEW) & THOSE WHO HUNGER AND WEEP (LUKE)
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Matt 5:4 (NASB95) states:
(4) “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
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Luke 6:21 (NASB95) states:
(21) Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
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Matt 5:4 Commentary: It is difficult to understand this verse by looking at it in isolation. Verse 4 by itself does not tell readers the purpose of expressing sorrow. For whom should one mourn, and for what purpose? Therefore we have to go back to the previous verse, which says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” This is the only clue to understanding why Jesus said what He said in verse 4; that is, the purpose of mourning must be related to verse 3. This means that the purpose of mourning is connected to being poor in spirit. Earlier, we explained that being poor in spirit means being lowly minded. Isaiah 57:15 tells us that God dwells with the contrite and lowly of spirit. To be contrite is to be remorseful upon recognizing that one has done wrong or has sinned against God. So instead of being arrogant, smug, and self-righteous, all disciples of Christ should walk humbly before God with a contrite heart. A good example of this can be found in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14), especially in verse 13, where we see the tax collector being contrite and lowly minded, asking God to be merciful to him because of his sins against Him. Thus, blessed are the lowly minded, the contrite and those who mourn in true repentance for their sins against God. In their true repentance, they shall be forgiven and be comforted by God. Isaiah 57:15 tells us that He will revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.
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Luke 6:21 Commentary: We have discussed earlier that Jesus had a large crowd of His disciples with Him (Luke 6:17). And here it is written that some of them were hungry and some were sorrowful. Jesus said, “Blessed are you who hunger now” and “Blessed are you who weep now.” But why were some of them hungry and some weeping? It does not make sense to say that just because a disciple of Christ is hungry, he will be satisfied, or just because he is weeping, he will start laughing. There are bound to be moments when a disciple weeps for some reason or becomes hungry at some point in life. Will such a disciple then suddenly becomes satisfied or suddenly start laughing? Obviously not. Clearly, as we mentioned in our commentary on Matthew 5:4, the only way to find out why Jesus said what He said here in Luke 6:21 is to go back to the previous verse. In Luke 6:20, Jesus, looking at His disciples, said, “Blessed are you who are poor…” It can be seen that Jesus was referring to His materially poor disciples (and not His richer ones), so the situation in Luke 6:21 continues from Luke 6:20. That is to say, those disciples who were hungry and weeping were very likely so because they were materially poor. The Greek word for “poor” in Luke 6:20 is “ptochos,” which means very poor or destitute. So Jesus tells His materially poor disciples who were hungry and sorrowful that they are blessed because the time will come when they will be satisfied instead of going hungry, and will laugh instead of weep. We are all familiar with how Jesus fed the 5000 (Luke 9:12-17), healed the sick (Matt 15:30), had the ability to cast out demons (Matt 8:16), and even raised the dead (John 11:43-44). And we must emphasize this: Jesus even produced money from the mouth of a fish (Matt 17:27). So whatever issues His materially poor disciples may have had, Jesus had absolutely no problem solving them instantly. But Jesus knew that the main problem still existed, and that was that all His disciples were still physically in the world. The satisfied will get hungry again. The healed will still die of old age when their time comes. Whatever Christ could do for His disciples was ultimately still temporary as long as they remained in the world. So, just the earlier verse in Luke 6:20 points them to the coming kingdom of God, this verse, Luke 6:21, also refers to the time when their Lord returns. Christ wanted them to look forward to the future when God Himself will wipe away every tear from their eyes (Rev 21:3-4). The time will come when they will not be hungry anymore and instead of weeping they will be joyous!
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THOSE WHO ARE GENTLE AND MEEK (MATTHEW) – for this verse in Matthew, there is no comparable beatitude in Luke
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Matt 5:5 (NASB95) states:
(5) “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.
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Matt 5:5 Commentary: In the KJV, the word “meek” is used instead of “gentle.” In Greek, the words for “gentle” or “meek” is “Praus.” Praus means gentle, meek, or humble. Again, in order to better understand this verse, it is helpful to look at the first Beatitude in Matthew. Otherwise, what kind of gentleness or meekness is Christ referring to? Is it the weak and timid kind, or the soft and delicate kind? The first Beatitude in Matthew 5:3 is, “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” We explained earlier that to be poor in spirit is to be lowly minded. Being lowly minded does not mean cowardly. Rather, it means walking before God in humility and never arrogant, conceited or intimidating towards others, knowing that it is only by His grace that one is saved. Matthew 11:29 tells us that Christ is gentle and humble in heart, and He tells us to learn from Him. Is Christ a cowardly pushover? Can anyone with the ability to destroy the entire universe with one word be weak and timid, soft and delicate, or cowardly? Therefore, if we look at Christ, we do not see Him as a Person without a spine or as someone with a weak character. Rather, we see Him in a relentless determination to be obedient and humble before God, even to the point of death (Phil 2:8). Thus, if Christ is humble, meek and gentle, then His disciples, who are also His brethren, will and must become conformed to His image (Rom 8:29). Through Christ, His disciples are children of God because they are led by the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:14). Blessed are His disciples because they follow Christ, who is Himself gentle and humble in heart. Not only will they inherit the earth, but they will also be heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17). So, the gentleness and meekness to which Christ refers stem from obedience and humility before God – not from being soft and delicate, and certainly not from being weak and timid. It is the kind of gentleness that requires patience and trust in God, trusting that He knows exactly what He is doing and that this includes repaying those who deserve it in His time (Rom 12:19).
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THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS (MATTHEW) – for this verse in Matthew, there is no comparable beatitude in Luke
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Matt 5:6 (NASB95) states:
(6) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
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Matt 5:6 Commentary: This verse is not referring to the earning of salvation through righteous deeds. Salvation cannot be earned because it is a gift from God. But after a person is saved, he will instinctively want to do good works because he is God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. Please see Eph 2:8-10. In fact, as he grows spiritually in Christ, he will find it more and more difficult to sin and harder to avoid practicing righteousness. First John 3:10 tells us that anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God. Therefore, only those who are born of God will truly hunger and thirst for righteousness. If a person is physically hungry and thirsty, he will be satisfied with food and water. Similarly, if a person hungers and thirsts for righteousness, he will be satisfied with righteousness – that is, by the righteousness practiced by others around him, and even more so when he himself is practicing righteousness. But what kind of righteousness? Those mentioned in Scripture are the kinds recognized by God. There are numerous verses in Scripture describing righteousness; one good example is (1 Pet 3:10-12). The Lord knows who the righteous are and who is practicing evil, and they will be repaid. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil (1 Pet 3:12).
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THOSE WHO ARE MERCIFUL (MATTHEW) – for this verse in Matthew, there is no comparable beatitude in Luke
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Matt 5:7 (NASB95) states:
(7) “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
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Matt 5:7 Commentary: Mercy is essentially compassion in action toward the suffering and misfortune of others. It includes forgiving debts, showing kindness, and alleviating distress. The Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37 is a good example of mercy in action toward a neighbor. However, the passage in Luke 6:27-36 takes it even further to include enemies, ungrateful men, and evil men. That passage ends with Jesus telling His disciples in verse 36, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:36 is important because without it, the whole passage in Luke 6:27-35 seems as though Jesus was telling His disciples to aspire to be spinless doormats when He told them to offer the other cheek, let others take away their possessions without resistance, among other things. But we emphasize that Jesus did not tell His disciples to be doormats because showing mercy or being merciful is always shown from a higher position to a lower one. The good Samaritan was in a much better situation than the one who fell among robbers. So, for those who are saved to show mercy to others, especially their enemies, ungrateful men, or evil men, is not unlike the situation of the Good Samaritan. This is because those who are saved are in an infinitely better situation that those who are not saved. And who knows whether, in helping such people, however evil or ungrateful they may be, they might repent and turn to Christ? With regard to unbelievers showing mercy, we emphasize that just because an unbeliever is merciful to others several times in his life, it does not mean he is going to receive mercy on the last day, especially if he is unrepentant and continues to be a unbeliever. For salvation is not by works (Eph 2:8-9). Invariably, true believers will conform to the image of Christ because they were predestined to become conformed to His image (Rom 8:29). So, because Christ is merciful, they will also follow His example and be merciful as they grow in Christ day by day. And because all of Christ’s disciples will eventually be merciful, they will receive mercy on the last day. Therefore, blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy, especially on the last day.
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THOSE WHO ARE PURE IN HEART (MATTHEW) – for this verse in Matthew, there is no comparable beatitude in Luke
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Matt 5:8 (NASB95) states:
(8) “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
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Matt 5:8 Commentary: The Greek word for “pure” in Matthew 5:8 is “katharos,” which means clean and clear, without contamination – that is, without being contaminated by sin. The word “heart” does not refer to the four-chambered organ that pumps blood, but to the mind of the person – that is, the mind of his inner man (his human spirit), not the physical brain of his body. Thus, Matthew 5:8 can be understood as: “Blessed is the person whose mind is not contaminated by sin, for he shall see God.” But some may ask, “How is a person’s mind contaminated by sin?” Jesus tells us in Mark 7:21-23 that from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. These are the things that defile a person. So how can a person be pure in heart? Those who are pure in heart set their minds on the things of the Spirit and not on the things of the flesh (Rom 8:5), and they walk according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh (Rom 8:4). But who are the ones who do these things? Who are these people who go out of their way to walk according to the Spirit and set their minds on the things of the Spirit, purposefully? Who are those who, day in and day out, endeavor unceasingly to be holy just as He is holy (1 Pet 1:15-16)? Again, they are those predestined to be saved before the world was created (Eph 1:4-5, Rom 8:29-30). They are the ones who are called the children of God. When Christ comes back for them, they will become like Him and see Him just as He is (1 John 3:2). When 1 John 3:2 says that the children of God will be like Him, it means that they will become imperishable and eternal (1 Cor 15:52-53), just as He is imperishable and eternal. Exodus 33:20 tells us that no man can see His face and live. But when the saved are made imperishable, they will be able to see Him and not perish. Therefore, the pure in heart are those who set their minds on the things of the Spirit and walk according to the Spirit.
2.29
THOSE WHO ARE PEACEMAKERS (MATTHEW) – for this verse in Matthew, there is no comparable beatitude in Luke
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Matt 5:9 (NASB95) states:
(9) “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
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Matt 5:9 Commentary: There are a few issues regarding the interpretation of this verse. First, we wish to say again that just because an unbeliever is a good peacemaker, does not mean he is going to be saved and be called a son of God. He must still repent of his sins and wholeheartedly turn to Christ. Additionally, to be a son of God, he has to be chosen from before the world was created, that is, before he himself existed (Eph 1:4-5). If a person was chosen before he existed, how could he work his way to salvation (Eph 2:8-9)? So there is no way that a talented peacemaker can practice his peacemaking skills to achieve sonship. Clearly, Jesus was not telling His hearers how to achieve sonship by being peacemakers; rather He was telling them how all God’s children would not only strive for peace but would also be peacemakers whenever God gives them the opportunity. Simply put, not every peacemaker is a son of God, but all sons of God are peacemakers. This leads us to another issue: what, then, is a peacemaker? Generally, a peacemaker is a person who actively works to restore harmony between two opposing sides. One example would be those proclaiming the gospel. 2 Corinthians 5:20 tells us that those who proclaim the gospel are ambassadors for Christ, appealing to those who hear to be reconciled to God. This situation is between God and man. But what about being a peacemaker between two conflicting sides, both of which are people? To this we say that not every situation can be remedied, not even when the peacemaker does his utmost. This is because there will be situations in which Christ Himself is the One who brings the divisions among men. When there are unbelievers among the members of a believer’s household, he should expect division not peace (Matt 10:34-36, Luke 12:51-53). Thus, the role of the Christian peacemaker is not so much concerning this world or those who are of this world. The world will continue to pursue the things of this world; there is not much the Christian peacemaker can do there. Nonetheless, if any who are of this world decides to repent and turn to Christ, the Christian peacemaker who is an ambassador for Christ, can be there to disciple him and assist him in reconciling with God. But more importantly, we believe the Christian peacemaker’s key role is to strengthen the unity within the body of Christ (1 Cor 1:10-11). If there are disagreements between brethren, the peacemaker can be an instrument of reconciliation. He goes about his peacemaking work with humility and gentleness, and he is not led by his own impulses, but led by the Holy Spirit. Those who are led by the Holy Spirit, these are sons of God (Rom 8:14). All His disciples must love one another as He has loved them (John 13:34). In a nutshell, all sons of God are peacemakers, but not all peacemakers are sons of God.
2.32
THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS (MATTHEW) – for this verse in Matthew, there is no comparable beatitude in Luke
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Matt 5:10 (NASB95) states:
(10) “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs in the kingdom of heaven,
2.34
Matt 5:10 Commentary: Again, we wish to reiterate that just because an unbeliever is persecuted for a few of his deeds that could have been viewed by God as righteous, it does not mean that he is going to inherit the kingdom of heaven. Righteous deeds or suffering for those righteous deeds cannot replace true repentance and turning to Christ. Thus, unbelievers, because of their unbelief, are still condemned (John 3:18 NKJV), and because they are condemned, they will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, Matthew 5:10 is applicable only to those who are saved. So, what does it mean for Christians to be persecuted for the sake of righteousness? It is when they are subjected to hostility and ill treatment because of righteousness, because they persist in speaking and doing what is right in God’s sight. What, then, are righteous deeds in His sight? We have previously commented that they are many verses in Scripture describing righteousness. But let us examine 1 Pet 3:10-12, as it gives a good overall view of what righteousness is in His sight.
- 1 Pet 3:10-12 (NASB95) states: (10) For, “The one who desires life, to love and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit. (11) “He must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. (12) “For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
1 Pet 3:10-12 tells us that righteousness involves watching carefully how we speak, turning away from evil, doing good, and pursuing peace. Do we tell lies? Are we sensible and reasonable in what we say? Do we deceive others? Are we truthful and honest and all times? If we love our neighbor, would we plan and carry out evil acts against them? Would we ignore them when they are in need? And if we love God, would we do evil, knowing full well that He sees and knows all things? So it is clear to us that if we obey the commandments as spoken of by Christ, that is, if we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength; if we love our neighbor as ourselves; and if we love one another (among believers) as He has loved us (Matt 22:37-40, Mark 12:30-31, and John 13:34), we would be pursuing after righteousness, that is, His righteousness. For His commandments are righteousness (Ps 119:172). Who, then, would seek to obey His commandments? It is His sheep. Only His sheep hear His voice (John 10:26-27). His sheep are the only ones who will persevere in the path of righteousness even when they are persecuted. Only His sheep will endeavor and strive to obey His commandments. Only His sheep will be saved. And only His sheep will inherit the kingdom of heaven.
2.35
THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED FOR CHRIST (MATTHEW & LUKE)
2.36
Matt 5:11-12 (NASB95) states:
(11) Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. (12) Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
2.37
Luke 6:22-23 (NASB95) states:
(22) Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. (23) Be glad in the day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.
2.38
Matt 5:11-12 Commentary: According to Christian tradition, all the apostles of Christ (including the apostle Paul) were martyred except John, the son of Zebedee (the one who wrote Revelations). Apostle John was the only one who died of old age. Nonetheless, John was persecuted and was exiled to Patmos, before dying naturally in Ephesus. Today, there are Christians still being martyred for their faith around the world, but based on what we have read in the news, most Christians today suffer significantly less persecutions compared to those in the early church. But if persecution happens today where we are, should Christians remain still and suffer so that their rewards may be greater in heaven? No. In fact, they should escape to another place, if possible. In Matthew 10:23, Christ told His disciples that if they were persecuted in one city, they should flee to the next. We see this in the case of apostle Paul, who escaped by being let down in a basket through a window in the wall (2 Cor 11:32-33). In any case, those who are unable to escape persecution are assured by Christ that their sufferings for Him will be rewarded. On another issue, some may have noticed that Jesus switched from speaking in the third person (Matt 5:3-10) to the second person in verses 11-12. Instead of saying, “Blessed are those…” or ‘Blessed are the gentle,” and so on, He said, “Blessed are you…” Was Jesus referring only to His disciples in front of Him at that time, or do Matt 5:11-12 refer to any Christian from the centuries past up to the present? In our view, a literal interpretation of Matt 5:11-12 would have to be the former; that is, Jesus was specifically speaking only to His disciples in front of Him at that time. Of course it does not mean that Christians who have suffered throughout history for His sake will not be rewarded. Other verses in Scripture, apart from Matt 5:11-12, tells us that all disciples of Christ throughout the ages who suffer persecution because of Him will be rewarded (Rev 2:10-11, Rom 8:17-18, 1 Pet 4:12-13, Heb 10:34, and Rev 20:4).
2.39
Matt 5:11-12 Commentary (II): So what was His reason for switching from speaking in the third person to the second person? Would it not be easier to continue in the third person to cover all of His disciples across the ages? Let us discuss this. Jesus said in verse 11, “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you…” Who are the “you” in verse 11? Obviously, the “you” refers to His Jewish disciples who were right in front of Him at that time. And who are these “people” who would insult and persecute them? Jesus identified them in verse 12: “…for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” So, the people who would later persecute them are the same kind of people who persecuted the prophets who came before them. Of course, it is not possible that their persecutors are physically the same ones who persecuted the prophets some 500 to 700 years before the time of Jesus’ ministry. So, who was Jesus actually referring to? According to Matt 23:29-32, it is clear the Jesus was referring to the Jewish religious leaders. This, then, is the reason Jesus switched from speaking in the third person to the second person. He was telling His disciples who were in front of Him that the religious leaders of Israel will persecute them just as their ancestors or predecessors did to the Old Testament prophets.
2.40
Luke 6:22-23 Commentary: Compared to the Beatitudes in Matthew, Luke records Jesus speaking in the second person from the very beginning. In Luke 6:20, it states that Jesus turned His gaze towards His disciples before saying, “Blessed are you…” Therefore, a strict interpretation of the text would require that He was speaking directly to His disciples within His field of vision at that time, rather than universally to all Christians throughout history. This is not to say that Christians who have suffered throughout history for His sake will not be rewarded; rather, it is to say that Luke 6:22-23 refers not to all Christians, but only to those who were in front of Him at that time. Please see our commentary on Matt 5:11-12 for verses relating to rewards for all Christians who were persecuted for His sake. As for the identities of those who would persecute His disciples – that is, the disciples who were within His field of vision at that time – our view is the same as what we have discussed on Matt 5:11-12. Luke 6:22 tells us that men would hate His disciples and persecute them. Verse 23 identifies these men as the descendants of those who persecuted the Old Testament (OT) prophets. Therefore they would have to be primarily the religious leaders of Israel. Let us look at the verses again. Verse 22 states, “Blessed are you when men hate you…” Who are these men? Verse 23 states, “…For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets.” So the men that would hate His disciples, had fathers who treated the OT prophets the same way. These men are the religious leaders of Israel: the scribes and the Pharisees. Jesus made this clear in Matt 23:29-32.
2.41
WOE TO YOU WHO ARE RICH (LUKE) – for this verse in Luke, there is no comparable beatitude in Matthew
2.42
Luke 6:24 (NASB95) states:
(24) But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full.
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Luke 6:24 Commentary (I): We wish to reiterate that Jesus was speaking directly to His disciples within His field of vision at that time, so readers should not think that Jesus was speaking to all Christians across the ages. Please note that Jesus did not say, “But woe to those who are rich…” He said, “But woe to you who are rich…” He was speaking in the second person. Nonetheless, this message from Christ is for all Christians to discuss and adopt as necessary, even if the “woes” were not directed at them. The word, “woe” means misery, grief and great distress. If you paraphrase Luke 6:24 it would be: “Misery, grief and great distress is coming to you who are rich, because you are having a comfortable time now.” Why did the Lord say that? Was He against anyone who was rich? From what we understand, that is not likely. If the Lord were against the rich, He would have said, “Woe to you, rich Zaccheus!” But instead, He said, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” Please see Luke 19:1-10 for the storey of Zaccheus conversion. Luke 19:8 tells us that Zaccheus was willing to repay four times the amount to anyone he had defrauded, and besides that, he was also prepared to give half his possessions away to the poor. That is a great deal to give away, but Scripture does not tells us whether he remained rich after giving away so much. In our estimation if Zaccheus had not defrauded too many people before his conversion, it seems that he was at least, neither rich nor poor, because he still retained slightly less that half of his original possessions. It is good to remember that Zaccheus, before his conversion and repentance, was a rich man (Luke 19:2). As mentioned earlier in Luke 6:20, riches are not intrinsically sinful, but wealth exerts a powerful influence on a person’s life. So powerful that it has the ability to choke the word of God planted in a person’s heart (Luke 8:14) and prevent/ make it hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt 19:23). It is much better to be neither rich nor poor (Prov 30:7-9).
2.44
Luke 6:24 Commentary (II): The second issue faced by those who are materially rich is that their behavior is not easily justifiable when there are much poorer people around them, especially fellow disciples of Christ. Luke 6:20 tells us that there were poor disciples within the large crowd surrounding Jesus. The Greek word for “poor” in Luke 6:20 is “ptochos,” which means not just average poverty, but extreme poverty. However, it appears that His richer disciples either did not notice them or thought that there was nothing they could do about their situation. The “woe” pronounced by Jesus was a warning to His richer disciples that misery, grief, and great distress were coming to them if they did not repent and start paying attention to the poor around them. Can the richer disciples say that they love their neighbor as themselves (Luke 10:27)? Or can they say they love their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as He has loved them (John 13:34)? Or are they behaving just as James described in James 2:15-16? So, in Luke 6:24, Jesus was telling His richer disciples that their attitude was unacceptable to Him. Similarly, in our own walk with Christ, we too must learn from this. How can we say we love our neighbor, or our brothers and sisters in Christ, if any of them are suffering next to us due to the lack of food, clothing or medicine, and so on, while we are living comfortably? We must show mercy and assist them to the best of our ability. Remember now, that the merciful will receive mercy (Matt 5:7). Remember also, that His sheep will hear His voice (John 10:27-28). But of course, those who are not His sheep, should be mentally prepared for the fast approaching last day.
2.45
WOE TO YOU WHO ARE WELL FED (LUKE) – for this verse in Luke, there is no comparable beatitude in Matthew
2.46
Luke 6:25 (NASB95) states:
(25) Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
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Luke 6:25 Commentary: When reading this verse, readers are encouraged to consider Luke 6:24. Otherwise, it would not make sense to say that just because a disciple or anyone else is well-fed, he will later be hungry, or just because he laughs, he will later mourn and weep. Reasonably, Luke 6:25 cannot stand alone but must be understood as a continuation of verse 24. It is our view that both verses must be read together. Thus, the reason Jesus said what He said in Luke 6:25 is the same as Luke 6:24. Those disciples who were well fed and laughing were able to do so because they were rich, while the poor around them were ignored. Just like Luke 6:24, Jesus was telling them that their attitude was unacceptable to Him. He could have told them a parable to conceal the truth from them, but He did not. Instead He warned them directly so that they would repent and begin loving their neighbors as themselves. More importantly, they should love their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, who were much poorer than they were, just as Christ has loved them (John 13:34). There are important questions that these rich disciples need to ask themselves: Why were they well-fed and laughing? Why were they having their best lives now? Why were they comfortable while their brethren standing beside them were in dire need? Scripture does not tell us whether they repented after these woes were pronounced against them. But it is safe to say that if they truly failed to heed the warnings of Christ, the time will come when all who ignore them will face hunger and in place of laughter, mourning and weeping.
2.48
WOE TO YOU WHEN ALL MEN SPEAK WELL OF YOU (LUKE) – for this verse in Luke, there is no comparable beatitude in Matthew
2.49
Luke 6:26 (NASB95) states:
(26) Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.
2.50
Luke 6:26 Commentary: Similar to Luke 6:25, Luke 6:26 is not a standalone verse but a continuation from Luke 6:24-25. In a large crowd of disciples before Jesus, there were those who were rich, well-fed, happily laughing and well spoke of, while others around them were poor, hungry, weeping and essentially expecting persecution. In comparing Luke 6:22-23 and Luke 6:26, we see a stark contrast. Instead of being hated and persecuted, there were those in their midst who receive praise and kind words from the same men, who would persecute other disciples of Christ. This is different treatment for different disciples – an obvious disparity. So when Christ pronounced the woes on well-treated disciples, it was a warning to them that all is not well. Misery, grief and great distress were coming to them, if they did not reconsider their ways and repent. What, then, is the problem with being well-spoken of? Why is it an issue when such men speak well of some of these disciples? John 15:19 states: (19) If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you of the world, because of this the world hates you. Thus, in the light of John 15:19, how is it possible that the world loved such disciples, since it hates Christ? Unless, of course, these disciples were not really following Christ. Those who truly follow after Christ, would slowly but surely conform to His image (Rom 8:29) and the world would hate them as it hated Christ. When this happens, how then can the world speak well of them? Therefore, when men who spoke well of false prophets, also speak well of those who think they are disciples of Christ, it can only be that they have not truly turned away from the world, and because of that, the world still loves them and speaks well of them.
3.0
CONCLUSION
3.1
Over the years readers and commentators have found some of the Beatitudes too difficult to digest, especially the one in Luke. So, in order to at least give a reasonable explanation, they say that the only way to interpret it, is to use the Beatitude in Matthew to “clarify” the one in Luke. Actually, what they really mean is more like an overlay of Matthew onto Luke. Some have even gone so far as to say that the Beatitudes in Matthew and Luke are the same, just recorded differently by two writers. In our view, saying that both Beatitudes are the same, or that one can be used to clarify the other, is no different from trying to nullify the words of Christ by using one of His sermons to cancel out His other sermon. This clarifying is not the same as using Scripture to interpret Scripture. This is because interpreting Scripture with Scripture does not have the effect of removing the Scripture that it is trying to interpret. We wish to reiterate that the Beatitudes in Matthew and the Beatitudes in Luke are different sermons given by Jesus on two different occasions , in two different locations. For example the words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” are different from “Blessed are you who are poor.” They are not the same at all. We have provided our explanation in this article for each of the Beatitudes in both Matthew and Luke. The bottom line is that we, as Bible readers should always believe and accept that our Lord Jesus Christ, knows exactly what He is talking about, and that He has ensured that the Bible was recorded perfectly. We believe that the Bible is the inerrant and infallible word of God, without error in every detail, and we believe that He has used human authors to record exactly what He intended.