The Beatitudes

Blessed Are The Meek For They Shall Inherit The Earth. Matt 5:5.

“…It was the meek and lowly Jesus who with an upraised whip of cords expelled the mercenary traders from His Father’s house. Nor is meekness mere good-naturedness which will take anything from anybody. Essentially it is that attitude of mind which does not insist on its own rights and is always ready to waive its privileges in the interests of others…” – J Oswald Sanders.

The world thinks of the meek as one who does not count for much but Jesus our Lord said he will inherit the earth. This is a steely character who is willing to yield to others when the principle of God’s laws is not at stake. Such a person may claim nothing in his own right but he truly inherit the new earth that is coming. He is wise to claim nothing that is perishable to inherit that which is imperishable. The meek Moses chose rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt for he was looking forward to the reward – the new heaven and earth.

Blessed Are They That Mourn, For They Shall Be Comforted.  Matt 5:4.

“It is not the sorrow itself that is a blessed thing, but rather the comfort which God ministers to the sorrowing. There can be no comfort where there is no grief…The happiness of the Gospel message is that it alone professedly deals with the common lot of sorrow, and gives the oil of joy for mourning. This is its initial undertaking : its final guarantee is “no sorrow; nor crying.” – J Oswald Sanders

Because we are living in the overlapping times of the Kingdom of God is already here and the coming Kingdom of God in glory, we still live in tension in the present fallen earth while waiting for the new heaven and earth.