Happiness in the Kingdom of God

Matthew 5:1-12
1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
2 And 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 meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.
10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Introduction

The first part of the Sermon on the Mount, beginning with Matthew 5, is called the "Beatitudes." It teaches about the nature of those who live in the Kingdom of God (the Kingdom of Heaven) and the happiness (blessings) promised to them. Jesus emphasizes that in the Kingdom of God, there is a standard of happiness quite different from the standard of happiness this world holds.

The phrase "Kingdom of God" is used 68 times in the ten books of the New Testament, while the phrase "Kingdom of Heaven" is used 32 times only in the Gospel of Matthew. But both refer to the same "reign of God. The Bible teaches that the "Kingdom of God" brought by Jesus Christ is now invisibly present in this sin-filled world and will eventually appear in a visible and complete form.

Jesus repeats the exact phrase "For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." twice at the beginning and end of His "Beatitudes," emphasizing that happiness for human beings can only come through living in the Kingdom of God. Let us look at the nature of those who live in the Kingdom of God and the happiness promised to those who live there, based on the eight points of the "Beatitudes.

1.The Poor in Spirit

The poor in spirit refers to those who seek God, aware of their helplessness, inadequacy, and sin. "For theirs is the kingdom of heaven." is a promise given to the poor in spirit. Those who know their helplessness find it easier to open their hearts to the salvation God has provided. On the other hand, those who are satisfied with themselves or seek satisfaction in themselves have difficulty opening their hearts to the salvation God has provided. Salvation is not merely being saved from sin and problems; it includes living continuously in God's reign. Sin is the primary factor that prevents us from living in God's reign. Christians need to acknowledge their helplessness, inadequacy, and sin, affirm that they are citizens of God's Kingdom, and seek to live in God's reign daily.

2.Those Who Mourn

Those who mourn refer to those who feel God's pain and grieve with Him for their sins and those of their families, society, and the nation. It also includes those who do not hesitate to express their pain and sorrow to their Heavenly Father. The Bible contains the stories of believers who pray, pouring their pain and grief to God. Living in the Kingdom of God includes pouring our sorrows and pain to our Heavenly Father without hiding them. Our sorrows and pains, which accord with God's will, also give us the strength to pray for ourselves and others. We can share in our Heavenly Father's grief and pain through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, just as He shares in ours. The Bible teaches that we ca n always find comfort in the grief and pain we share with our Heavenly Father; in that comfort comes healing and restoration.

3.The Meek

The meek refers to those who fully trust in God, the Good Father and surrender themselves to Him. You may find it hard to associate "meekness" with the figure of Moses in the Old Testament. However, the Bible says, "Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth." (Num. 12:3). From this, we can see that the Bible speaks of "the meek" as one who has a soft heart toward God. Moses surrendered his abilities, knowledge, experience, and himself and began walking in response to God's call. Moses also stood before God many times to intercede on behalf of the disobedient Israelites. The Bible repeatedly uses the word "hard (hardened)," which has the opposite meaning of "meek. "The word "hard" describes the stubborn nature of man's rebellion against God. The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because of their stubbornness. For Christians to live up to God's promises, we need to put aside our own stubbornness, follow God's leading, and live in His reign every day. When we do this, we will genuinely inherit the Promised Land. The Promised Land refers to the Kingdom of God that we will inherit in the future, but it also includes our daily lives, thoughts, words, and relationships.

4.Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness　

Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness refer to those who sincerely seek God's righteousness above all else. God's righteousness means that God alone is without fault and is righteous and alone can do justice. To seek God's righteousness is to seek an intimate relationship with the righteous God that we can have only through Jesus Christ. Jesus died as a substitute for us and paid the price for our sins. Jesus bought us back by shedding His sinless blood. Through His sacrificial death, we are set free from all bondages of sin, including our own righteousness, and made to live in God's Kingdom. We cannot claim both God's righteousness and our own. To hunger and thirst for God's righteousness includes renouncing our own righteousness.

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)　

5.The Merciful　

The merciful refers to those who share the heart of the merciful and faithful high priest, the Lord Jesus. Jesus came to earth in the form of a servant, became a friend of sinners, and willingly went to the cross because He knew the heart of His Father. Receiving His Father's love, Jesus came to earth to find the lost to save them. Jesus is the only One who could fully manifest the love of Father. Just as our Heavenly Father manifested His love through His Son, He wants to manifest His love in the world through us. Our love is small and limited. We may overlook the needs of those around us. But despite our condition, the Holy Spirit, our Helper, connects our hearts with the heart of our Heavenly Father and manifests His love through us. Driven by God's love, we begin to experience God's mercy as we intercede, forgive, and serve those around us. In this process, the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit transforms us into the likeness of His Son.

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (Hebrews 2:17)

6.The Pure in Heart　

The pure in heart refers to those who love God with a sincere and open heart. Being sincere does not mean being morally perfect. Rather, it means admitting our weaknesses and failures that we should confess, turning to God, turning away from sin, and living daily in an intimate relationship with God. Holiness, the Bible teaches, means that the whole of God's chosen things, people, or community are offered up to Him. The Bible compares the relationship between God and His people to a marriage in which the husband and wife are made one and entered into an exclusive covenant of love. There is no room for a third party to enter into the relationship of husband and wife. God has invited us into such an exclusive covenant of love with Himself through the sacrificial death of Christ. We are no longer our own. As we live our daily lives seeking intimacy with our Heavenly Father, He will show us who He is in a way we can understand. Although we can only see (know) God dimly now, the Bible promises that the time will come when we will see Him as He is.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)

7.The Peacemaker　

The peacemaker refers to those who live in reconciliation with God and invite others into reconciliation with God. The peace that the Bible teaches does not simply refer to the absence of conflict. The biblical teaching of peace (from the Greek word eiréné), derived from the Hebrew word shalom, means that man and creation are in the Creator's desired state of all-sufficiency in relationship with Him. Of course, this state of being will come true in the future when the Kingdom of God appears in its complete form, but the Bible teaches that we who have been made children of God already live in the Kingdom of God and have already had the foretaste of it. Having been invited into God's reconciliation through Jesus Christ, we have the task of inviting those around us to be reconciled to God. Our reconciliation with God includes reconciliation with ourselves and with those around us. When we reconcile with God, we begin to experience God's peace (shalom) and walk in a manner worthy of God's children.

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.  (2 Corinthians 5:18-21)

8.Those Who Are Persecuted for Righteousness　

Those who are persecuted for righteousness refer to those who are willing to suffer for the sake of God. A missionary visited a church overseas that was under intense persecution and asked one Christian, "Why is it that you have sacrificed so much in the face of such hardship, and yet you have not lost your faith and are still following Christ?" He asked. The Christian replied to this question, saying, "Because the Lord in whom we believe is true." Jesus Christ is true means that His sacrificial death and resurrection on the cross are true, His unchanging love is true, and all His promises are true. Jesus promised that He will always be with His people to the end.

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.  (Matthew 28:18-20)

Conclusion

The seed of the Kingdom of God sown in our hearts may initially seem small and unreliable. But as time passed, it grew, and we now live in it. The Kingdom of God is in our hearts, marriages, homes, and wherever the family of God gathers. We still feel poor in our spirits and mourn because of our imperfections and failures. But it is good if all these pains and grieves we experience help connect us to our Heavenly Father. Our pains and grieves, in alignment with God's will, make us grow into the meek, the righteous, the hungry and thirsty for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. In this Kingdom of God resides life and the potential to grow beyond our thoughts and become a blessing to many.

He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.  (Matthew 13:31-32)