The following is an analysis of the beatitudes as expressed by Jesus according to Mathew 5:3-12.
Analisys
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed means to have the favor of God, to be happy as one will be on His side, therefore the right side, or the side of justice.
Poor in spirit does not mean material poverty. There is no glorification of poverty as a virtue. However, there is an appeal to the attitude of those who are poor. To be poor in spirit means humbleness, while the spirit of the rich may mean pretentiousness.
It is possible that the virtue sought by Jesus here is to remain down to earth and respectful of others; and to value and be grateful of material things regardless of one’s status.
“For theirs is the kingdom of heaven” means that being humble and respectful will eventually pay off. Either God will fill the poor in spirit with His grace in heaven, or being poor in spirit will keep individuals in the good path to a better life in the present world.
It is also an appeal to the long term, therefore to have a low time preference.
This is to say, to not necessarily expect immediate benefits, and perhaps not even benefits to oneself on this earth. It means to keep the steady course, and to expect eventual benefits to one’s descendants, to loved ones, and to one’s community at large.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
To mourn means to feel sorrow for a loss, to regret past actions, to feel sadness for others’ misfortunes, or to feel frustration for the current state of affairs.
To feel sorrow for a loss may mean the loss of a loved one for perceived unjust causes. For example, to poverty, disease that could be prevented, or spurious violence due to oppression, either political or social.
To regret past actions may be related to ones bad deeds. However, Jesus gave a pathway to salvation, self pardon, or comfort as the mere feeling of regret is a sign of virtue in itself.
To feel sadness for others misfortunes is related to other members of the community, and perhaps to continue to be aligned with previous moral rules such as not feeling envy, or, at minimum, not feeling happy for others’ misfortunes.
To feel frustration for the current state of affairs is related to both external and internal factors in the communities at the time.
Externally, the Jewish people were dominated by the Romans. The Romans were an overwhelming superpower during Jesus’ time. Resistance, rebellion, or seeking justice were largely futile, and perhaps a recipe for costly conflict and certain defeat.
However, to feel frustration for the injustice of being occupied and dominated, and for poverty, was the correct stance according to Jesus. More generally, to acknowledge injustice was good.
Internally, society at the time of Christ was primarily organized by status. That is, the poor remained poor, living a subsistence life, and the nobility, whether Jewish or Roman, and the priesthood remained in control and wealthy.
“They will be comforted” means that, while reactionary behavior would not be productive, to be able to recognize injustice and feel mournful was the right cognitive mindset, and, as being poor in spirit, it would eventually yield benefits not necessarily to oneself, but surely to one’s descendants, to loved ones, and to one’s community at large.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
To remain meek is to remain passive or at least not rebellious about the lack of righteousness or observed injustice; either political, e.g. the Roman occupation; or social, e.g. rigid social status, economic oppression, and power of the nobility and priesthood.
Again, Jesus must have found imprudent to physically rebel in the current conditions. A more logical advice was to expect longer term justice, as the one that could be expected either in heaven, or in earth, but perhaps for future generations.
“For they will inherit the earth”, consistent with the last concept above, may mean that, in the long run, justice will be achieved by one’s people.
Moreover, to inherit the earth could also be interpreted as Jesus presenting a lack of clearcut differentiation between the material earth and heaven.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
In line with a realistic attitude, Jesus finds that to be mindful of a lack of righteousness, which means injustice, is the correct stance.
However, He proposes a long term approach by conveying a sort of promise that everything will be good or better, with certainty, in the future. This is the possible meaning of “for they will be filled”, which is a future certainty, rather than immediate or present.
In other words, the advice acknowledges there is a sense of urgency in a “hunger and thirst” for justice, and that it is fundamentally right.
But, by being poor in spirit and meek, while mournful, one will eventually get a better reward. Not necessarily to oneself, but surely to one’s descendants, to loved ones, and to one’s community at large.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
In this beatitude, Jesus departs from the theme of realistic justice and presents what may be regarded as a universal timeless virtue.
To be merciful is a fundamental feature of prosperous communities. Conflict is generally costly, and to minimize it by means of mercy is beneficial, not only for the person exercising it, but for the community or society at large.
To feel compassion, or to forgive; especially when one has the upper hand, but also when one is oppressed under injustice; is a hallmark of goodness.
This is very consistent with expecting longer term benefits from existence, rather than forcing reality to produce immediate or opportunistic, but ephemeral comfort.
However, mercy does not mean forgetting.
It is very likely that, just as He found awareness of injustice correct, Jesus also found awareness of others’ bad deeds correct.
This means that mercy is to forgive despite of being aware of the injustice or wrong that was committed. This is a higher order virtue than mere erasure of others’ wrongs.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Here, Jesus presents another universal virtue, which is to be sincere and transparent as the purity of water can be transparent.
This means not to have double intentions, and also not to find in others a double meaning of their actions, or to assume bad intentions.
If one is pure at heart, then one can imagine and conceive the purity in others. And, certainly, the purity of God.
If one finds particles, impurities, bad intentions, and dirt everywhere, just as one would not drink impure water, one would not trust others. Therefore, not see God.
As with awareness of injustice, which enables one to be poor in spirit, mournful, and meek; and awareness of others’ bad deeds, which enables true mercy; purity in heart and trust does not mean to be naive.
Jesus must have found purity of heart, thus the ability to see God and God in others, as a principle for a better life.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Returning to the theme of realistic justice, to seek peace is to seek less conflict; especially under an imperial regime and an inflexible status system; thus to pragmatically acknowledge the political and social state of affairs at the time.
Jesus himself only seeks peace on earth. He is the son of God. Therefore, those who seek peace will be called the sons of God.
The sons of God will, in time, receive their reward, either for themselves or for their future generations and their community.
As with inheriting the earth, to be called sons of God could also be interpreted as Jesus presenting a lack of clearcut differentiation between human beings and Him.
In other words, does one fuse in a same sort of state with Jesus and God when one eventually reaches the kingdom of heaven?
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
If one is poor in spirit, mournful, and meek; while hungry and thirsty for justice; but still stays merciful, pure in heart, and a peacemaker; and that way of life leads to the kingdom of heaven; then why would one be persecuted because of righteousness?
A moral or ethical rule, as a guide for a way of life, exists precisely because the bias in nature must be the opposite; to not follow it.
This means Jesus acknowledged that appealing to the set of behaviors he proposed would, inexorably, put his followers at odds with the general ways of society at the time. Especially, a mixed society where the rule of a foreign power, combined with a varied local culture, would present a strong contrast in attitudes, decision making, and actions of the general populace.
Being tolerant, tame, thoughtful, and patient with the governing, noble, and priestly classes would certainly clash with others who would demand immediate change.
Following a different or renewed code of ethics would also clash with the Jewish establishment, nobility, and priests.
The above means that although change would probably take time, persecution in the short term was practically guaranteed.
If this was so, then Jesus must have known, since very early in his ministry, that his own violent end on earth was inevitable.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
In a society where written communications and records were reserved to the higher classes, the spoken word and reputation must have been of the most fundamental and valuable assets one could have.
Insults and others falsely saying all kinds evil against oneself was likely a very serious offense. This kind of offense came from peers who were not happy with the philosophical change being proposed. Not necessarily only from political powers or the priests and nobility.
On the other hand, persecution, indeed, meant from the higher political and social authorities, as evidenced by subsequent historical events relating to Jesus himself, and to members of Christianity in general.
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Again, here Jesus seems to continue to appeal to low time preference, to be patient, and to expect rewards not for oneself on this earth, but for future generations.
Just as the heroes of the past were persecuted, and their good deeds and spirits graced by God, so too the heroes of the present will be rewarded. One way or another.
Conclusion
Jesus was an intelligent philosopher and a good leader. If the interpretation of low time preference and the pragmatic guidance of his followers, coupled with the incredible long term results of His mission are any indication of success, then success was certainly achieved.
Indeed, for those who have the doubt, it is quite possible to be spiritual and moral without being religious.
The universe, created by God, must be perfect like him. This same universe enables skepticism. This means skepticism may be graceful as well.
Jesus’ principles and guidance can be interpreted as divine or earthly, but, whichever way, they were unequivocally illuminating.
Notes and References
– Beatitudes – by Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatitudes
– Mathew 5 – on MIT.edu: http://web.mit.edu/jywang/www/cef/Bible/NIV/NIV_Bible/MATT+5.html
– Cardinal virtues – by Wikipedia:
“Four cardinal virtues were recognized by Plato, the Stoics (who united them into one,) and in traditional Christian theology:
Prudence (φρόνησις, phrónēsis; Latin: prudentia; also Wisdom, Sophia, sapientia), the ability to discern the appropriate course of action to be taken in a given situation at the appropriate time.
Justice (δικαιοσύνη, dikaiosýnē; Latin: iustitia): also considered as fairness;[1] the Greek word also having the meaning righteousness.
Fortitude (ἀνδρεία, andreía; Latin: fortitudo): also termed courage, forbearance, strength, endurance, and the ability to confront fear, uncertainty, and intimidation.
Temperance (σωφροσύνη, sōphrosýnē; Latin: temperantia): also known as restraint, the practice of self-control, abstention, discretion, and moderation tempering the appetition. Plato considered Sōphrosynē, which may also be translated as sound-mindedness, to be the most important virtue.”
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_virtues
– The Meaning of the Sermon on the Mount – May 2008 – by Jack Mahoney SJ: https://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/20080529_1.htm
– A Structural Analysis of the Beatitudes – by Erik Hendrix: https://www.academia.edu/1594991/A_Structural_Analysis_of_the_Beatitudes
– The eight beatitudes of Jesus – by jesuschristsaviour.net: https://www.jesuschristsavior.net/Beatitudes.html
– 7. The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) – on Bible.org – by Allen Ross – Beeson Divinity School – Beeson Professor of Old Testament and Hebrew – Author of Introducing Biblical Hebrew and Grammar, Holiness to the Lord: A Guide to the Exposition of the Book of Leviticus, Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis, and Recalling the Hope of Glory: Biblical Worship from the Garden to the New Creation: https://bible.org/seriespage/7-beatitudes-matthew-51-12
– The Bible Journey – Jesus starts his ministry: https://www.thebiblejourney.org/the-bible-journey/4-jesuss-journeys-around-galilee33795/jesus-starts-his-ministry/
– The Spread of Christianity Map:
“Map showing the spread of Christianity, showing both strongly Christianized areas before 325 CE and generally Christianized areas until 600 CE. The map also shows major Christian centers and the cities in which Christian councils were held.”
Source: https://www.ancient.eu/image/11713/spread-of-christianity-map-up-to-600-ce/
