Before continuing further, it might be well to take another look at the Beatitudes, because there are always layers to what is in God's Word.
And he [Jesus] came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;
And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.
And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.
And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and he opened his mouth, and taught them, and said saying,
You will note that this text is a combination for Matthew 5 and Luke 6. The text from Luke is in Orange and the text from Matthew is in purple.
Some Bible scholars believe that the passages in Matthew and Luke constitute two separate occasions. The Matthew section is called "The Sermon on the Mount", while they give the title of "The Sermon on the Plain" to that in Luke.
It is possible these sermons were given at two different times. I imagine that Jesus as an itinerant preacher probably repeated his message on numerous occasions, just as Tent Preachers would have done as they traveled from town to town in the recent past. Jesus probably had his version of the "stump speech".
However, when you put the two text together as a narrative it seems to resolve the question. Jesus was on a plain surrounded by the multitude, but then he withdrew with his disciples up the mount and their he spoke The Sermon to them. Luke just didn't give quite as much detail as Matthew.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst now after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, hate you and persecute you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and shall cast out your name and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my, the Son of man's, sake.
Rejoice, ye in that day, and leap for joy: and be exceeding glad: for behold great is your reward in heaven: for so in the like manner persecuted they their fathers the prophets which were before you.
We addressed these as steps to salvation as one becomes a Christian in previous posts, but let's look at these using some Bible verses to guide us in meaning.
Blessed are the poor in Spirit: For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah 57:15 NIV).
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4: 7-10 NIV)
We must become humble, giving up our independent pride and recognize our sin and mourn our lost state.
Blessed are those who Mourn: The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn... (Isaiah 61: 1-2)
This is, of course, the passage that Jesus read in the synagog at Nazareth when he began his ministry (See Luke 4).
We may be poor in spirit and we may mourn, but what is the promise we have from God? Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV).
We can also use the passage from James 4: 7-10 again here. The essence is we reach a point where we feel poor in spirit and then we begin to mourn our low state, things we come to as we become broken by our sin that will turn us to calling on God for salvation. Read Psalm 61. The psalm was written by David after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba and murdered her husband. David is poor in spirit at this moment and he is mourning, not the loss of the baby, which died, but mourning his separation from God, mourning because he recognizes his sins and is now begging God for mercy.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth: Commit your way to the Lord, trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land. A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. (Psalm 37: 5-11 NIV)
When Jesus spoke this Beatitude, he was reiterating God's promise from the Old Testament, not something new. We can gain this promise when we humble ourselves and approach God to claim the mercy and grace he has given through his Son, Jesus Christ.
“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 27-30 NIV).
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8 Accepting the Yoke offered by Jesus is the only way to shed our yoke of sin.
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