Introduction:
Most of my e-mails these days end with the closing
"Blessings." Exactly what would you think this
means? My thought is to have God bless the person to
whom I'm writing. But, that does not answer the
question: "What is a blessing?" What am I wishing on
the other person? When I looked at the Greek word
translated "blessed," I found that it meant
(according to Strong's) "happy," "fortunate," and
"well off." Would you like to be blessed? This week
we turn our attention to the wisdom of what Jesus
was trying to teach us. Let's start with His
teaching on how to be happy!
1.
Happiness
1.
Tell me what you think brings or would bring you
happiness?
(Write them down.)
2.
Read
Matthew 5:1-3.
We are told that the first path to blessings
(happiness) is to be poor in spirit.
This is not on your list! Why not?
1.
The Greek word for poor in spirit means "crouching"
or "cringing." This is how you might imagine an
honest beggar would come to ask you for money.
Would that attitude logically bring you happiness?
2.
What do you think is really being suggested
as a road to happiness when Jesus talks about the
"poor in spirit?" (The idea is that you come to
Jesus realizing that you are poor and naked and a
beggar spiritually. You say "God, I need You!" The
people who have this attitude towards God are
fortunate, happy, and blessed.)
3.
How would you suggest that a person most
often comes to this point of realizing that he is a
beggar? (Some of life's toughest circumstances are a
blessing because they bring us to this point of
realizing what spiritual beggars we really are. I
saw a poster which said that we can forgive the
unbelievable because Jesus forgave the unbelievable
things we have done!)
4.
What is the end result for the people with
this attitude in their spirit? (
Matthew 5:3
says these people go to heaven! There is the
ultimate blessing, the ultimate happiness.)
3.
Read
Matthew 5:4.
This is not on your happiness list either!
Why not?
1.
The Greek word for "mourn" refers to intense
mourning. It goes beyond simple grief.
Happiness and mourning are
opposites, right?
2.
How can we possibly be happy when we are
intensely mourning? Is mourning ever a good thing
for you? (There is a very interesting and unique
story in
Ezekiel 9:1-5
that is a parallel to the final judgment. The story
tells of six warriors and a scribe. The scribe goes
about the city and writes a mark on the forehead of
all who "grieve and lament" (NIV) or "sigh and cry"
(KJV) or "sigh and groan" (RSV) over the sins that
are committed. Everyone that does not have the mark
is killed by one of those six warriors. So surviving
turns on whether you "sigh and cry" about the sins
that are committed.)
4.
Let's see if we can put all this together.
Matthew 5:3
talks about the poor in spirit.
Matthew 5:4
refers to those who realize that they are poor in
spirit and are truly concerned about it. Those who
are comforted are those who not only realize their
need, but are sad about this gulf between their
character and perfection. We come to Jesus as needy
sinners. We mourn our failures. Our soul yearns for
forgiveness. Jesus comforts us with forgiveness and
the promise of eternal life.
That puts a smile on my face!)
5.
Read
Matthew 5:5.
Is meekness on your happiness list?
1.
A suggestion that I should be meek sure goes against
my grain.
How about you?
2.
The Greek word means "mild," and Strong's suggests
that implies "humble." Do you think that this really
means that we should be mild and humble?
Would this refer (gulp) to "real men" too?
3.
The philosophy of secular society is to bring
attention to ourselves. We say, "This is what we
have done." "This is what we own." "This is what we
think." Just based on your knowledge of life, does
the statement "This is what I've done" pose any
problems? (It is like a public challenge. You have
to live up to what you say you can do.
People will try to knock you down.)
4.
I like to compete because I like to win! Do
you like to win? If so, do we get an exemption from
the mildness and humility requirement? (Jesus is
suggesting a different philosophy of life. He
suggests that we focus on God and His will and not
focus on us. The amazing and ironic thing about this
is that those who are not putting themselves first
will inherit everything--the whole earth! As the
"Purpose Driven Life" says, "It's not about me, it's
all about Him.")
6.
Read
Matthew 5:6.
Is being hungry and thirsty on your happiness list?
(I know I could lose a little weight. But, I'm never
happy about being thirsty or hungry.)
1.
What to you think is meant by "hungering and
thirsting for righteousness?" (This presents a
little different angle on the idea of mourning
because of our sinful situation. We keenly want to
have this righteousness that Jesus gives.)
2.
Would you like to be righteous? (The text
says that these people who really want it will be
filled with righteousness.)
7.
Read
Matthew 5:7.
Is mercy on your happiness list?
1.
How did you feel when you heard that Eliot
Spitzer (Governor of New York and former New York
state chief prosecutor) had been caught with
prostitutes? This was a man who terrorized the New
York business community with what some saw as
ruthless prosecutions on questionable matters.
2.
Did you smirk and say, "What a self-righteous
hypocrite!" (Some part of me smiled. At the same
time I realized what a horrible and hypocritical
attitude I had. I was gloating because of this
fellow's sins when I, too, would be very embarrassed
were everyone to know of my sins. Who would be
willing to have their sins published on the front
page of the newspaper and on television and radio?)
3.
What attitude does
Matthew 5:7
suggest that we have?
(We should be merciful.)
4.
What is the "down-side" if we do not have
this attitude? (Mercy will not be shown to us.)
1.
Friend, do you need mercy?
8.
Read
Matthew 5:8.
Is this on your happiness list?
1.
The word translated "heart" means the
intellect, the conscience. Do you think that being
"pure in heart" means that you are sinless?
2.
Why didn't Jesus say "Happy are those who
have pure actions?" (This all gets back to my theory
that righteousness is a matter of attitude. It is
our motives and not our actions that are most
important. Jesus is looking for people who have
attitudes such as those we have discussed this
morning. They may not have perfect acts, but they
have a pure attitude.)
3.
We can often change our actions though
determination. How easy is it to change our
attitude? (Only the Holy Spirit can change our
heart. The beatitudes leading up to this one direct
us in the path of a pure heart. These are the steps
to throwing ourselves on Jesus' mercy.)
9.
Read
Matthew 5:9.
Is this on your list, making peace?
1.
Does this refer to those who get along in
their marriage?
2.
How about those that help to resolve
problems?
3.
Notice that it says that they are the
children of God. Let's move down a few chapters in
Matthew and read
Matthew 10:34.
What should we conclude about these two statements?
Blessed are those who make peace and blessed are
those who make war? (It seems obvious that Jesus is
not talking about human to human relationships. The
reference that Christ makes is to bringing men into
harmony with God. Christ came to show that God is
not our enemy and that is our task too.)
10.
Read
Matthew 5:10-12.
These verses talk more about what happens to us
rather than what kind of attitude we should have.
1.
Was this on anyone's happiness list? I am
most happy when people insult me, persecute me and
lie about me!
2.
How can you be happy in these circumstances?
(There is a war going on between Jesus and Satan.
Jesus says you can be happy during times like this
because you know that these insults mean you have
membership in the Kingdom of God!)
3.
As you think back about tough times, did it
make you better or bitter?
4.
Consider whether you faced tough times
because of "His sake" or because of something that
you did.
2.
Friend, perhaps you need a new list of things
that make you happy. If you feel a deep, unfulfilled
desire to be happy, how about looking to the wise
teachings of Jesus? How about turning your life over
to Him? Why not right now?
2.
Next Week: The Wonder of His Works.
