Blessedness Now and Forever

This Sunday we read the opening lines of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount which is the first of his five major discourses in the Gospel According to Mathew (chapters 5 – 7).  It takes place “on the mountain,” a setting which recalls the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-24).  Matthew is presenting Jesus as the new Moses come to fulfill the Law.  However, as Scott Hahn points out, “Moses brought the law down the mountain to the people, whereas Jesus delivers his teaching to disciples who have come up the mountain.” 

St. Augustine reflects on this saying, “The mountain signifies the higher precepts of righteousness, for the precepts given to Israel were lower.  God gave lesser laws to those requiring the bonds of fear, but higher laws to those ready to be set free by love.  The higher precepts are for the kingdom of heaven, just as the lower precepts were for a kingdom on earth.” 

Jesus delivers this teaching sitting down, which is the posture of a Jewish rabbi speaking with authority.  With his disciples gathered near and a large crowd gathered around, Jesus begins his sermon with the famous “Beatitudes.”  This title comes from the Latin beatitudo, which translates the Greek word makarios.  It is an adjective meaning “blessed” or “fortunate” and is used in various places throughout the Bible.  As Scott Hahn explains:

“It is a declaration that a person has either received a blessing from God (Matt. 16:17; Rom. 4:7), or can expect to receive his blessing in the future (Jas. 1:12; Rev. 14:13; 22:14).  This distinction has its roots in the Old Testament, where wisdom beatitudes congratulate those who enjoy divine benefits and favorable circumstances in the present (Job 5:17; Prov. 3:13; Sir 25: 8-9),  and eschatological beatitudes promise the rewards and consolations of God in the future (Ps. 1: 1-6; Is. 30:18; Dan 12:12).  The beatitudes of the sermon on the mount are of the latter type, for they announced that the blessings of the New Covenant will be fully realized in heaven.  Some do promise blessings that are partly enjoyed in this life, but all of them look beyond the struggles and hardships of this life to the eternal blessedness of the life to come (Matt. 5: 11-12).  (Scott Hahn, Ignatius Catholic Study Bible, Ignatius Press c. 2024, p. 1732).

As “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt.4: 17)—already present but not yet fully realized—so is the blessedness of those who are poor in spirit, who mourn, who are meek, who hunger and thirst for righteousness, who are merciful, who are pure in heart, who are peacemakers, and who are persecuted (Matt. 5: 3-10).  To some extent they are blessed now, but to a much greater extent they will be blessed in the kingdom of heaven.

In some ways, the beatitudes are a self-description of Jesus who calls us to be like him so that we will be blessed now and forever.  They are not mutually exclusive; we can pursue any one or any combination of the eight.  All the teachings that follow in the Sermon on the Mount are rooted in these fundamental beatitudes.  So pray for the grace to embrace one or two or more of the beatitudes.  And may they lead to your blessedness now and forever.