Introduction

It seems to me that fruitful mediation on the Sermon on the Mount will include thinking vertically in the text and not only horizontally. By that I simply mean that the meaning of each beatitude-blessing is filled out, clarified, and nuanced by its interconnection with all the other beatitudes. So we not only read across each verse but we read up and down the verses that record the beatitudes in order to get at the richness of this marvelous introduction to the Sermon on the Mount.

So far in covering the beatitudes in this way of meditation we have considered the marks of the Christian: on one hand as he is in himself and on the other hand as he is in relation to the world. Below is a sketch of the two categories. Of course, we know that both categories involve the Christian’s relation to God (thus: in himself before God and in relation to the world before God).

As He is in Himself                             As He is in relation to the world

Pure in heart                                       Persecuted but…

Poor in spirit                                       Gentle

Sorrowful over sin                               Merciful

Hungry for righteousness                     Peacemaker

Thus the Christian presents himself before the perfect righteousness of God to be examined, recognizes his spiritual poverty, is sorry for and turns away from his sin, hungers and thirsts for practical righteousness, and though he finds himself opposed, insulted, and persecuted, he responds with gentleness, mercy, and peacemaking. These qualities make up one person, the Christian (the saint of the new covenant in the new Israel being founded in process by this very Sermon and still being built by it through Matthew’s Gospel).

Now we want to shift attention from what the Christian is like to his blessedness. We will work across the text but also up and down the text trying to keep the unity of the marks of the Christian before us like eight slices of a single pie. This morning we shall take up the kingdom blessing (to be followed next time by the kingdom blessings). I will discuss two things: the importance of the kingdom blessing and the cause of the kingdom blessing.

1A. The importance of the kingdom blessing

Great importance must be attached to kingdom blessing for two reasons, the repetition of the phrase about the kingdom (this is structural) and the meaning of the kingdom (this is substantive).

1) Structurally, the phrase "for theirs is the kingdom of God" is repeated twice and the two references serve as bookends. Thus we can safely say that this blessing and all it entails somehow includes the six other blessings (this is sometimes called an inclusio). The bookends are accented and they thereby govern, condition, and set the tone for the books that they hold in place. Everything in between the bookends is included in the theme stated at the one end and at the other end, at the beginning and at the end of the list. It is as if the bookends state the general theme that is developed in each book on that shelf. The theme runs like a thread from one bookend through each book to the other bookend. Each book contributes something of its own to the general theme stated by the bookends. We must therefore give special attention to the kingdom theme and the way that it is set as evidence of blessedness (cf. for/because). Visually it may look something like this on paper:

Kingdom blessing             Comfort

                                        The earth

Satisfaction

Mercy

Vision of God

Childship to God             Kingdom blessing

We might call the items within the inclusio the kingdom blessing blessings. They are the blessings governed by the blessing of the kingdom; they are the blessings that flow from the blessing of the kingdom. Once we look at the material in this way we have to conclude that the kingdom is a blessing and all the other blessings are kingdom blessings. All the other causal phrases have a subordinate place in relation to the kingdom causal phrase. "For theirs is the kingdom of God" has a governing role for verses 3-10.

2) Substantively, the kingdom phrase is important because its governing role is determined by the meaning of the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God. First, we should note that there is no significant difference in meaning between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God. This is clear from Luke’s version of the beatitudes and how he refers to the kingdom as the kingdom of God where Matthew has the kingdom of heaven (Lk. 6:20, cf. also the personalized and individualized address of Jesus per Luke: "you" and "yours").

Furthermore and rock bottom, the kingdom that has been preached by John and Jesus ("Repent for the kingdom… is at hand," Matt. 3:2; 4:17) is "the great future that Israel’s prophets had foretold: God would once again reveal Himself as Israel’s King, and His kingship would extend throughout the world" (Ridderbos, Matthew, 46). As the kingdom of heaven and of God, its origin is not from the earth; it is not the "product of earthly evolution or of human striving: on the contrary, it is entirely dependent on divine intervention" (Ibid, 47). This has an important historical-redemptive significance. It is a monumental fact to say that the kingdom promised in the OT prophets from Moses to Malachi is now present in history. It is also a monumental fact to say that the coming of the kingdom is entirely dependent on divine intervention. We turn now to this last point.

2A. The cause of the kingdom blessing

The notion of cause is first suggested by the connective introducing the final phrase throughout the series and is amplified by the entailments of kingdom ownership expressed in the bookend phraseology.

1B. The connective

1C. Negatively

It is helpful to consider what something is not; it puts what something is in perspective. Look carefully at the text: in all the phrases introduced by the word "for" we should note what the text does not say. It does not say that the person being described is blessed because he or she is poor, sorrowful, hungry, and so forth. The key word here is the word "for" which means "because." As you reflect down the beatitudes it is obvious that every beatitude has a causal phrase: "for theirs is," (v. 3), "for they shall be," (v. 4), "for they shall," (vs. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9), and again "for theirs is," (v. 10). Observe where the "for" is located. It comes after each mark. What is important is that "for" does not precede each mark. If we try reading the passage with the "for" in front of the marks of the blessed person then we will better see what is not the cause (or explanation) of the blessedness described:

• The new covenant people are blessed because they are pure in heart
• The new covenant people are blessed because they are poor in spirit
• The new covenant people are blessed because they are sorrowful over sin
• The new covenant people are blessed because they are hungry for righteousness
• Because they are gentle, merciful, peacemakers despite being persecuted

It should be stressed that the above placement of the causal connective is not what we have in the passage.

Before leaving this point we should inquire as to the meaning that would follow if the because/for connective were put in front of the marks of the new covenant saint. The resulting meaning would be salvation by human good deeds, salvation that comes by having a good attitude and the deeds that correspond to a good attitude. Much might be said about salvation by good deeds and how contrary to the teachings of Christ such a view is. For example, consider the impact of the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matt. 18:21-35) in which our sin debt is far beyond all ability to repay (cf. a debt equal to 50 thousand a year times 20 years or one million: the debt because of sin that others owe us is like one day’s wage in comparison to the 20 years of sin wages we have before God).

Here in the Sermon what we need to do is to point out that the way the passage is worded forbids a works righteousness interpretation. That interpretation is a denial of grace. But the text emphatically forbids a synergistic reading that involves any kind of cooperation between God and man in the bestowal of blessings. In other words, none of these qualities, not one, contributes to the blessedness. None of the eight marks of a Christian cause or ground the Christian’s blessedness. The Christian is not blessed because he is poor in spirit, because he is pure in heart, because he is gentle, or because he manifests all of these qualities together. In no way, shape, form, or combination do any of the descriptive marks effect the blessing of the righteous person. Thus being poor in spirit, repentant, gentle, merciful, and so forth do not ground the blessings. They are not the reasons or causes that issue in the blesseds. This is not the case even in the best sense of repentance as a means (as if Jesus said, "you are blessed because you repent and believe").

2C. Positively

What is the explanation then? How are the passages structured? Another look at the structure will enable us understand the explanation. To help us along, let’s label the parts of each verse in this way: the statement of blessing (Blessed are), the marks (poor, gentle, etc.), and the causal phrase (for theirs is). For short we have the statement of blessing, the marks of the blessed, and the explanation of the blessing. Thus, the causal phrase explains the blessing.

If we reverse the opening word order and put "blessed" closer to the causal phrase we get the idea: The poor in spirit are blessed because theirs is the kingdom. The reason they can be said to be blessed is because the kingdom belongs to them. Being blessed is unpacked and expanded by the causal phrase. What does it mean to be blessed? To be blessed means all the things cited after the word "for." Simply put the reasons for pronouncing the new covenant people blessed are given in a list of blessings that they receive.

• The kingdom (v. 3)
• Comfort (v. 4)
• The earth (v. 5)
• Satisfaction (v. 6)
• Mercy (v. 7)
• Vision of God (v. 8)
• Childship to God (v. 9)
• The kingdom (v. 10)

2B. The causal phrase (or the bookend phraseology)

1) The kingdom is the spiritual blessing of your restoration as a rebel to a place of submission under the rule of God (cf. "theirs" and "yours" in Matthew and Luke). This is personal and individual as well as corporate.

2) To be granted the kingdom means to be granted restoration from the fall.

By creation, man and woman had a noble place in the world as God’s image bearers. Creation explains man’s purpose on earth in relation to the sun, moon, stars, land, seas, vegetation and animals (Gen. 1:1-2:3). God’s original design was that man and woman reflect the righteousness and true holiness of God in relation to all created things and events unfolding in the weekly cycles of history. In this purpose, man finds himself. This is where we get the definition of a true, authentic, genuine, and real human being. Philosophically, this is a most important bottom line regarding human nature answering the metaphysical question "what is man?" But it is more than just an issue of essence (nature and metaphysics). Biblically, human nature cannot be separated from God’s design that man and woman reflect God’s glory and beauty in the created world over time. It is in conduct that reflects God that man has authentic and genuine existence. It is in relationship to God, imaging God as people created by God that people become human. It is all in God’s design. True humanity is defined by that design, which is to reflect God by submission, trust, and obedience in a Creator-creature relationship.

But man is fallen. He left his first estate of happiness and holiness. He now seeks to live independently of God going his own way; doing his own thing, claiming self-sufficiency and asserting human autonomy (cf. Col. 2:8). Therefore he has lost his true humanity. Because he has cut himself off from God, he is inhuman toward other men. Hence we have the explanation of man’s inhumanity to man. He is lost in the wilderness of this world outside of the Garden of Eden since the fall. He cannot find his way back. Nor does he want to go back. His is neither willing nor able to return unto God. But God did not leave man in his estate of sin and misery. He shows mercy to whomsoever He wills as sovereign in the exercise of sovereignty! How do we get this from the kingdom phrase? We begin with the basic notion of God’s and heavens kingship (cf. Sabbath king from the creation narrative). This is the most important whosoever will of the Bible. God’s whosoever will. Jesus quickens whomever He wills. The Father hardens whom He will and bestows mercy upon whomsoever He wills (Rom. 9:18; cf. 2 Tim. 2:24-25; Jn. 6:44-45). The new birth that brings about submission to the kingship of God is from above (cf. born from above as better than born again).

The blessing that forms the new Israel involves the brining of a person to a place of utter and complete submission to God as king. The kingdom is theirs by God’s gift of turning them away from their attempted autonomy and restoring them to a place of willing submission under the authority of God ruling over them. When He bestows mercy, He restores the sinner from his fallen state. He gives him the kingdom. He brings him into a state of submission to Christ as His absolute king. In this way the poor receive the kingdom; it is theirs; it belongs to them ("theirs is the kingdom"). There is no synergism here in the blesseds of the beatitudes. It is truly parallel with Ephesians 1 where Paul roots everything in the electing love and grace of God.

What is the cause of the blessedness of having the kingdom given to them so that they are members of and subjects of it? It is the grace of God. It has to be grace. The origin of this kingdom is to be found in heaven and not on earth. Man is in rebellion. God gives the kingdom to rebels as a blessing. It is all of grace. Grace is not just undeserved favor. It is the power of God because it is kingdom of God. Grace is effectual; it is efficacious. It is all about being born from above (born again, Jn. 3:3). Therefore, all the marks of the blessed person including the acknowledgment of sin (poor in spirit) must also be seen as the gift of heaven’s king. We come ultimately to what we might call a double acknowledgment of sin: we ought to acknowledge our sinfulness and we ought to acknowledge that we are so sinful that even this acknowledgment must be due to the sovereign work of God. In other words, that the poor in spirit have been blessed is evidenced in the very fact that they have this recognition of their spiritual poverty.

Conclusion

To whom does the kingdom blessing belong? It belongs to those who are willingly exposed by the holiness of God, who acknowledge and turn away from their sin hungry for righteousness, and who are gentle, merciful, peace-workers despite the fact that they are persecuted on account of Christ and His righteousness. When looked at from this angle, the beatitudes summon us to nothing less than worship and thanksgiving. You are blessed: yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places who has blessed us in Christ with the blessing of the kingdom of heaven itself.