Holy Boldness

Chapter 11 T he B eatitudes

Immediately following the choice of His twelve disciples, Jesus’ message, known as the Sermon on the Mount, is recorded in Matthew 5-7. Some have called it the “Constitution of the Kingdom of God.” It truly is one of the most incredible revelations of true righteousness ever written. It is famous for its simplicity and beauty but also for its directness. Though everyone admires its lofty thought, no one can avoid its universal application. Its concepts and ideals transcend cultural and religious barriers and reveal profound and penetrating descriptions of the true nature of righteousness which should shape every culture. Jesus’ moral commands, which are spoken on God’s behalf, cover everyone. No one can escape its reach. The sermon on the mount chal lenges every tribe, tongue, people, and nation. But the sermon is not just “the law on steroids”, a stricter legalism, a harsher law, or a higher ethic. If we reduce it to that, then we have lost the real message. The Sermon is a revelation of Jesus Himself. He is the center of it all. Apart from Him, the Sermon only reveals how hopelessly inadequate we are. But in fact, Jesus is describing His own ethic, not just a new understanding of the law, and is in so doing, defining the culture of His new people. The sermon ends with a challenge to obey what He is teaching and therefore is an invitation to come into relationship with Himself, not just with the individual laws. Jesus thus begins His message by describing the internal state of those who are truly blessed. These are the beatitudes. It is a description and not a prescription of the person who dwells in the Kingdom.

Ascending the Mount

The Sermon on the Mount is introduced with these simple words, “And when He saw the multitudes, He went up on the mountain; and after

101