Beatitude #2
The Beatitude Series - #2
Matthew 5:4(1501); Mark 3:1-6(1555)
“Happy in Mourning?”
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. 2 Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. 3 Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.”
4 Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.
5 He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. 6 Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.
Intro. – Story of young couple (Chet & Shawna)
What does this have to do with the beatitude?
Vs 1 – Jesus is in Church
- A man dressed in rags began dancing
Vs 2 – They watched – Greek (par-at-ay-reh´-o) malicious connotation (to lie in wait in the weeds)
Vs. 3 – Literally in the Greek (stand in the midst)
- Seats would be on the outside
- Imagine me asking you to come up here now
- Jesus knows that the man is the center of attention already
Vs 4 – Jesus asks a question
- Is it Legal – Pharisee talk
- Shows he is setting them up or is in over his head
- The question – Good vs. Evil or Save vs. Killing
- when does doing good make it ok to break the law
- Man wasn’t dying or wasn’t he…
- Greek – xērainō (to waste away)
- Jesus was turning this upside-down
- Not healing was depriving him of God’s restoring power or killing him
- But they remained Silent –
- The word Silent in the Greek (Imperfect)
- Means a long continuous awkward pause
Vs 5 – Looks them all over – Greek word is all inclusive (catches all their eyes)
- The look is for anyone that can see the need
- In Anger – As He looked his (orgē) Greek, righteous anger welled up
- Deeply distressed (NIV) – better would be deeply grieved at the hardness of their hearts
What about the Beatitude?
- Jesus is grieving
- Pharisees are plotting
- In the Beatitude – grieving = happiness
- #2 is an extension of #1
- How did you feel when you watched the “Passion of Christ”?
- The word mourn is better translated lament
- The word comfort
- is not sympathy – that is feeling the same
- to come alongside, to give strength
When we look at the Hammer in our hand we cannot see the person dancing in front of church!