So there are so many wonderful teachings in the Scriptures,
and so many things that Jesus said to His disciples,
His followers, His Apostles, and then He says to all of us.

And one of the great teachings of Jesus we just heard
is found in the teaching of the Beatitudes.

Every rabbi had what they called their own yoke,
and the yoke of the rabbi was their own teaching.

And Jesus’ yoke, part of His yoke,
part of His important teaching,
is found in this passage in Matthew’s Gospel.

And we know it is important for a number of reasons.
He goes up into the hills, or up into the mountains.
So whenever Jesus goes up,
it means it is going to be a revelation of God.

And then He sits down, and every good rabbi, when they taught,
they taught from the seated position.
And then He looks at the crowd and He speaks with compassion,
and He gives us these beautiful Beatitudes.

So I looked up the Beatitudes in preparation for this homily
from another perspective on each of them.
And I want to share those with you
and see if they help fill out what it is that Jesus
was communicating to those who were listening to Him
at that point in time, and to all of us,
as we listen to His Word now.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

The poor are those who have encountered
unfortunate circumstances
from an economic point of view,
or also persons who are spiritually
and emotionally oppressed.
They are disillusioned
and in their need of God’s help.

And aren’t we all?

“Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.”

The loss of anything that a person counts valuable
will produce mourning. You know that.
Whether it is one’s financial support,
or a loved one,
or status in society,
or even one’s spiritual standing before God,
we mourn, and we will be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.”

Jesus says that a gentle person,
who can patiently endure the difficulties
and the challenges of life that we all have,
will bring about God’s mercy
and will bring about God’s purpose in others.

“Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.”

Righteousness includes several facets.
It includes justice for those who have been downtrodden,
for those who have experienced injustice.
For those who deeply long for God’s multifaceted righteousness,
He says they will be filled.

“Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.”

Showing mercy toward others
does not earn a person entrance into the Kingdom.
Rather, it is at the heart of the attitude that opens
a person to receive the offering of mercy
that Jesus has proclaimed
in the Kingdom of God through this Gospel.

“Blessed are the poor and the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.”

In the sixth Beatitude, Jesus goes to the core of human life.
He goes to the heart.
Purity, or cleanliness, was an important
religious theme in Jesus’ day.
But Jesus declares here that a pure heart
is what produces external purity.

“Blessed are the peacemakers,
because they will be called the sons
and the daughters of God.”

With the inauguration of the Kingdom of God,
the Kingdom of Heaven begins
when Jesus comes upon this earth.
Jesus Himself is the supreme peacemaker,
making peace between God and us
and among all humankind.

And lastly, the eighth Beatitude:

“Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

In the eighth Beatitude, Jesus is offering comfort
for those who have suffered undeserved persecution.
God knows we see so much of that in our world today.

Looking down the long quarter of time
until the Kingdom is established here on earth once and for all,
Jesus offers hope for those who are persecuted unjustly,
as we pray for those people today.

The teaching of Jesus, the yoke of Jesus—
so much of the heart of Jesus’ teaching—
is found in those eight beautiful Beatitudes.