Matthew 5.1-12a-
Blessed are the poor in spirit.
1See the crowds, he went up the mountain: he sat down and came to him and his disciples.
2SI began to speak and taught them, saying
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Beati those who weep,
they shall be comforted.
5Beati myths,
they will inherit the earth.
6Beati those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
they will be satisfied.
7Beati the merciful,
they will receive mercy.
8Beati the pure in heart,
they shall see God
9Beati are the peacemakers,
they shall be called sons of God
10Be are persecuted for righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Beati you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my
. 12Rallegratevi and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven.
This Matthew track precise intention: to present Jesus as the new Moses, and Jesus' discourse on the mountain
as the fulfillment of the law of Sinai. His message focuses on the word "blessed". Bliss
man poor and suffering has its foundation in Christ: in him God has already given us everything.
This speech reflected the experience of Christ that can and should become the experience of the Christian. Does not suggest the
conditions to be monks or nuns, but simply for being Christians.
Jesus had said to the tempter: "It is wrote: I do not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of
God "(Mt 4:4). Now Jesus solemnly opened his mouth to give his life to God to men through the his word.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit." Poverty means first of all a spiritual attitude toward God the poor in spirit
expect any help from God's attitude required by the first beatitude is like that of the child: "Jesus called
a little child and had him stand among them and said: 'Verily I say unto you, unless you change and become like
children will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in
kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in my name welcomes me '(Mt 18.2-5). The bliss of
poor in spirit clearly stated the primacy of grace, not works.
23
The poor in spirit is not only detached from material goods, which are less important, but also from property
superior intellect and will, by their ideas, by the way they feel. Free himself from his
views and human aspirations, he is ready to accept the goods of the kingdom of heaven. This provision is essential inner
for anyone who wants one would follow Jesus' salvation is a reality too large to be included
only by human intelligence. Who wants to think too much, and then inappropriately, remains out of it. For this reason,
those who are not poor can not enter the kingdom of heaven. This beatitude is the characteristic of the person of Jesus that we must imitate
"Learn that I am poor and humble of heart "(Mt 11:29).
Poor in spirit is not born, but becomes, fighting against the instinctive aspirations of the senses, claims
intelligence and the misunderstandings of others. The truly poor is not the one that God has humbled, but he who has fallen
with the love of a child. The life of the poor is characterized by obedience, by submission, by acquiescence,
abandonment, silence. Evangelical poverty presents the ideal religious and spiritual in its dual relationship.
Towards God is expressed as a humble and faithful submission to the next as peaceful and friendly welcome.
"Blessed are those who mourn." Jesus was sent not only to preach the gospel to the poor, but also to comfort the afflicted (cf.
Is 61,2). They are not simply those for human misfortunes and tribulations faced by everyone, but especially
because of oppression and injustice for the implementation of the plan of God are afflicted because the good is ridiculed,
because the Christian community was persecuted and oppressed, for God is not known and loved.
"Blessed are the meek." In the Old Testament Moses was much milder than any man on earth "(Num 12:3) and
New Testament, Jesus presents himself" meek and humble of heart "(Mt 11:29, cf. Mt 21:5). The meek is the one that makes itself
the exhortation of Psalm 37.7-11, "It is 'Be still before the Lord and hope in him, do not bother if you have success,
' s man plot pitfalls. Give up anger and indignation Lay down, do not fret: you do evil, because the wicked are cut off,
but those who hope in the Lord shall inherit the earth. Yet a little while the wicked disappear, look for a place and not more
are. But the meek shall inherit the land and enjoy great peace. "This is the possession of salvation full and happy
promised to those who follow Jesus" meek and humble of heart "(Mt 11:29).
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." Justice is the full implementation of God's will and generous
revealed in the gospel of Jesus' hunger and thirst indicates the desire to seek and implement themselves of this project
God through the exercise of love (Cf. Mt 25.37). The hungry and thirsty of justice are those who have made
of fulfilling the will of God the highest aspiration of his life, so much so that their research plan
of God becomes vital as eating and drinking. The reward for those who wanted intensely
justice of God is the fullness, which means the full and definitive communion with God and with others.
"Blessed are the merciful." The first and essential requirement of the kingdom of God is active mercy which has its source and
son is in God's: "Be merciful as your Father is merciful" (Lk 6:36). The merciful love
and benevolent God is manifested in two main ways: forgive us our sins and helps and protects those in need.
So the righteousness of God imitates him in his action to the next forgiving wrongs received and is committed to help
generously to the needy. This is the condition to find mercy from God Matthew presents Jesus as
the embodiment of compassionate goodness of God in the way of acting and in the choices made in favor of sinners
and needy (cf. Mt 9:13; 12.7, 23.23, etc.)..
"Blessed are the pure in heart." The heart as a symbol of inner spiritual and moral dimension means the deep and personal
of religious relationship with God and with others as opposed to the superficiality and externality of the forms. The
pure of heart are those who can accept the teaching of Jesus, the very person of Jesus This beatitude requires
full membership to the gospel. The vision of God promised to the pure in heart is the ultimate salvation of paradise where
will see God " face to face "(1 Cor 13:12).
" Blessed are the peacemakers. "The peacemakers are the successors of Jesus' work, the proclaim the message of salvation
. Peace is absence of any enmity, it is the presence of grace and holiness. Only those who live in the peace of God can
become an instrument of human peace. The bearers of peace are those who proclaim the gospel, all who work for
the coming of the kingdom of God on earth. They deserve the name of God's children because they are animated by the same desires
of salvation and engaged in his own work. Only concord and reconciliation with our brothers and sisters worship accept
to God and to the prayer of the community (cf. Mt 5:23-24, 18:19-20). The commitment to working for peace between people is
a practical way to implement the love of neighbor. These peacemakers are promised completion of the report
full communion with God: to be recognized as his children.
"Blessed are the persecuted." The message of salvation is centered on the cross, and who announces the recipient must be willing to let
insult, slander, strip, crucify. The suffering of the innocent is a mystery which man
the Old Testament has not been able to glimpse the solution (cf. Wis 3:4). The beatification of the pain that the New Testament reaffirms
on numerous occasions is not a paradox that finds its justification in human logic, but
only the example and teaching of Jesus 'persecution' s legacy that Jesus left his disciples, a sign that
their true calling, but also the way to achieve happiness and glory. The text touches on the central message
of Christianity: the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Bliss and the possession of the kingdom of heaven is the Easter
resurrection of Christ, but he must be able to reach before, necessarily, go through the suffering and death
. The originality of this beatitude consists of the reasons that have to establish the style of perseverance
Christian assimilation interior to the fate of rejected and persecuted Christ (cf. Mt 10.24-25) and integrates practice and adherence
to the will of God, materialized in the draft Christian life. The persecution should result in bitterness and
killing, but produces the joy of having endured the suffering required by its fidelity to the truth and to Christ.
The faithful are invited to rejoice in the midst of persecution because in them the mystery of death and resurrection
that Jesus fulfilled the first in his life. They are proclaimed blessed, happy, fortunate in already having the full and final
happiness that is promised them by God
The Beatitudes have their model and the guarantee of their implementation in Jesus, the "poor and humble of heart,"
rejected and persecuted by men, but rehabilitated and glorified by God (cf. Acts 5:31; Phil 2:9-11, etc.)..
Fernando Armellini (biblical scholar)
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