THE EXPECTATIONS OF JESUS

Jesus was speaking to the multitude; that is those who followed Him and others who were just listening. Perhaps he started with the blessings because the multitude liked positivity. They would love the idea that they were among those who were blessed.

Just who or what are the blessed? Jesus explained that; “Blessed are the poor and spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mat 5:3). Hence, the blessed are those who would be rewarded in heaven. That agrees with the dictionary meaning.

Who would not want to be blessed? Paradise is in heaven. Is that not what everyone seeks; a Utopian Paradise wherein all things are good?  Those who are to go there are “poor in spirit.” It seems that those rich in the Spirit of God would be the Way, so that contention needs some examination.

Poor in spirit means devoid of the things of the world. Perhaps better said, Blessed are those who esteem not themselves; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Of course, that self-estimation would be by the standards of the world. Some of those standards are highly educated, the wealthy, those who have no power in the world, and those who must depend on others for their livelihood.

In America, the poor in spirit have a practical knowledge of what is important in life. The Great Depression of the 1930s produced and abundance of the poor in spirit. Even a vast number of the rich became poor in spirit. In the United States the destruction of our institutions made people poor in spirit, and rallied them, for awhile anyway, around God. It gave them a right perspective of what has value in the end.

Right now, ask yourself, Just what is important to me? If you answered that with heaven in the presence of God, then you have a right perspective on life.

So, there it is; the multitude were gathered around Jesus as he explained the attitudes that He expected of them to qualify for heaven. As you read the beatitudes, surely you thought that you met the qualifications for eternal life in the kingdom of God.

Then, Jesus provided His expectations to be among the blessed: 

·         Reconcile with those who have something against you (v. 22-24),

·         Be in accordance with those who differ with you (v. 25).

·         Do not even think about sexual activity with one other than the one to whom you are married (v. 27-28)

·         Discard anything that would put your reward in danger (v. 29-30).

·         Do not divorce unless for fornication on the part of your mate, and even at that do not remarry (v. 31-32)

·         Do not swear (take an oath) at all (v. 33-37).

·         Be charitable and generous well beyond what the world expects of you (v. 40-42).

·         Love even, or especially, your enemies (v. 44). That you may be like God (v. 45).

·         Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect (v. 48). 

Before listening to all that Jesus had to say about who deserves heaven, perhaps we all were thinking, We all deserve heaven! The list above is the intentions of the commandments; the extra effort that Jesus expects from those who follow Him. Each one of those, as Jesus pointed out to the multitude, exceeded any of the commandments. Christians are not only to do what the Law expects but have such a good attitude that they go beyond the minimum standards; they are to show good attitudes for the beatitudes!

Those metrics for blessings go well beyond what Moses expected of the pagans from Egypt. The Ten Commandments were the minimum expectations to approach God. To be like God, again in His Image like Adam was created, takes perfection as Jesus said, even more than God wrote in the beginning, to wit: “very good” (Gen 1:31). Jesus said outright, not just very good; nay, perfection!

So, antinomianism (the doctrine of against the Law) says that the Law is apart from grace and can be ignored. Not so, Jesus expects more than the Law. He expects exceedingly great attitudes about, not just following the Law, but excelling it in all respects. The blessings are therefore beatitudes and the metrics that followed are the attitudes the multitude should have.

We are to seek moral excellence, not the things of the world. Those who are poor in spirit are those who have attitudes not of this world. The world dismisses the Law as non-essential but Jesus asks us to go further.

For instance, we are not only to love our enemies, which exceeds loving our friends, but reconcile even those who may hold animosity toward us. We are not only to make things right that we have done but to forgive the things that they have done against us. That is the “Way;” that is going beyond expectations and walking with Jesus the extra distance; doing what He has done with us.

All those attitudes fulfill the Law, as Jesus said was His purpose.

Christians are not to look at the Commandments as things that we must do, but things that we have the privilege of doing. In other words, those with perfect attitudes are privileged — the Law does not pertain to them because their new natures go beyond the Law.

But we Christians cannot even follow the Law; how are we to follow Jesus all the Way with that intensity? Not because there are laws but to please God. To love God is not to follow the Ten Commandments but these extra “expectations” that fulfill the Law (v. 17).

Surprise Jews! You thought you could make it to heaven while even disregarding the Law, but here is news for you; your attitudes must be changed.

How can we do that? By ourselves, Christians cannot change who we are. Sin is genetic since the “original sin.”

Jesus said, “Marvel not; ye must be born again” (John 3:7). Born again is literally engendered from God above. He changes our nature and removes the iniquity (depravity) that is inherent in mankind. How can a Christian know that he or she has a new nature? By their attitudes; by seeing that list above, not as legal requirements for the kingdom of God, but the attitude of those seeking rewards in heaven.

Can we do the list of Commandments? No. Can we do the extended list that Jesus expects? No, again. Just what does He expect then? That we are willing to be like Him — perfect. Will we ever be perfect? No, again. We all will “come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23) and His “Glory” is His nature with a perfect attitude.

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