The Jesus Way to Cultural Influence
6. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Being pure in heart has to do with a person having no hidden agendas, motives or selfishness regarding their faith and duty toward others. When we have hidden motives, undealt with hypocrisy and sin, and self-focused agendas, it blurs the image of our true self, which in turn mars our perception of God. If we have bitterness toward someone, then we view everything they do through a lens of suspicion. To the extent that we see reality, to that extent we can get a true revelation of God. Those leaders who are narcissistic and self-focused in their intent and actions do not have a deep revelation of their heavenly Father.
7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Peacemakers are unique in this world because they have the amazing ability to understand opposing points of view and reconcile adversaries. Peacemakers can even function as statesmen if they serve in the political arena. This is a profound passage that has vast ecclesial and societal implications, including that Christian leaders should also be able to cross religious, cultural and political lines to bring peace, so that people in secular communities can function together in harmony.
8. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Leaders in the kingdom of God must be willing to pay the price of insults, slander and negative press since the biblical worldview is so countercultural. Anti-Christian bigots will twist our life narrative, assign sinister motives to us, and never recognize the good the gospel does in this world, because doing so would refute their own arguments. God allows this to happen to those He chooses to lead as a way of testing, so they will learn to love the praise of God more than the praise of men. It is easy to serve God in a community if you are always given accolades by the world, but only a remnant of believers would be willing to take a stand for the gospel if it meant their life and/or reputation would suffer.
9. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
Insults are more of a personal nature than a general persecution, which seems to be the emphasis in the previous verse. It is probably more difficult to deal with the personal attacks, slander and insults that come on an individual level than what comes in the press from people who do not know you or have a relationship with you. Being able to humble ourselves and not repay evil for evil when we are slandered is one of the greatest tests of godly character in the Bible and a trait that is well pleasing to God. When we don’t repay insult for insult, then we demonstrate that we trust God will defend us (Rom. 12:17-21).
10. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Here Jesus teaches us to practice the presence and joy of the Lord even when we have been betrayed, mistreated and slandered by others. When we walk in the joy of the Lord in adverse circumstances, then we demonstrate to God and others that our reason, motive and purpose for living is to be with Him and please Him rather than doing it for the accolades and praise of men.
Who is qualified to function as the salt and light of the world?
In conclusion, it is not an accident that Jesus teaches on these 10 beatitudes before He calls His followers to be the salt and light of the world. The clear implication is that we need to have these qualities ingrained in our hearts before we can effectively influence the world.
Notice: These 10 attributes do not focus on spiritual gifts, ability, anointing or spiritual power but on emotional maturity and a deep-rootedness in the character of Christ. Too often we in the church elevate a person because they are good looking, have charisma and/or are a great preacher, thus bypassing these attributes. Consequently, gifted people elevated to places of influence who are emotionally and spiritually immature eventually bring shame and scandal to the kingdom of God.
May we who preach the kingdom of God and represent Christ in this world not only embrace the ministry and power of Christ but also the character of Christ. Entire chapters in Scripture have been written just on His character, which is the fruit of the Spirit. I can’t think of one chapter that is dedicated just to the anointing and power of God (Matt. 5-7; 1 Cor. 13; 1 John 4; Phil. 2; compare these passages to Matt. 7:21-22). These character traits are what God values, which is why it is so hard on our flesh to be effective leaders. (I am my biggest stumbling block, not the anti-Christian bigots, not my family, not my ministry—but me.)
May God help us become more like Jesus in every way!
Joseph Mattera is overseeing bishop of Resurrection Church, Christ Covenant Coalition, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Visit him at josephmattera.org.
