I hope your people expect and even demand this of you. But how we proclaim the central message, that can (and probably should) vary.
The Beatitudes are beautifully rich words of Jesus which reveal God’s gracious heart and actions towards spiritually broken and empty people like us. But they also have the potential to be so familiar that it is difficult to hear (or preach) them in a way that helps people encounter them afresh. So, rather than exegete the passage and explore the content of the Beatitudes, I would like to offer ideas about how you might structure your proclamation of this text.
Below are four different outlines based on four different sermon structures. We preach Christ and Him crucified, that does not change. I hope your people expect and even demand this of you. But how we proclaim the central message, that can (and probably should) vary. With this in mind, I would like to suggest you consider preaching/adapting one of the outlines below which feels the least familiar to you. If it is unfamiliar to you, it will likely sound fresh to your hearers.
A. Compare/Contrast:
One of the ways we learn and experience what something is, is by looking at what it is not. This sermon contrasts the key words of the first beatitude with their opposites: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Part-to-Part
- Blessed / Not Blessed
- Apart from God’s blessing, we would be lost/condemned/nothing.
- The blessing of God is the promise of salvation, body and soul, through Jesus.
- Rich in Spirit / Poor in Spirit
- When we are spiritually rich, we do not need much from God (besides a little coaching or the occasional miracle).
- When we are spiritually poor, we need God for life... which He gladly provides by laying down His own for us.
- Earthly / Heavenly Kingdoms
- Earthly kingdoms exert force through threats and payments.
- God’s heavenly Kingdom comes through a dying King for His faithless subjects.
Another way you might outline your proclamation with this structure would be to contrast a Law-centered reading of the text with a Gospel-centered reading. We would see the Beatitudes as tasks compared to descriptions (what we should do, versus who we are). We would see the outcomes as payments rather than gifts. We would also end up focusing on ourselves as the main subject, rather than God (who happens to be unstated as the subject behind the passive verbs).
B. Classification:
A sermon structured around classification looks at a specific topic within a broader category. In this case, I would suggest the broader category of “different ways God speaks.” God speaks words of accusation, words of forgiveness, and words of blessing (you could also look at the category of “God’s gracious speaking” with words of forgiveness, words of love, and words of blessing). Since we are looking at the blessings of Matthew 5, I would make sure the section on blessing was the most developed. The goal is to help our people experience God’s word of blessing in light of the variety of ways God speaks.
- Introduction: God speaks in different ways, at different times, towards different ends.
- Sometimes God speaks words of accusation (or forgiveness). In these words, God...
- You have experienced this word from God when... [or]
- Here is a situation in Scripture where God spoke this word, and here is why He spoke it and what happened.
- Sometimes God speaks words of forgiveness (or love). In these words, God...
- You have experienced this word from God when... [or]
- Here is a situation in Scripture where God spoke this word, and here is why He spoke it and what happened.
- Sometimes God speaks words of blessing. In these words, God...
- You have experienced this word from God when... [or]
- Here is a situation in Scripture where God spoke this word, and here is why He spoke it and what happened.
- Conclusion: God speaks in different ways, at different times, towards different ends. Specifically, God speaks words of blessing so...
C. Proverbial:
A sermon based on a proverb, or memorable and repeatable saying, will repeat the phrase quite often and hear that Word from God in a variety of contexts. This outline takes the first Beatitude as our “proverb” (“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven”).
- Introduction: Set the context for the first Beatitude. Jesus begins His ministry, calls people to follow, crowds join in, and the very first thing He says to the crowd is, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” It is such a beautiful and profound statement. I wonder if there were people there who did not hear anything else Jesus said. Perhaps they walked away repeating and ruminating on this single, simple, profound truth.
- Here is an Old Testament narrative/saint/situation in which this saying of blessing applies (alternatively, the preacher might present situations where the saying does not apply and why not).
- Here is a New Testament narrative/saint/situation in which this saying of blessing applies.
- Here is a direct teaching of what it actually means for God to bless the poor in spirit with the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Here is a contemporary narrative/saint/situation in which this saying of blessing applies.
This structure raises an important question, looks at a couple unhelpful ways even God’s faithful people may answer the question, and then proclaims the “right” answer as good news. In addressing the “wrong” answers, the preacher acknowledges why someone may have come to this conclusion, but then models biblical theology or clear exegesis to move beyond that answer.
- Raise the question. This is the doorway to the entire Sermon on the Mount, the heart of Jesus’ teaching. It is about what it means for the Kingdom of Heaven to be ours today. So, what does it mean to be poor in spirit?
- Some might say it means to be materially poor, especially since the New Testament has a lot to say about the dangers of wealth. However, God created this world and all its goodness, and “daily bread” extends to all the physical gifts God provides.
- Some might say to be poor in spirit means we will always be grieving the depths of sin in the world, after all, there is much to grieve and sin breaks God’s heart. While this is true enough, there is also much joy and delight to be experienced both physically and spiritually.
- So, what does it mean to be poor in spirit? To be poor in spirit is to have your spiritual needs met by another (or however you would positively state what it means).
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out our previous articles on Matthew 5:1-12.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Matthew 5:1-12.
Text Week-A treasury of resources from various traditions to help you preach Matthew 5:1-12.
Lectionary Podcast-Dr. Ryan Tietz of Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN walks us through Matthew 5:1-12.
