Luke 6:20 - 23
20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.
22 “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
Questions:
ReplyDelete1. Is this a progression?
2. v20 - What does Jesus mean by "the poor" and the consequence?
3. v21 - What does Jesus mean by "are hungry now" and the consequence?
4. v21 - What does Jesus mean by "you who weep now" and the consequence?
5. v22 - How do we know when people are hating us on account of the Son of Man, and when people are just hating us?
https://hartmangroupdevotions.blogspot.com/2014/11/matthew-51-12-beatitudes-now-when-jesus.html?zx=b178cb5b48e8b6ad says:
ReplyDeleteThere are quite a few articles discussing a progression:
- poor in spirit - realizing our need for God/Jesus.
- mourning - realizing our sin and how it separates us from God.
- meekness - surrendering to God's will
- hungering and thirsting - what happens to us when we do the first three. We hunger for God's will being done.
- merciful - the change in heart towards others when we realize the first four.
- Pure in heart - single minded devotion, no longer divided between Christ and the world.
- Peacemakers - Bringing God's message to the world.
- Persecuted - Suffering for God's message of the cross.
Hmm., I think I do see a progression here. I wonder if it's possible to say, "I reached level X".
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Mark 2:17 sheds light on this: "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Those who recognize that they are morally sick are the only ones who inherit the kingdom of God. This leads right into mourning because of our moral sickness, which only then will God bless us with inexpressible joy and spiritual riches.
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"meekness is not weakness, it is not weakness. It is not wishy-washiness, it is not to be indecisive, to be timid, to be unsure of yourself, it's not even to be polite or to be affable or naturally kind or nice. . . . It is not cowardice, it is not spinelessness, it is not a willingness to have peace at any price and cost, it's not lacking in confidence, it's not shyness, it's not the opposite of extrovertedness, it's not simply good manneredness, or proper social convention, and it is certainly not a lack of conviction. Some dictionaries define meekness as deficient in courage. Let me say categorically, no matter what it means in the English language today, it does not mean that in the word of God."
"it simply means 'to be gentle, to be humble, to be considerate, to be courteous. . . . it's simply this: it is power under control. . . . It means this, it means: self-emptying. It means self-humility, it means self-brokenness before God, it is the person who is dead to self."
https://hartmangroupdevotions.blogspot.com/2014/11/matthew-51-12-beatitudes-now-when-jesus.html?zx=b178cb5b48e8b6ad continued:
ReplyDeleterighteousness is defined by the next three beatitudes: mercy, purity and peacemaking.
The hunger and the thirst of your life that cannot be satisfied by anything in this world is the constant beckoning of God to remember that you were made for another world, you were made for God.
Satisfaction comes from God to those whose passion in life is to know him in the struggle to be like him in the world.
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"A PURE WILL loves God with the whole heart and soul and mind. It is "fanatical"—the greatest insult the modern mind can conceive, and the greatest compliment God can give.
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Is it possible for us to be pure of heart here on earth? Is it a matter of degree?
"Those who are truly “pure,” then, are those who have been declared innocent because of the work of Jesus and who are being sanctified by His refining fire and His pruning."
"Paul’s emphasis is on the indirect nature of our seeing rather than on the quality of what we are able to see. For now, we see God indirectly. But one day, we shall see Him directly, face to face."
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So here's my speculation on this, because I can't seem to find the answer on line anywhere. (Please help if you know).
When Jesus' blood washes us, we are pure. When we get to heaven, we will see God. Here on earth, it gets a little fuzzier. Seeing God here means feeling Him working or hearing His voice with our spiritual minds. My opinion is that this is a matter of God's grace and has little to do with how pure we are. Some people who have pure hearts don't hear much from God, because God, in some cases, wants to build faith in those He loves - sometimes by becoming more quiet. For example, at the end of her life, Mother Teresa wrote about how she has rarely felt in rapport with God, and it made her sad.
So my conclusion is that here on earth God meets with us in His way and timing. A person with a relatively impure heart (on her/his own) may feel more of the presence of God than someone who is relatively much more pure. It depends on what God is doing in their lives. Also, very importantly, the reality of whether God is present in our lives is not based on our feelings. So, in the end, I don't know what it means to see God here on this earth, for one. And I refuse to believe that it's somehow based on our effort that we see God here on this earth. God purified us once, and continues to purify us as we repent of impurity. I don't know what the ramifications of this purifying process is here on earth or in heaven.
For this particular verse, I think that there is a logical fallacy with the partial pure will partially see God interpretation (not only that, I think it leads to wrong ways of thinking). I think that this verse can only have two meanings:
1. When we are saved, we are made 100% pure now, and we can now see God in the form of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.
2. We will some day be made 100% pure when Jesus comes back, and then and only then we will see God.
I am not saying that in the context of the whole Bible that there are not rewards for more obedience vs less obedience. I am saying that those rewards for more obedience aren't necessarily a clearer vision of God. In fact, it could be just the opposite.
I think that us seeing God here on this earth is dependent on God's needs and grace. Indirectly, as we obey more, and become more dependent on God's direction, we may get more direction. Even then, I don't know if getting direction from God is seeing God.
https://hartmangroupdevotions.blogspot.com/2014/11/matthew-51-12-beatitudes-now-when-jesus.html?zx=b178cb5b48e8b6ad continued:
ReplyDeleteA final note on persecution:
1 Peter 4:15 - "But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters."
If we look around, we can see many examples where other's are being mistreated or reviled by others. People are naturally judgmental. When people are judging or reviling us because we act like Jesus, we are where Jesus wants us to be. However, in my case, there are plenty of times where I have acted like a dope and people have judged me because of it - sometimes more justly than other times. But in those times, I don't feel like I was being persecuted because of Jesus, but being persecuted as any person is. I don't think I will be rewarded in heaven for these times.
My point is that we need to avoid taking a defensive attitude against those who don't believe. Persecution is common. We also need to be able to see ourselves from other people's perception. If we act weird or not real, people won't like us. Not that we need to worry about people liking us.
If I could extend the meaning of I Peter 4:15, I might include that none of suffer for being ignorant, close-minded, judgmental, speaking before thinking, etc.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-6-commentary says:
ReplyDeleteTo the natural mind (1 Cor 2:14) these seem absurd and make absolutely no sense, because a natural man reads them from the world's perspective as referring to literal poverty, hunger, etc. However, to the spiritual mind, in context all 4 conditions clearly refer to spiritual conditions - poor in spirit, hungry for Jesus, mourning over sin, and persecuted for following Jesus.
Luke's version of this important address, primarily aimed at Jesus' disciples, is much shorter than Matthew's (Matt. 5:3-7:29). Matthew's account contains 137 verses whereas Luke's has 30. Both accounts begin with beatitudes, contain the same general content, and end with the same parables. However, Luke edited out the teachings that have distinctively Jewish appeal, specifically Jesus' interpretations of the Mosaic Law, the "legal matters." These parts had less significance for an audience of predominantly Gentile Christians....Matthew recorded nine beatitudes, but Luke included only four. Matthew gave no woes, but Luke recorded four. The four beatitudes precede the four woes, and the beatitudes parallel the woes in thought. The beatitudes are positive and the woes correspondingly negative.
Despite the claims of some, the Sermon on the Mount is not a statement of ethics, but a sermon on salvation. Trying to apply the principles in this sermon apart from regeneration is futile.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-6-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteBlessed are you who are poor - He is not speaking of poverty as in a lack of money (although many were literally poor), but as He says in Mt 5:3-note "poor in spirit." He is speaking of those who have a sense of their bankrupt spiritual state and spiritual impoverishment. The blessing or beatitude is not a condition for entering the Kingdom of God, but the blessing on those who enter it by grace through faith in the Messiah.
Steven Cole clarifies that Jesus is not excluding financially rich - Later in Luke, some wealthy women are favorably mentioned who helped support Jesus and the apostles (Lu 8:1-3). So Jesus is not issuing a blanket approval on everyone who is financially poor, nor a blanket condemnation on everyone who is financially rich. The same can be said of the other groups. But the terms are primarily spiritual in that Jesus did not come to offer Himself on the cross to deliver men from physical poverty, hunger, and grief. He came to deliver sinners from their spiritual poverty, spiritual hunger, and grief over sin.
Blessed means to be happy, but not in the usual sense of happiness based on positive circumstances. From the Biblical perspective Makarios describes the person who is free from daily cares and worries because his every breath and circumstance is in the hands of His Maker Who gives him such an assurance (such a "blessing"). As discussed below makarios was used to describe the kind of happiness that comes from receiving divine favor.
Bock - The term blessed refers to one who is the object of grace and is happy because of it. Those who are blessed do not face an easy life.
Wiersbe comments on Jesus emphasis on the blessing on the poor instead of the rich and famous - Imagine how surprised they were when they heard Jesus describe happiness in terms just the opposite of what they expected! They discovered that what they needed most was not a change in circumstances but a change in their relationship to God and in their outlook on life. Jesus was not teaching that poverty, hunger, persecution, and tears were blessings in themselves. If that were true, He would never have done all He did to alleviate the sufferings of others. Rather, Jesus was describing the inner attitudes we must have if we are to experience the blessedness of the Christian life. Jesus was not glorifying material poverty; rather, He was calling for that brokenness of heart that confesses spiritual poverty within (Luke 18:9-14; Phil. 3:4-14). The humble person is the only kind the Lord can save (Isa. 57:15; 66:2; 1 Peter 5:6).
Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones said, “This one is first because it is obviously the key to all that follows!”
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-6-commentary continued:
ReplyDeletePtochos focuses on a state of dependence, so that in Mt 5:3 "the poor in spirit" are those who have learned to be completely dependent on God for everything and these are the ones who possess the kingdom of heaven.
The opposite of being "poor in spirit" is having a spirit that is full of self. There is a world of difference between these two spirits. There is the difference of thinking one is righteous and acknowledging one has the need for righteousness. There is the difference of having self-righteousness and of having another's righteousness. Man must have another's righteousness. Self-righteousness goes no farther than self, that is, no farther than death. Another's righteousness, that is, Christ's righteousness, lives forever (2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9. Ro 3:21-22; Galatians 2:15-16 Romans 10:4) The promise to the poor is phenomenal. Note the exact words: "yours is the kingdom of heaven." The promise is not "yours shall be," but "yours is." The poor in spirit receive the Kingdom of Heaven now.
Steven Cole - The kingdom Jesus speaks of is both a present reality and a future promise. To the poor who have followed Him, Jesus says, “Yours is the kingdom of God.” They presently possess it. In this sense, the kingdom means living decidedly under the lordship of Jesus, obeying His commands, living with the aim of pleasing Him. But, the kingdom is also a future promise.
Blessed are you who hunger now - Hunger is in the present tense indicating their hungering is continual. I like this thought because after we receive Jesus, we still should be hungering for Him, for He is infinite and infinitely satisfying at the same time.
You shall be satisfied - "Jesus turned human need into human contentment."
But these are all inadequate, because the infinite abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable object, that is to say, only by God Himself.
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-6-commentary continued:
ReplyDeleteBlessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh - This beatitude is unique to the Gospel of Luke and is not found in the Sermon on the Mount (one of the reasons some see these as similar but distinct sermons).
Matthew has a similar but not identical beatitude
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Mt 5:4)
Steven Cole - When Jesus blesses those who weep now, He is referring to His followers who suffer in this wicked world because of their identification with Him.
MacArthur on weep - This is the emotional breakdown that follows recognition of spiritual bankruptcy and lack of righteousness.
NET Note on you shall laugh - You will laugh alludes to the joy that comes to God’s people in the salvation to come.
Ps 30:5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
Ps 30:11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness;
BLESSED ARE THE DETESTED!
Matthew has a parallel passage
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you . (Mt 5:10-12)
Steven Cole - When Jesus blesses those who are hated, ostracized, insulted, and spurned for His sake, He compares their treatment to that of the godly prophets. The reason for their ill treatment is that they have stood for God’s truth and righteousness, which sinners, especially religious hypocrites, hate. But Jesus compares those who are well-spoken of to the false prophets. It’s never hard to gain a following: Just flatter people and tell them how wonderful they are. They will flock to hear you and buy your books. You will be famous and successful on earth, but rejected in heaven. One reason Jesus paints with these broad strokes of black and white, with no gray, is to draw the line and make us examine ourselves. Which side are you on? I immediately want to say, “Lord, how about someone who isn’t poor or rich? I’m just kind of middle class! How about someone who isn’t starving, but I’m not a glutton? I’m not going around weeping, but neither am I a comedian. People aren’t throwing rotten eggs at me, but neither am I Mr. Popular. Isn’t there room for a guy like me in the middle?” Jesus replies, “No, you’re either decidedly for Me or you are decidedly against Me. There’s no middle ground.” He forces us to get off the fence and decide: Are we living for this life and its temporary pleasures or are we living for Jesus and His eternal kingdom?
Bock notes that "In Jewish circles the choice to be a disciple would have meant ostracism. The goal of such ostracism was to punish and shame the "defector," or perhaps to persuade the defector to return. Social isolation would bring economic consequences."
Spurgeon wrote that “Persecution of the tongue is more common, but not less cruel than that of the hand!”
https://www.preceptaustin.org/luke-6-commentary continued:
ReplyDelete"you will be hated by all because of My name." (Luke 21:17)
“You will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved. (Mt 10:22)
FOCUS ON FUTURE JOY NOT PRESENT PERSECUTION
Your reward is great in heaven - Not great on earth, not great now, but great in the future, in heaven. The Christian road is first the cross, and then the crown.
https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-things-you-should-know-about-persecution/ says:
ReplyDelete10 Things You Should Know about Persecution:
1. Persecution is bound up with Christ’s persecution.
Suffering for the sake of the gospel is a way in which we identify with Christ’s sufferings—and he, in turn, identifies with the sufferings of His people. “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” (1 Pet. 4:12–13).
2. Persecution binds the members of the body of Christ together.
As Christians, our lives are forever bound up in Christ’s life and, therefore, bound up with all other believers as well. When members of the body suffer, the rest of the body suffers. This connection is clear in Hebrews 13:3, “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” “Remember” is more than to think about—or even to pray for—though it would include both of those things. But there’s a deeper, practical, heartfelt connection to a persecuted believer, as a hurting family member.
3. Acts of persecution vary widely along a spectrum of suffering.
Persecution is purposeful suffering for the sake of Christ and for his glory, and it comes in many forms. It’s not just martyrdom or prison. Suffering for the sake of the gospel may come suddenly and violently; but it often begins simply with intimidation and discrimination, as well as shunning by family and friends opposed to the gospel.
4. Persecution historically—and in much of the world—is common.
5. Persecution should not be sought.
All persecution is not created equal—sometimes it’s just the result of arrogance. For example, there are accounts of Christians who have been arrested and deported for dropping into a country like China on a tourist visa and openly distributing Bibles on the streets. Typically, they manage to get themselves arrested and deported. They go home with great stories and bragging rights—selfies of suffering—while the host Christians in that city are left to truly suffer, some even going to prison for their ties to the commando-style missionary. “If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name” (1 Pet. 4:14—16).
https://www.crossway.org/articles/10-things-you-should-know-about-persecution/ continued:
ReplyDelete6. Perspective is important in reading media reports of persecution.
It’s the nature of news reporting to generalize and sensationalize, and Christian news sources aren’t much different than secular media in this regard. While the speed and reach of the internet can bring persecution incidents quickly to light, it can also result in the proliferation of poorly vetted stories that are then recycled for months—even years.
7. When it comes to advocacy efforts for the persecuted church, manage your expectations.
“Can’t the government do something?” is a typically American response, but in many parts of the world, governments are doing something—they are persecuting Christians! advocacy efforts to leverage government intervention are limited and often discouraging. There are a few Josephs and Daniels who labor on behalf of their suffering brothers and sisters, but overall the amount of effort needed to get people in power to use their power to speak and act on behalf of persecuted Christians is enormous. The most effective advocacy groups aren’t the ones who are simply “raising awareness”—and funds—off of persecution stories. The effective ones are those who have invested years in cultivating relationships and trust with congressional and agency officials and their staffs, who bring reliable intelligence from the field, and who handle it sensitively.
8. Persecuted Christians are not celebrities or super saints.
we must remember that our persecuted brothers and sisters are sinners saved by Christ alone who face the same temptations and needs of daily grace and obedience that we all do. They are men and women “with a nature like ours” (James 5:17).
9. Persecution is a mark of gospel advance.
“And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria” (Acts 8:1). “Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:4).
10. Jesus keeps his promises to his people.
“I am with you always” (Matt. 28:20) “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior’” (Isa. 43:1–3a).
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/what-christian-persecution/ says:
ReplyDeleteJesus told His disciples: “Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). He promised that if we follow Him, we will be persecuted. But what does that mean? What does the Bible actually teach about this important issue?
Two experiences that I had as a young pastor have helped clarify my understanding of Christian persecution—that is, the kind of which the Bible speaks as inevitably coming against followers of Christ.
The first was with a young professional who was full of love for Jesus and zeal to see the gospel spread. Steve became burdened about an unconverted coworker and saw it as his Christian duty to witness to this man in an effort to persuade him to become a believer. His zeal caused him to spend hours of his time at work talking to his friend about salvation and explaining the gospel to him.
When his boss warned him to stop “pushing his religion while on the clock” Steve took it as an affront to the lordship of Christ and refused. After he was fired, he told me his story in terms of suffering for his faith. Steve saw himself as having been persecuted by his boss.
The other experience involved meeting a pastor who spent twenty years in a Communist prison because he refused to quit preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. I met Samuel Lamb while visiting the church that gathered in his home in Guangzhou, China.
“In America,” he said, “the church has experienced prosperity and is growing weaker. In China, the church has experienced persecution and growing stronger. Persecution is much better than prosperity.”
Both of those experiences have helped me frame two important questions involving what constitutes Christian persecution. Steve’s comments raise the question, “Can Christians claim to be persecuted anytime they are treated harshly or are mistreated?” Pastor Lamb’s comments cause me to ask, “Is persecution limited to severe actions like imprisonment or the infliction of physical pain?”
Steve saw himself as a martyr because he was fired for talking to his coworker about Christ. From my vantage point, however, it was not Steve’s faith that provoked his dismissal. It was his failure to put in a full day’s work for a full day’s pay, even after he was warned. Though talking about Christ is a good thing, doing so at the expense of your employer is a bad thing.
If the reason a believer experiences opposition is due to anything other than his identity with and devotion to Christ, then what happens to him is not Christian persecution. When Christians suffer for doing what God forbids, they are not experiencing Christian persecution and must not twist Scripture in an attempt to comfort themselves with the promises that are designed for those who suffer because of their faith in Christ.
https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/what-christian-persecution/ continued:
ReplyDeletePastor Lamb spoke in generalities when he described the church in China as persecuted and the church in America as prosperous. To a certain extent, this generalization is warranted. Who can deny the vast differences between living as a Christian in America versus living as a Christian in China?
It is legitimate to speak of “the persecuted church” when thinking of those places in the world where our brothers and sisters are systematically attacked with harshness and even physical violence because of their faith. However, we must be careful not to limit our understanding of persecution to those extreme situations. The beheadings, mutilations, stonings, and imprisonments that are regularly carried out against Christians simply because they are Christians are examples of severe persecution. But the Bible does not limit its definition of persecution to certain levels of severity.
It is not just physically violent acts that constitute persecution. Lesser forms of opposition to followers of Christ are also included. Jesus said, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account” (Matt. 5:11). He mentions three categories of opposition. The first and third are exclusively verbal, and the second includes both verbal and physical assaults. Christian persecution encompasses all of them.
When a believer is spoken to derisively or abusively because of his devotion to Christ, he is at that point experiencing persecution.
In Luke’s parallel passage, Jesus says, “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil on account of the Son of Man,” again invoking the experience of the prophets who lived long before (6:22–23). With this language, He expands the idea of persecution to include even attitudes and dispositions of hatred.
So, Christian persecution can include a wide variety of responses to believers—from scorn, hatred, and ridicule to physical violence, imprisonment, and death. But for such opposition, no matter how mild or severe, to be regarded as persecution in the biblical sense, it must be provoked by the believer’s devotion to Jesus Christ and His righteousness.
This helps make sense of Paul’s statement that “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim. 3:12) and Jesus’ promise that His followers will face persecution “for my sake and for the gospel” (Mark 10:29–30). Every Christian should expect to experience persecution, not all in the same way, but all for the same reason—because of uncompromising devotion to Jesus.
We must not call every affliction that comes into a Christian’s life persecution. That designation should be reserved for opposition that arises because of devotion to Christ. Neither should we dismiss lesser degrees of persecution because they do not result in bloodshed. Instead, we should remember that the trail that our Savior blazed for us is a path of suffering and death. As we follow Him and refuse to compromise our devotion to Him, when persecution comes—in whatever form it comes—we should be encouraged by this admonition of Peter:
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:12–13)
Questions and findings:
ReplyDelete1. Is this a progression?
I'm not sure we can answer this definitively. This version is a short version of Matthew's (whether by Luke's summarization or Jesus giving a summary sermon at a different time). I think that, as long as you don't over-emphasize it, looking at it as a progression is valuable.
2. v20 - What does Jesus mean by "the poor" and the consequence?
Matthew says "the poor in spirit". We need to look at all of these as the condition of the heart. We need to focus on the heart, and after doing that, explore symptoms (such as actual wealth). In this case, blessed are those who recognize their extreme poverty in lacking God's holiness, love, immortality, etc.
To enter the kingdom of God, this is a necessary first step. You must recognize your own poverty before you can truly repent (and go on from there).
3. v21 - What does Jesus mean by "are hungry now" and the consequence?
It's the same here - we need to look at the heart. Blessed are those who in recognizing their extreme spiritual poverty, hunger after God's extreme spiritual wealth (in this case, it's all bound up in God Himself).
The natural result of entering the kingdom of God is being filled with God. God will not come to anyone who does not hunger for Him. We can not hunger for Him without realizing our extreme poverty when He isn't in us.
4. v21 - What does Jesus mean by "you who weep now" and the consequence?
Blessed are those who, in their hearts, weep because of their poverty and hunger for God's righteousness. This is the necessary third step to true repentance.
At this point, we are repenting. We are seeing the kingdom of God and are being filled, which will bring great joy.
5. v22 - How do we know when people are hating us on account of the Son of Man, and when people are just hating us?
First of all, this hatred can be violent or hidden in people's hearts. If we are displaying the Gospel (i.e. Jesus) to others and they hate us for it, we shouldn't be surprised. If people hate us for any other reason than the Gospel, there may be lots of reasons for it. They may be hateful people. We may just rub them the wrong way. We may be acting in ways that draw hate from hateful people. In most cases, we won't really know why people are hating us.
Whether people are hating us for the Gospel or any other reason, we should analyze whether we our causing irritation (are we living at peace with everyone?), almost always by asking the person. If the irritation we are causing is not directly due to the Gospel, we need to apologize and fix the situation. Otherwise, we can apologize about the irritation and explain that the Gospel is integrated into us. However, we can reassure the person that we will respect them by not talking about subjects to them they are uncomfortable with. When the Gospel is not wanted by a person, it's disrespectful to push it.