“Fringe” is a science fiction television series. It is a mixture of “Twilight Zone” and “X-Files.” The series is named after a fictitious division of the FBI called “Fringe Division.” Fringe Division uses methods which are outside the norm in order to investigate unexplained events around the world. Eventually the FBI’s Fringe Division learns the cause of these unexplained events. They discover the existence of an alternate earth. This earth exists in a parallel universe. In some ways the alternate earth is similar to the original earth. In other ways it is quite different. These two earths have recently been interfering with one another, creating havoc on both planets. Fringe Division learns there are leaders on the alternate earth who are striving to destroy the original earth because the original earth threatens the existence of the alternate earth. Much of the series revolves around this power struggle between the two parallel worlds.
The series gives us two images. First, it provides us the image of two competing worlds. There are two worlds which threaten one another. Second, it gives us the image of things that are “fringe,” things that are outside the norm. The methods used by the scientists and FBI agents are on the edge. These two images help us understand one of the most important teachings in the Bible. In Matthew 5:3-12 Jesus gives us eight statements called “beatitudes”:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
4″Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
5″Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
6″Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
7″Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
8″Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
9″Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”(Matt. 5:3-12 ESV).
Dallas Willard writes, “The Beatitudes of Jesus…are among the literary and religious treasures of the human race. Along with the Ten Commandments, the Twenty-third Psalm, the Lord’s Prayer, and a very few other passages from the Bible, they are acknowledged by almost everyone to be among the highest expressions of religious insight and moral inspiration.”[i] These eight statements are some of the most important teachings found in the religious world in general and in the Bible in particular.
Each beatitude begins with the word “Blessed.” The word “beatitude” comes from the Latin word for “Blessed.” The word “blessed” isnot best translated “happy.” These are not Jesus’ “be-happy-attitudes.” These are not ways to find emotional highs. Instead, the word “blessed” might best be translated “favor.” The word “bless” is used in Scripture of people and of God. People bless God in Scripture. And God blesses people in Scripture. Thus “favor” might be an appropriate translation. When people bless God, they show that they favor God. When God blesses people, he shows that he favors people. The beatitudes are statements explaining what or who God favors in his world.
Notice how the beatitudes begin and end: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven..10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The beatitudes begin and end with the image of “the kingdom of heaven.” The beatitudes are descriptions of life in “the kingdom of heaven.” This phrase “kingdom of heaven” refers to the world that God desires. It refers to what the world would be if God fully reigned over the world. In other words, there are two worlds. One is the world as it exists right now. The other is the world as God desires it to exist. If everything in this world was exactly as God wanted it to be that would be the “kingdom of heaven.” The beatitudes thus focus on the image of two competing worlds. There is the world as it now exists. And there is the world God wants to exist. Each world threatens the other. And the beatitudes describe for us the kind of life God favors in his world. In the words of one author, the beatitudes are the “distinctive identity and practices” of people who want to live in God’s world.[ii] Another author calls them the “norms of the kingdom.”[iii] The beatitudes summarize the culture, practices, and lifestyle God favors in his world.
But the beatitudes quickly reveal that what is normal in God’s world is not normal in our world. What is normal in God’s world is fringe in our world. It’s abnormal. It’s uncommon. The beatitudes disclose that if we truly wish to live under God’s reign and in God’s world, it will mean embracing ways of life that are fringe—outside the norm and not widely accepted by our world. The beatitudes show that following Jesus requires living in the fringe world of God’s reign.
Bryan Wilkerson illustrates just how abnormal the beatitude life is.[iv] Wilkerson creates a list of beatitudes for the 21st Century. If we tried to make a list of the things or people who are favored in our world, here’s how it might read:
Blessed are the rich and famous, because they can always get a seat at the best restaurants.
Blessed are the good-looking, for they shall be on the cover of People magazine.
Blessed are those who party, for they know how to have fun.
Blessed are those who take first place in the division, for they shall have momentum going into the play-offs.
Blessed are the movers and shakers, for they shall make a name for themselves.
Blessed are those who demand their rights, for they shall not be overlooked.
Blessed are the healthy and fit, because they don’t mind being seen in a bathing suit.
Blessed are those who make it to the top, because they get to look down on everyone else.
Can you hear how fringe Jesus’ beatitudes are when compared to those beatitudes? Jesus does not say “Blessed are the rich” but “Blessed are the poor.” He does not report “Blessed are the movers and shakers” but “Blessed are the merciful.” What is blessed or favored in God’s world is fringe in our world. If we truly want to follow Jesus, we will live in this fringe world of God’s reign.
Let’s look more closely at Jesus’ beatitudes. These beatitudes may appear confusing. On the one hand, some seem to describe a conduct which we are to imitate. For example, “Blessed are the merciful” describes mercy as a conduct we are to demonstrate. Jesus wants us to act with mercy. God favors merciful people. On the other hand, other beatitudes seem to describe a condition. For example, in “Blessed are those who mourn,” “mourning” does not appear to be a conduct we are to imitate. Jesus isn’t telling us to start crying. Rather, “mourning” is a condition in which people find themselves. And for those who are in that condition, Jesus says that in God’s world, they will be comforted. God shows favor to those mourning people who are so often forgotten in our world.
Dallas Willard points out that Jesus does not say “Blessed are the poor in spirit” because they are poor in spirit.[v] Rather, those poor in spirit are blessed in spite of the fact they are poor in spirit. The people who have nothing—they are so poor it even touches their spirit—are in fact those upon whom God shows favor. In our world the poor are on the fringe. But in God’s world, they are favored. Like mourning, poverty is not necessarily a conduct we imitate. It’s a condition people find themselves in.
When seen in this way, the beatitudes split into two kinds. The first four Beatitudes describe difficult conditions which will be reversed under God’s reign.[vi] God will reverse the conditions of the meek, the hungry, the mourning, and the poor. He will show favor on these people whose conditions make them fringe in our world. The first four beatitudes focus on the fringe conditions in which people experience God’s reign. God’s transforming reign will reverse these difficult conditions of being poor, being in grief, having no power (meek), and hungering and thirsting. God will show favor on them. And by implication, we are to show favor on them. People in our world who live in these conditions should be shown favor by us—because they are shown favor by God.
But the second four beatitudes are different. They are more clearly a call to action. The second four beatitudes focus on the fringe conduct by which people express God’s reign. These second four beatitudes focus on conduct which is favored by God—showing mercy, making peace, and being pure in heart. God favors this conduct because it expresses what it means to live under his reign.[vii] God’s world takes over our world when we live out these second four beatitudes. By practicing these four lifestyles we get to participate with God in transforming this world.
But participating in God’s world-takeover is costly. And that’s what the final beatitude focuses on: 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”(Matt. 5:3-12 ESV).
This beatitude may seem like the first four beatitudes—a description of a condition waiting for reversal. But I think it is ultimately a description of conduct, the most important conduct in living under God’s reign. Jesus is warning that living under God’s reign requires a willingness to do what is right regardless of cost. God’s world is so different from our world that to live in his world will create friction in our world. Jesus is saying that if you start showing favor to those described in the first four beatitudes and if you start acting with mercy, purity, and a commitment to peace, you will pay a price. You may experience physical retaliation (persecution) or verbal retaliation (people reviling you and uttering all kinds of evil against you). If you want to make the jump from our world to God’s world, it’s going to cost.
Notice the cause of this friction: “for righteousness sake.” Jesus isn’t inviting us to push religion in people’s faces so hard it makes them strike back. He’s talking about the resistance we’re bound to experience as we live a life summarized by the word “righteousness.” Later, when we study the fourth beatitude, this word will come up again. At its core, righteousness is about the establishment of a right relationship—primarily between God and people, but also between people themselves.[viii] Righteousness is doing the right thing by God and the right thing by people. It is a commitment to treating God and others rightly. “Righteousness” summarizes the beatitudes. They are all about how to do the right thing by God and by others. And if you jump into that kind of world, you will have to pay a price. You will experience pain.
Jesus notes that it’s always been this way: “for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” The prophets in the Old Testament—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Joel, etc.—were willing to stand up for what was right regarding God and people even when it cost them popularity, notoriety, and physical safety. Their experience stands as a testimony—to live in the fringe world of God’s reign requires a willingness to do what is right regardless of cost.
The movie “Behind The Sun” follows the life of Samir Majan, a young Muslim man.[ix] After attending college in the US, he does the unthinkable. He becomes a Christian. And when he returns home, his Muslim family reacts violently. In one scene, they find Samir’s Bible. “Samir!” his father calls. “Yes?” answers Samir. “What is this?” his father asks, holding up the New Testament. When Samir does not answer, his father throws the Bible across the room, screaming, “You act like a snake behind my back! The years of work, the sleepless nights—and you repay me with this? You do this for what—a Bible corrupted by mad men, a superstition that mocks Allah by worshiping the Prophet Jesus as a God?” He begins to slap Samir, shouting, “Look at me! These are delusions of Satan! Stupid, ignorant people are brainwashed into believing these lies, but not my son!” By this time, a group of male family members has arrived at the home, and Samir’s father laments: “This is a nightmare!” Samir’s uncle grabs Samir, saying, “My brother may not have the stomach to do what is necessary, but do not underestimate me. You must repent…If not, we will send you behind the sun.” That phrase “behind the sun” is a symbol for being sent so far away that you are forgotten. That’s the spirit of Jesus’ final beatitude. If you want to live in God’s kingdom, if you embrace this beatitude-life, you may end up behind the sun. On the fringe.
Clarence Jordan writes, “One wonders why Christians today get off so easily. Is it because unchristian Americans are that much better than unchristian Romans, or is our light so dim that the tormentor can’t see it? What are the things we do that are worth persecuting?[x] Are we willing at work to fight for what might get us fired? Are we willing in school to stand up for those mistreated? Are we willing to lose a friend over what is right? Are we willing to lose time and sleep and money to do what’s right by the poor? What are the things we do that are worth persecuting? As a capstone over all the beatitudes, Jesus is warning us that living under God’s reign requires a willingness to do what is right regardless of cost. That’s a challenging truth to take home this week: what right thing do you need to do no matter the cost? What right thing have you put off doing because of its cost? This is the week to pay that price.
But, Jesus points out the prize of this reign far outweighs the persecution it may bring. Listen once more: 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”(Matt. 5:10-12 ESV) Jesus is not teaching works-righteousness. He’s not saying “In order to get into heaven you’ll need to do something really costly.” Jesus is pointing out that it’s only those willing to pay a price to live under God’s reign who will experience the reward of living in that reign. Only those who understand the cost of this reign will enjoy the reward of living in this reign. When God’s reign finally and fully comes, when his world finally pushes into our world, those who will most enjoy that world will be the ones who’ve paid a price to live in it.
And what a joyful world that will be! There will come a day when we will live in a world in which all that has been treated as fringe will be treated as favored. No one will take care of business. Instead everyone will show mercy. No one will practice a hypocritical external religion. Instead everyone will be pure in heart. No one will use people to get their way. Instead everyone will pursue peace on behalf of others. It will be a world where there are no people who are poor because all their needs have been met. There will be no one with tears because they’ve all been comforted. There will be none powerless because they’ve all been empowered by God. There will be none hungry and thirsty. For all shall be satisfied. What a great reward it will be to live in that kingdom! It’s the kind of world worth paying any price for.
Let’s stand. We’ll close by praying through these beatitudes together. I’ll read the beatitude. You read the line under it:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
May we experience your reign in this condition and help others to as well.
4″Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
May we experience your reign in this condition and help others to as well.
5″Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
May we experience your reign in this condition and help others to as well.
6″Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
May we experience your reign in this condition and help others to as well.
7″Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
May we express your reign in this conduct for the sake of others.
8″Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
May we express your reign in this conduct for sake of others.
9″Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
May we express your reign in this conduct for the sake of others.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
May we express your reign in this conduct for the sake of others.
[i] Dallas Willard The Divine Conspiracy, Kindle edition, locations 1984-98.
[ii] Warren Carter, Matthew and the Margins (Orbis, 2005), 130.
[iii] D. A. Carson Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World (Global Christian Publishers, 1999), 17.
[iv] Bryan Wilkerson, in his sermon “The Heartbreak Gospel,” www.preachingtoday.com.
[v] Willard, locations2044-59.
[vi] Carter, 131.
[vii] Carter, 131.
[viii] Elwell, W. A., & Comfort, P. W. (2001). Tyndale Bible dictionary. Tyndale reference library (1134–1135). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.
[ix] Behind the Sun (Open Doors International, 1995).
[x] Clarence Jordan, Sermon on the Mount quoted in “Blessed are the Persecuted” compiled by Richard A. Kauffman Christianity Today (January, 2008), http://www.ctlibrary.com/ct/2008/january/25.54.html.
Chris,
This is excellent. Would you mind me using the worldly beatitudes for a sermon I’m preaching in the near future on this passage?
I read “Divine Conspiracy” and I thought Willard was trying to force us into choosing between a condition that we are in or a behavior we are to emulate. Forced into an either/or, then I think we will make some of the beatitudes read very unnaturally. I love how you have balanced that tension and I think offered an interpretation that makes sense.
Great post!
Blessings,
David Heflin
Hey guys, this good wook!
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