Blessed are...

Which Version?

“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them…” Matthew 5:1-2

A problem must be addressed as we begin: there seem to be two different versions of the Beatitudes. Matthew’s version uses more spiritual language. Luke’s is more down to earth. So, for example, Matthew writes “Blessed are the poor in spirit”[1] while Luke makes do with “Blessed are you poor.”[2] Matthew commends those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness”[3] whereas Luke simply states “Blessed are you who hunger now.”[4] Did Jesus give the same speech twice, using slightly different phrases? Or, if these are two recollections of one event, which one takes precedence?

Much mischief has been made out of this conundrum, and a great deal of nonsense has been written. We will avoid the worst mistakes if we simply remember that both Matthew’s and Luke’s versions are translations from an original Aramaic. Just as translators, today, may use different words to emphasize meaning, Matthew and Luke brought their knowledge and understanding to bear upon Jesus’ words. So, what did Jesus say? Probably, the shorter form is the more faithful to what He said, but the longer more accurately represents what He meant. For example, Jesus may well have said that the poor are blessed, but the richer translation in Matthew captures His concern for spiritual poverty. The Beatitudes were not a manifesto for social action. Jesus was not urging the establishment of a new, earthly kingdom. He was quite clear that His Kingdom was not of this world.[5] Instead, Jesus is identifying the values of the Kingdom, and encouraging those who would be His disciples to discover them for themselves. His words are, at once, both shockingly simple and amazingly profound. They are timeless, which is why they should matter to us.



Lord Jesus,
Help me to bring my mind to the words I read; but help me, also, to bring my heart. Don’t let me be content to understand. Encourage and empower me to make these values my own.
For Your love’s sake.
Amen.

[1] Matthew 5:3
[2] Luke 6:20
[3] Matthew 5:6
[4] Luke 6:21
[5] John 18:36