Sermon on the Mount (05): Our Relationship with God and Others

As we continue through the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, we find ourselves on a path that is both humbling and transformative. Each blessing builds on the one before it, forming a seamless structure that reveals the inner life of a disciple. This isn’t a random list of virtues—it’s a spiritual progression, a pattern of heart transformation that begins with our relationship to God and flows outward into our relationships with others.

We start with spiritual poverty. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This is the foundational step. To be poor in spirit means to recognize our complete inability to earn or deserve God’s favor. We are spiritually bankrupt, and we come to God with empty hands. At that point of desperation, grace becomes not only necessary but beautiful. Once we truly grasp this, the next step naturally follows: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

We mourn because we see our sin clearly—its cost, its damage, and its offense to a holy God. This is not just sorrow over the broken world around us; it is personal grief over our own failings. And that grief is not without hope, for Jesus promises comfort. He does not leave us in our mourning; He meets us there and offers His peace.

This leads to meekness. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Meekness is not weakness. It is strength under control. It is humility and submission, not just toward God, but also in how we treat others. The meek person trusts in God’s timing and God’s justice. Meekness grows from the soil of spiritual poverty and honest mourning. It’s the posture of someone who no longer needs to assert themselves, because they’ve learned to rest in the sovereignty of God.

From here, we hunger and thirst for righteousness. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Once we are emptied of pride, self-sufficiency, and sin, we begin to crave something better. We want right standing with God and right living in our daily lives. This hunger is a mark of spiritual health. Just as physical hunger shows life in the body, spiritual hunger shows life in the soul. And the promise is satisfaction—not in the world’s fleeting pleasures, but in the righteousness of Christ Himself.

At this point, the Beatitudes shift. The first four focus on our relationship with God—our need, our grief, our surrender, and our longing. The next four turn outward, showing how a heart aligned with God will express itself in relationships.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Mercy is compassion in action. It’s not just feeling sorry for someone; it’s moving toward them in love. It’s forgiveness instead of retaliation. Grace deals with guilt, but mercy deals with misery. Jesus teaches us that those who truly understand how much they’ve been forgiven will extend that forgiveness to others. The merciful are those who see others through the lens of grace, knowing they too are in constant need of it.

And then we come to the heart of the matter: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” This is not about external purity or moral perfection. It’s about integrity, sincerity, and wholeness. A pure heart is an undivided heart—one that seeks God above all else. It’s free of duplicity, hidden agendas, and self-deception. To be pure in heart is to desire God for who He is, not for what He gives. It’s a life of transparency before God and others.

Purity of heart cannot be manufactured. It comes from a growing walk with Christ and the refining work of the Spirit. It’s about becoming who we were meant to be—honest, holy, and undivided. And the promise is stunning: “They shall see God.” While no one can fully see God in this life, those who are pure in heart will recognize His hand, hear His voice, and experience His presence more fully than those whose hearts are cluttered with idols.

Now we come to “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Peace here is not merely the absence of conflict—it is the presence of harmony, reconciliation, and wholeness. A peacemaker is someone who brings together what is divided, who heals what is broken. This includes conflict resolution between individuals, but also extends to helping people reconcile with God.

Peacemaking is hard work. It requires humility, courage, and a willingness to engage rather than avoid. It means facing difficult conversations, owning our own faults, and extending grace to others. It does not mean pretending everything is fine when it’s not. True peace always flows from truth, not denial.

There’s a pattern here that we must not miss. The Beatitudes move from inner transformation to outward expression. What begins with poverty of spirit becomes mercy, purity, and peacemaking. We are not called to live the Christian life by ourselves. The Beatitudes are not about personal piety alone. They call us to a new way of living—with God, with ourselves, and with others.

We must also remember that all of this is built on grace. The Beatitudes are not a to-do list for salvation. They are the outworking of a life that has already been transformed by Christ. They describe what it looks like to live under the rule of God’s kingdom. And this life is not achieved by trying harder—it is received by faith and walked out in dependence on the Spirit.

As we reflect on these truths, we realize that the Beatitudes describe Jesus Himself. He was poor in spirit. He mourned over sin. He was meek and merciful. He hungered for righteousness. He was pure in heart, a peacemaker, and ultimately persecuted for righteousness’ sake. He is the model. He is also the means. And He is the reward.

To walk in the way of the Beatitudes is to walk in the way of Jesus. It is to become like Him in heart, in character, and in mission.

To explore the Sermon on the Mount more deeply and discover how to thoughtfully answer the questions below, subscribe to Ken Boa Reflections on Substack.

Questions for Reflection

1. How does recognizing your own need for mercy influence your willingness to show mercy to others?
2. What does it mean to you that your deepest identity is in Christ, even while you still wrestle with sin and weakness?
3. In what areas of your life are you being invited to show mercy or pursue reconciliation?
4. How do duplicity and hidden agendas keep you from experiencing the freedom of purity of heart?