Righteousness and Blessedness of a “deeper treasure” or “MAKARIOS” in the Greek– according to Christ Jesus, is based on His teaching in Luke 6:27-38 and Matthew 5– commonly known as the BEATITUDES.
What does it mean to be truly blessed and righteous above and beyond the letter of the Law? Who are those who are blessed? What is true righteousness according to Jesus and the New Covenant? What Jesus is teaching seems daunting even impossible, but be encouraged for on our journey of faith, we are a work in progress and are continually being refined and maturing to the level of “a deeper treasure,” which is above the righteousness of the Law.
This subject suggests that what Jesus says takes priority over what the Law, the prophets, the Scribes, and Pharisees say. His way, His word, His teachings were new but they took precedence over what the Old Covenant said and did. The Scribes and Pharisees, for the most part, did not practice what they preached and demanded of others to do. They and the Law of the Old Covenant, taught something like this: —“An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” —and “Do as I say but not as I do.”
For the sake of context it is necessary to begin a few verses earlier than the text read from Luke 6:27-38. We will include verses 20-22. We hear Jesus setting a new standard of righteousness, for blessing, and for qualification for entry into the Kingdom of Heaven.
After the Scribes and Pharisees challenged Jesus about His disciples picking grain and eating it on the Sabbath, they also accused Him of violating the Sabbath because He was healing the sick and casting out demons on the Sabbath Day. Then He began to teach them and His disciples that it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath.
Jesus began to teach them that something and someone deeper and stronger, with more power and authority than the Law of Moses is now here; and is now requiring a different criterion for “righteousness.” It will no longer be of outer form and fashion, of punishment and death, but an inner work of mercy and self- denial, that reflect the character of our Creator. Jesus began to teach about what and who are to be considered righteous and blessed. HE WAS TEACHING THEM THEN, AND NOW US, A NEW STANDARD FOR BLESSING AND RIGHTEOUSNESS.
He, Jesus, is the GREATER AUTHORITY over the Law of Moses. WHAT the Scribes and Pharisees said and taught before, did not properly and appropriately reflect God’s character of MERCY AND COMPASSION, but punishment and death.
So Jesus began by saying to them: “THEY SAY…BUT I SAY.” He was about to set a more challenging standard for those who are to be considered “blessed!” We are being asked to do a HARDER THING which will require “sacrifice, submission, patience, self-control, and faith.
Jesus began to repeat these standards for blessedness which in the Greek are expressed as: “THE MAKARIOI OI” It means— “BLESSED ARE YOU!”
Jesus began to say some strange and hard things related to who are really and truly to be considered “MAKARIOI OI” to His followers –such as: “…Blessed are you who are hungry now, —thirsty now, —who are poor now, ——–who weep now, —who are hated and ostracized now, —who are insulted now, …for the sake of the Son of Man. For in the same way their fathers and ancestors used to treat the prophets of old, so they will treat you now.
I SAY: “WOE” to you who are full now, who laugh now, and who are popular now, for a time will come when you will be weeping. You will be hungry, and you will be thirsty. You will be ridiculed. You will be ostracized.
BUT I SAY TO YOU WHO WILL BE CONSIDERED BLESSED: “Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you… “MAKARIOI OI.” Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you—”MAKARIO OI”. For if we bless and pray only for those who love us, how does that make us any better than they? Just as you want people to treat you, treat them in the same way.
I JESUS, SAY TO YOU: “Do good to your enemies, lend to them not expecting anything back. Be merciful as our Heavenly Father is merciful to us. For the Most -High God is gracious even to the ungrateful. Be kind and generous, for God has promised to give back to us—pressed down, shaken together and running over. So shall others give into our lap; for with what measure or standard you/we give or judge, so it will be measured back to us.
Maybe now this is beginning to become more palatable to our human inclinations and desires; for it is beginning to become clearer that there will be some kind of reward for our sacrifice in our blessing of those who wrong us. Jesus is beginning to show us that the true Believer is set apart to respond differently to the ignorant, the arrogant, and the foolish. Our response to them, who probably do not know better, might begin to have a positive impact on their behavior. The Scripture also tells us that it will be like coals of fire heaped upon their head. This means that their conscience will become quickened. Guilt may begin to make them ashamed of themselves and might cause them to want to change.
AT FIRST GLANCE, THIS WOULD APPEAR LIKE AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK, and I must admit that in the current state of national affairs, I have been finding it hard to hear and to do what Jesus is teaching us. Sometimes, “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth feels better and more just. But then I have to repent and try to say and do what Jesus said, for I really want the reward He promised; that is:–to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. — FOR HE IS THE HIGHER AUTHORITY. WHETHER I LIKE IT OR NOT, HE IS OMNIPOTENT, OMNISCIENT, AND OMNIPRESENT. Sometimes, I wonder if Jesus really intended for us to do all of this. However, He Himself is our example for He was slapped, ridiculed, beaten with 39 stripes, pierced in the side with a sword. Yet He did not say a word. When He was reviled, He reviled not again.
But we might say: “Well–He was God in flesh.” … And that is true. Yet He has given us the Holy Spirit to help us in our time of need, to alert us to what is happening in the moment, and will give us the right response in any given situation.
Allow me to share a personal example:
One day I found myself in a space where someone, I felt, was persistently evil to me, asked me for a drink of water. Without thinking, I automatically gave the drink of water to that person. After a little while, I had to ask myself “WHAT DID I JUST DO?” Did I just give water to (no name)- WOW! That had to be the work of the Holy Spirit! I realized my flesh would not want to do that. But The Holy Spirit will show us how to respond in our time of need.
ALSO, we are shown in Scripture a man—Joseph, who for me, is the one who has come closest to fulfilling this teaching of Jesus. For when his wicked brothers came to Egypt to buy food during a famine, Joseph poured out his soul with weeping when he saw them. His pain and sorrow were so deep that the entire palace heard his anguished cry.
He could have had them thrown in jail …even killed, for the wicked deeds they had done to him several years prior. But instead, he fell upon their neck and wept over them. Then he even arranged to give them the best land and grain in Egypt.
MAYBE, some of us here today are having trouble accepting and understanding this teaching of Jesus; and that is understandable. If you were hearing the cries and feeling the pain of the people …(some with babies)- who were stripped of everything and sent off to the Panama Jungle with nothing and with no means of communication; I encourage us to dig down deep inside and pray for those who are inflicting such pain on other human beings to be changed. Pray that they will have an encounter with the Almighty God. Pray that their conscience will be pricked and quickened, so that they will be forever transformed.
But we, the church, who are the BLESSED of the LORD, must be convinced that the Almighty God, who is just, is also full of mercy and compassion. He will hear and answer us when we call upon Him in faith for help and for divine intervention. WE HAVE TO KNOW THAT HE CAN AND HE WILL ANSWER US.
***ALSO REMEMBER THIS: When God acts and answers prayers in a right and perfect way, do not fail to give thanks and to rejoice appropriately. Consider the one leper who returned to give thanks and to worship Jesus when he realized that he was healed. Jesus asked: “Weren’t ten healed…Where are the nine? At that point Jesus declared him to be not only “healed”, but declared that he was made “whole.” (See the difference?)
Therefore, let our outcry for those who are suffering be raised in faith to the Almighty with the expectation that our cries will be heard and our prayers will be answered speedily. Consider those who were and are crying out for help. Remember those who wrote paper notes and pressed them against the window saying:
“HELP US!” — Let those who are “MAKARIOS” -those who are of a “DEEPER TREASURE” CRY—“MERCY” LORD, MERCY…MERCY!” This is our cry and our prayer for them.
JESUS TAUGHT SOME REALLY CHALLENGING LESSONS TO THOSE WHO ARE CONSIDERED “BLESSED.” But He also had some lessons of “WOE” for those who are living in the lap of luxury now, who are ridiculing others now, who hate and despise the poor, the destitute, the foreigner, the refugees, the orphans, the widows, and the asylum seekers now.
Psalm 37 helps us to understand the WOES that God has ordained for the wicked. It helps us and encourages us to understand what does and what will happen to evil people for they will soon wither like grass and fade away.
Those who are blessed are told to “Trust in the LORD and do good. …Abide in the LORD, be loyal. Leave all to Him and trust in Him, AND HE WILL DO IT. A little longer and there will be no wicked man…But the lowly shall inherit the land.
I say to you what Jesus said to His disciples: “MAKARIO OI” BLESSED ARE YOU” — when you hunger and thirst after righteousness. MAKORIOI OI… BLESSED ARE YOU WHEN YOU ARE A PEACE MAKER. MAKARIOI OI, WHEN YOU DO GOOD, FEED THE HUNGRY, PROTECT THE DESTITUTE, SHOW MERCY AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE DISTRESSED…”MAKARIO OI”.
We may seem to be foolish now. But consider the promises and rewards God has stored up for you and me. For we shall be called children of God and inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. REJOICE AND BE EXCEEDINGLY GLAD FOR YOUR REWARD WILL BE GREAT IN HEAVEN. For so they persecuted Jesus Himself and the prophets of ages past. So, Jesus told us, — we too can expect to be persecuted for righteousness’s sake.
GOD’S WAY IS ALWAYS THE PATH OF MERCY AND COMPASSION. I ENCOURAGE US AND ALL THOSE JESUS CALLS “BLESSED”- TO ALIGN OURSELVES WITH CHRIST AND HIS TEACHINGS. THIS IS ALWAYS A GOOD PLACE TO STAND WITH GOD ON OUR SIDE.
At the same time Jesus is saying: – “WOE!” to the mighty and strong, the merciless and wicked, to the rich and powerful now. According to Psalm 37: —Their day will come. You will look for their place and they will be gone. In the meantime, we will pray that those who are evil and wicked now, will reverse course and learn what it means to be blessed that they do not have to reap the divine consequences of the judgement and wrath of a Holy God who loves righteousness but hates wickedness.
JESUS SAYS WE ARE BLESSED WHO DO WHAT HE SAYS AND NOT WHAT THE LAW, THE SCRIBES, AND THE PHARISEES SAY:- “THEY SAY…BUT I SAY.”
In my research I discovered that:
The Greek word: “MAKARIOS” means more than just “BLESSED”: It also means: “DEEPER TREASURE.” It extends to mean- “Blessed are those who flow from Me- (Jesus)and who delight in what I delight in.” They have a deeper treasure. I desire this! How about you? It might cost something now, but it will be well worth it in the end.
SO, I SAY TO US:
“MAKARIOI OI”! …BLESSED ARE YOU!
“MAKARIOI EIMI”! …BLESSED AM I!
“MAKARIOI ESMEN”! …BLESSED ARE WE!
Therefore, we understand that we who try to do as He says, who flow from Him, who delight in that which He delights, are the truly Blessed of God. These are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. These are those who love their enemies, who feed them and give them drink when they are hungry and thirsty. These are those who do not revile back when they are reviled. These are those who give and lend without expecting the same back, for they know that God will cause people to give back, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.
So, although the way of Jesus may seem like the harder way and the narrow way, it is the way that leads to life abundant and life eternal. In Him is a “deeper treasure” than what the Law, the Scribes, and Pharisees, demand.
In closing, let us consider further what David wrote in Psalm 37: “Trust in the LORD and do good. Remain loyal and seek the favor of God, and He will grant you the (good) desires of your heart. …He will cause your vindication to shine forth like the noon day sun. Be patient and wait for the LORD…HE WILL DO IT!” (Pause and reflect.) AMEN.
Prepared by:
Rev. Brenda R. Berry
Presbyterian Pastor Emeritus/2019
Author of: “Wisdom…Where Are You”
B.A.; M.Div.
Website: BRENDARBERRY.COM
