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Happy are the Humble (Matthew 5:3)

by Doug Van Meter | Human Flourishing: A Study of the Beatitudes

Human flourishing. Life fulfilment. The abundant life. A happy existence. What ancient philosophers called the “good life.” This has been the pursuit of humanity since our creation.

Many have provided definitions and descriptions of what such an existence looks like. Some are better than others, but most miss the point. As Jesus makes abundantly clear in the Sermon on the Mount, the happy, flourishing life is the life lived within the kingdom of God, which Christ came to establish. Those who live as subjects of King Jesus are truly happy, and this is clear to those who observe. The lives of these blessed subjects are an invitation to enter the kingdom to live such “happy” lives. This is a major point of the beatitudes. They are descriptions of those who live as God intends and thus describe the happy, flourishing, good life. They are descriptions, not pronouncements or promises that “if you do this, this will happen.” Jesus is saying, “Look, observe the happy life of those who are subjects in my kingdom. Look at their flourishing life as God intends.” And by observing this description, by observing those living out this description, the beatitudes also serve as an invitation to such a life.

But before digging into the beatitudes one by one, let’s briefly examine the context of this sermon.

First, we see a call to happiness (4:18–22). Jesus calls his disciples to follow him to a life of abundance (John 10:10), which, by the way, will include affliction and adversaries.

Second, we see the context of happiness (4:23–25). Jesus begins his ministry of heralding the kingdom by healing those within the kingdom. He is restoring the human condition, restoring human flourishing, restoring human happiness.

The sermon that follows is a sermon in which Jesus shows the way to human fulfilment, flourishing, and happiness, what the Greeks referred to as eudaimonia. The word referred to human welfare, the good life, the highest human good.

The context informs us that only the truly healed can be happy. The physical healings pointed to the greatest and most important and fountainhead of all other healing: spiritual healing. Those restored to holiness will be the happiest.  That is, those restored to anthropological wholeness (5:48) are the happy ones. When external and internal righteousness align, wholeness of human flourishing—“whole happiness”—arrives.

In a sense this pre-Sermon on the Mount passage declares, “Happy are the healed” or, “Happy are the holy.” What follows—the Sermon on the Mount—is the template for such happiness. It begins with the evident(ial) characteristics of the happy person (vv. 1–16) and then from vv. 17ff Jesus unpacks the ethical conduct of the happy person.

Third, we learn something about the character of happiness (5:1–12)—the evident character of the happy, flourishing. The beatitudes are a pronouncement of what the fulfilled life (lived in right relationship with God) looks like. Consequently, those living this happy, flourishing life are an invitation to others to live this good life (see below).

Fourth, we see the consequence of happiness (5:13–16). The “beatitudinal” life is felt in the world just as salt and light are.

Fifth, we observe the conduct of happiness (5:17–7:27). In the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus unpacks the expected conduct of those who are happy. This is the ethical aspect of the flourishing life. One who has the character of flourishing (flowing from a right relationship with God [vv. 3–16]) will manifest this character ethically in their conduct. Their walk with God will be one of whole-person devotion.

Having established this important context, let’s dig into the first beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God” (5:3). We will try to follow a similar pattern that applies to each of the beatitudes:

  1. A Declaration of Happiness: “Blessed are”
  2. A Description of Happiness: in this case, “the poor in spirit”
  3. The Dividend of Happiness: “for …”

A Declaration of Happiness: A Happy Recovery

The elders have engaged in a friendly “debate” concerning the best way to translate/interpret “blessed” in these verses. It seems that the best way is use the words “happy” or “flourishing,” or even “to be congratulated” or “to be admired” for having been given such a privilege. I will stick to “happy” or “flourishing.” These concepts were a part of the cultural conversation of the time, and so when the disciples heard the words “blessed are” from Jesus they would have interpreted, him as saying, “Here is the happy, flourishing, good life as God intended.”  As we will see, the immediate context informs this interpretation.

I say all that to say this: We need to reclaim the word happy. Just like we need to reclaim the word rainbowand gay.

Happy does not mean easy. Happy does not mean no heartache. Happy does not mean a life without facing hostility and even hatred. (In fact, it invites it [see vv. 10–12]!). Happy does mean, ultimately, no worries, because God has it all under control.

The beauty of such blessedness is counterintuitive to how most define the “pursuit of happiness.” After all, happy are the humble, the mourning, the meek, the persecuted, the slandered? Actually, yes, for the Bible tells me so.

Examples of such happy humility in a hard life include Joni Eareckson-Tada, Elisabeth Elliott, Charles Spurgeon, and John Bunyan. Examples of happy humility in heartache include Alice Hayes. Examples of happy humility in the face of hostility include the apostle Paul and, most notably, Jesus Christ. Jesus is both the most admired and the most hated persons in human history.

This countercultural life is attractive to those with eyes to see, and, with reference to v. 3, the truly humble life is a peaceful, joyful life, contented life. This is truly a happy life.

A Description of Happiness: A Happy Requirement

Who are happy people and what are their characteristics? They are those who have entered the kingdom and they are characterised by, among other things, humility. This is not a “natural” good life; it is rather a supernatural godly life.

We see this in v. 3: “Blessed [happy, flourishing, living the good life] are those who are the poor in spirit.” Why wouldn’t they be poor in spirit, for they belong to God’s kingdom. The subjects of the King are the objects of his affection, provision, and protection in his kingdom, which is unshakeable. When one belongs to such a kingdom, there is no reason to compete, there is no reason for self-promotion, there is no reason to tread on others for self-preservation. In summary, those in kingdom of God can rest all their dependence on the King of kings and Lord of lords (see Matthew 18:1–4).

What does poverty of spirit, happy humility, look like?

It looks like self-forgetfulness. That is, it does not mean thinking less of yourself but rather not thinking of yourself at all. Like Jesus (Philippians 2:1–8).

It does not mean self-hatred for Jesus was poor in spirit. It means being happy with the knowledge that you belong to God. It means being content that God is fulfilling his will (John 5:19, 30). It means not clinging to our rights. It means coming to God with the heart singing, “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to your cross I cling.”

The Dividend of Happiness: A Happy Result

The result of being in God’s kingdom is happiness generally but, in v. 3, Jesus specifically says that such are “poor in spirit.” Acknowledging the nuances of a macarism, Jesus is saying both that those who are poor in spirit are happy—and people can see it—because they have received the kingdom and are happy because God has given them the kingdom, which has produced poverty of spirit. It is both the chicken and the egg.

It is important, as we begin our journey through these beatitudes (and perhaps throughout the entire sermon), to appreciate that the pronouncement of blessedness is the result of God first blessing the person, putting them in a position in which they can live such a to-be-envied life.

In this case, God has, first, established his kingdom. Second, God chooses individuals to be his subjects in the kingdom. Third, God brings them into his kingdom by granting them poverty of spirit.

There are various definitions of this kingdom. But, fundamentally, the kingdom of God has to do with the rule of God. It is the rule of God over the heart of man. It is the rule of God in every realm of life. It is the rule of God under the lordship of Jesus Christ. Humbly living under this rule is to happily live under this rule. It is what Jesus meant when he said that he came to give life abundantly (John 10:10). Not merely length of life (eternal existence) but breadth and depth of life, eternal unbroken relationship and fellowship with the triune God. All those who have been born again are heirs of this birthright. They are heirs of a flourishing life. Heirs of a happy life. They are heirs of a happy humility. Jesus made this clear in this beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.”

These are those who flourish: those who belong to God’s kingdom. Because they belong to God’s kingdom, because they are so happy, they are humble.

These are those who flourish: those who belong to God’s kingdom. Because they belong to God’s kingdom, they are happy. And because they are happy, because they are flourishing, they are humble. After all, if, by God’s grace, you are in the kingdom of God, what is there to be prideful (and therefore miserable about?

In other words, because they are subjects of the King, they are happy. Because they are subjects of the King, they are no longer subjects of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Therefore, they are no longer focused on self-promotion; they are not deceived by and enslaved by “expressive individualism”; they are not enslaved by pride but rather they love God (Psalm 31:23).

Conclusion

Are you a willing, happy subject of God’s kingdom? Only if you have been born again. Have you seen your prideful rebellion? Then repent, bow the knee to King Jesus in repentance and faith trusting him alone for your forgiveness and reconciliation.

Christian, because the kingdom of God is yours, keep happily humbling yourself as you serve God and one another.

AMEN