LESSON – THE BEATITUDES
by Marty Donnellan © 2010
Open in prayer. Say: Today we’re going to read part of one of the most famous sermons ever preached. Does anyone know who preached it and what it’s called? (Wait for answers.)
You’ve probably guessed that the sermon was preached by Jesus. It’s called the Sermon on the Mount and is recorded in Matthew Chapter 5. Jesus preached a similar sermon in Luke Chapter 6. That one is called The Sermon on the Plain.
Both sermons were preached to big outdoor crowds. Jesus must have had a big voice! Both begin with what has come to be known as “The Beatitudes”. Does anyone know what this word means? (Wait for answers.) The word “beatitude” comes from the Latin beatus, which means “blessed” or “happy”. It was coined by the church to describe the sermons long after they were preached. The Sermon on the Mount contains eight blessings. The Sermon on the Plain contains four blessings and four woes. (“Woe” means “suffering, distress and misery”.)
We’re going to focus today on The Sermon on the Mount. Before we read, let’s talk for a minute about what life was like for the people listening. They already seemed to have a full plate of ”woes”!
Matthew in Matthew 9:36 states that on a different occasion, “when Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Harassed means “bothered, confused and not knowing which way to turn”. Ask: Have you ever felt harassed? (Wait for answers.) I know I have!
People during the time of Christ lived stressful and difficult lives under the military dictatorship of imperial Rome. There were three slaves to every free person. Even for free people, the work was hard, the wages small, and the taxes high. Leisure time was scarce. Modern medicine was unknown. Think about no antiobiotics, no vaccinations, no pain pills, and no anesthesia! Public executions were common. It’s possible that many people, maybe even Jesus himself, were familiar with the sight of people hung up on crosses. That’s because crucifixion was the Romans’ favorite method for killing criminals, and they liked to make examples out of them. Before Jesus himself was executed in this way, he went around for three wonderful years healing people, teaching God’s truths, and preaching life-changing sermons. Let’s read some of His Sermon on the Mount.
Read or have a child read Matthew 5.
“Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’”
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Ask: Does anyone know what language The New Testament was written in? (Wait for answers.) Jesus Himself spoke a language called Aramaic. But the New Testament was written in ancient Greek, shortly after Jesus lived over 2,000 years ago. It was first translated into Latin, and eventually into many other languages including English.
Say: Let’s look at the statement, “Blessed are the poor in spirit”. The word for “poor” in the Greek refers to material poverty and not merely to an attitude toward riches. The phrase “in spirit” means that we have chosen this poverty and are not just victims of circumstances.
What about “Blessed are those who mourn?” The Greek word for mourn means to “wail as if for someone dead”. How can someone be happy, or blessed, if they are wailing in sorrow? (Wait for answers.) According to Ecclesiastes 7:4, “The mind of the wise is in the house of mourning, While the mind of fools is in the house of pleasure.” What do you think about this verse? (Wait for answers.) Do you think Jesus could have been referring to “sorrow for sins” in this passage? (Wait for answers.)
“Blessed are the meek”: These days the word “meek” denotes someone who is passive and kind of wimpy. But the Greek word translated “meek” or “humble” originally referred to someone who has learned to control or master their passions and earthly nature. Meek people find their strength in humility before God.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” seems self-explanatory. Do you feel that you hunger and thirst for righteousness? (Wait for answers.)
“Blessed are the merciful”: “Mercy” is one of my favorite words. Can you tell of times when you have shown mercy to another person, or when someone has shown mercy to you? (Wait for answers.)
“Blessed are the pure in heart”: What does this statement mean to you? (Wait for answers.) To me it means trying to avoid sin so that I can experience the best that God has for me.
“Blessed are the peacemakers”: Are you a peacemaker, or someone who likes to stir up trouble? Remember the word “devil” comes from the Greek word “diabolus” which means “a slanderer, or accuser”. And the word “demon” comes from the Greek “daimon” and Latin “daemonium”, which means “to divide”. Satan and his demons are the exact opposites of peacemakers!
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness”: Have you ever been given a hard time because of your Christian faith? (Wait for answers.) Christians in certain countries today face intense persecution.
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Say: Now let’s see if it helps our understanding of the Beatitudes to turn them inside out. Read the following:
Unhappy are those who are NOT poor in spirit, for theirs is NOT the kingdom of heaven.
Unhappy are those who DON’T mourn, for they will NOT be comforted.
Unhappy are those who are NOT meek, for they WON’T inherit the earth.
Unhappy are those who DON’T hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they WON’T will be filled.
Unhappy are those who AREN’T merciful, for they WON’T be shown mercy.
Unhappy are the UN-pure in heart, for they WON’T see God.
Unhappy are the NON-peacemakers, for they WON’T be called sons of God.
Unhappy are those who are NOT persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is NOT the kingdom of heaven.
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Say: Let’s read a couple of more verses from the Sermon on the Mount.
Read or have a child read Matthew 5:13-16
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
Ask: What city on a hill might Jesus have been referring to? (Wait for answers.) Jerusalem! (Show picture of Jerusalem; click on link at bottom of lesson.)
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Object Lesson: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.”
Say: This saying of Jesus is what we call a metaphor. A metaphor likens one thing to something else. We aren’t really salt, of course – Jesus was making a point about our lives as Christians.
Pass around an opaque bag which you have filled with the following items: scotch tape, a ballpoint pen, an unopened can of coke, an unlit match, a small lightbulb, a rubber band or length of elastic, a magnet, a packet of yeast, a jar of cinnamon, and similar items. Have each child pull out one item from the bag. As they do, have have them paraphrase Jesus’s saying about the salt. For example, “If the tape loses its stickiness, then how can it be made sticky again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.”
Ask: How do make sure we don’t lose our “saltiness” as Christians? (Wait for answers.) Read or hear the Bible, pray, obey God, hang out with other Christ-followers.
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Object lesson: “You are the light of the world.” Set up a small electric lamp and turn it on.
Say: There. Isn’t that pretty? Oh, wait! I forgot something! (Cover the lamp with an opaque container.) There, that’s better. (Wait for children’s laughter and reactions.) OK, I admit it, it doesn’t make sense to cover it up. But guess what? Even if we do make the mistake of trying to hide our lights, did you know that it’s not totally, completely possible? Remember the prophet Jonah, who God told to warn wicked Ninevah? Jonah was probably the most angry man of God in the entire Bible! Yet not even he could completely hide his light. The sailors who threw him overboard saw it; and I bet it was even kind of shining in the stomach of the great fish God appointed to swallow him for his “time out”!
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Science experiment: Candle in a Bottle. Before you light the candle, ask: “How long do you think it will take for the flame to go out? Or, How long will it burn?”
Light the candle. (Adult should do this and allow the children to watch.) Cover the lit candle with a glass Mason jar or other glass container. It will only take a few seconds for the candle to go out.
Ask: What does this prove? (Wait for answers.) It proves that oxygen, which the flame feeds on and which is invisible, really exists. How do we know? The flame feeds on the oxygen until it is all gone. When the oxygen is gone, the flame dies.
Application: If we are to be lights in this world, we need a steady supply of spiritual oxygen – the Holy Spirit and God’s Word!
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Art Project: Glow in the dark painting. Supply each child with black posterboard or construction paper, assorted neon paints, and clear luminescent paint. Have them create their own artwork.
Application: Christians are supposed to be lights in the darkness! The darker it gets, the brighter we should shine, just like the luminescent paint. Point out that the paint must periodically be exposed to another light source, such as daylight or a lightbulb, to “recharge” the luminescence.
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Activity: “The Beatitudes” Mix and Match. Beatitudes Verse Scramble .PDF FILE (Click on link.) Have children draw a line matching the correct 1st half of each verse with the correct 2nd half. (The second page contains the Key.)
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Rope Craft: Give each child six 18” lengths of macramé cord which have been folded in half and securely taped together at the fold. The six strands should be laying flat beside each other. To hold the strands in place while they braid, you can tape the folded ends to the table with masking tape. (If braiding six strands proves too difficult for some, they can divide into two sections of three strands each, and braid each section.)
Instructions: Hold the left-most strand in your left hand. Hold the remaining five strands with your right hand. Weave the left-most strand over, under, over, under and over the remaining strands, until the left-most strand is now the right-most strand. Hold everything in place with your right hand. Repeat the procedure with the new left-most strand. Repeat until you run out of cord. Secure end with masking tape.
