Beatitudes - for now or for later

Do the Beatitudes in Matthew teach a viable ethic?

Are the promises valid in the present Earth or only for a new Earth?

What is poor in spirit?

'Blessed are the peace-makers' is as valid a "viable ethic" now as it ever has been and always will be. Apart from anything else, I would be out of a job if it weren't!

Or maybe I should re-train as a cheese-maker a la Life of Brian?

I would think that ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness... Blessed are the merciful... Blessed are the pure in heart' are also pretty viable ethics.

‘Blessed are the poor in spirit' - something to do with humility, openness to God and others, lack of attachment to material things (which is different to physical poverty), lack of greed...?

Are the promises for now or for later?

"Rejoice and be glad, because your reward will be great in heaven."

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Are there rewards for this ethic in the here and now? or only in the by and by?

What is pure in heart? sincerity? no lust? no greed? no selfish motives? When do they see God?

The Kingdom of Heaven is here and now, not just a future promise.

But why do you talk about rewards? We don't lead ethical lives in order to get rewards; we do so because it is the right thing to do, and doing it helps to bring about the Kingdom of Heaven. If everyone lived up to ethical considerations than life would be pretty heavenly.

The Beatitudes make promises.

In scripture, God makes promises.

And I think part of the righteousness of God is in keeping those promises. At least if there is anything tangible to the righteousness of God.

But are they promises in the sense of rewards? Are we only peacemakers, or merciful, or whatever, because we expect some reward? I rather think not.

Whether as reward or not, should we expect those promises to be kept?

And if we should expect those promises to be kept, then should we expect them in this world, or only in the next?

When we are poor in spirit, should we then be happy knowing that the kingdom of heaven is ours?

"Rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven."

The text even uses the word reward. Why should we not consider the promises as reward?

Could they not be considered descriptions rather than promises? In that sense it is, as I said earlier, the Kingdom of God amongst us now, not some future reward.

Only the last beatitude specifically says 'your reward is great in heaven'.

>6 John5918: Are we only peacemakers, or merciful, or whatever, because we expect some reward?

Is not the act of goodness itself the "reward"? Acts of mercy, kindness, humility...these things tend to our own spirits as we tend to those who receive them from us, yes? Isn't that what is meant by being received "in the kingdom of heaven"?

If the reward, or the promise, is simply that we will feel better about ourselves, that is fine. Such is my question.

Jesus then is telling his disciples, if you act in this way, you will feel better within your spirit? and you will make other people perhaps feel better also?

And if everybody were to do it, then the Kingdom of Heaven would certainly be in the here and now.

I don't think of Heaven as in the here and now. We can have moments of Heaven, but they are, by the nature of Life, transitory. That's because its in our nature to suffer. Hell is not in the hereafter; we already can see Hell on earth. But even this Hell is transitory. My grandmother passed away this weekend, and even though we were never close, I felt and observed a huge gift of grace in my life. I don't think I did anything to deserve this gift, I do think though that grace is the action God performs upon our souls along with the spirits of our ancestors. I felt a great sense of humility as well. I am planning on attending a Latin mass at a church about twenty minutes away sometime soon. I think by following the beatitudes, we prepare ourselves to receive grace.

By the way, I read somewhere that not a single martyr drew a cross in the Roman catacombs, which are still preserved. Instead, they drew scenes of Jesus back on earth. The earliest followers were convinced he would be coming back soon, which didn't happen. I think it is from this fact that much of church doctrine was formed-- being disappointed that he did not form a kingdom of heaven on earth.

>12 emthefemme: "by following the beatitudes, we prepare ourselves to receive grace."

That is a most beautiful response to my question.

Thank you

you are welcome, Richard. I am happy that I was able to give something to the conversation, which is an important conversation, so thank you for starting this conversation.

And you are correct that the early church, and I think even Jesus himself as reported in the Gospels, expected a very soon event.

So a promise in the Beatitudes of a place in the kingdom might have been a promise of a thing believed to be imminent. (not immanent).

Paul should be read in that way, I think.

And Matthew takes a sharp turn in the Sermon on the Mount from comfort to those grieving - calling for his disciples to be perfect, as our Father in Heaven is perfect.

You may be interested in Richard Rohr's meditation for today, on the spirituality of imperfection:https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/

Et tu emthefemme?

Er. Are you comparing me to Brutus? I don't get it.

Just kidding. You have joined John now with citing Rohr meditations. : )

I read Rohr's daily meditation every day. They vary, of course, in how much they speak to me at any given time, but broadly I find them very helpful.

Edited to add: I think Rohr would be of the view that it's all about transformation in the present life, not rewards in some future life.

Considering some more that the kingdom of heaven (in Matthew and the Beatitudes) is an internal state. And this would include other ideas like inheriting the Earth/land, receiving comfort, righteousness, seeing God. Do these refer, in Matthew, to an internal state or a promised new world?

10.7 Go and preach that the kingdom is near
Is this meaning that the kingdom is close in the hearts of people, or is this a new world that is the subject of the preaching? A new physical reality? A new creation brought by the action of God?

10.15 Truly I say to you, it will be better for the land of Sodom and Gomorra in the day of judgement than for those towns (who rejected the evangelists sent by Jesus).
What is the relationship between the day of judgement and the imminent kingdom of heaven?

10.22 the person who remains unto the end will be saved.
What is this act of saving? What is the end?

10.22 You will not complete (evangelizing) all the towns of Israel before the son of man will come
Is this arrival of the son of man an actual event, or is it a metaphor for an inner spiritual state?

10.32 I (Jesus) will acknowledge him (who acknowledges Jesus before men) before my Father in heaven.
Is this a reference to an inner state?