Sunday 1 February 2026
Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (vs 2-3)
Background
In the preceding chapters the gospel writer established a foundation on which the rest of the narrative will be built, and set the scene for Jesus’ ministry and mission. Following his baptism and affirmation by John (Matthew 3), a period of preparation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11) and calling four local fishermen to follow him (Matthew 4:18-22), we are told that Jesus spent time travelling around Galilee, teaching, preaching and healing the sick (Matthew 4:23-24). The news that something interesting and exciting was happening spread quickly around the area and, as more people wanted to see for themselves what all the fuss was about, the size of the crowds around Jesus grew.
As will often happen at pivotal points throughout his ministry, Jesus needed to get away from the crowds and have times of quiet for prayer and reflection, or to spend with his closest friends. In this instance, as well as meeting the needs of the growing number of people clamouring for his attention, Jesus felt the time was right to withdraw up a hillside in order to find a quieter space to teach those who had chosen to follow him (v. 1).
At this stage we don’t know who is included in this teaching session. So far we have only been given four names of new followers (Matthew 4:18-21), men who for the first time are called 'disciples'. It’s not until chapter 10 do we learn that their number increased to 12. However, it’s reasonable to assume that many of these men, and perhaps unnamed women accompanying them, would also have heard this first extended teaching.
What follows, the first of five blocks of teaching in Matthew’s Gospel, are some of the most well-known verses of the whole Bible and are called 'the Beatitudes', offering a vision of what is like to follow Christ. Their poetic structure and repetitive rhythm was a traditional teaching method, but this was no ordinary lesson. These were profound words that would make it very clear to his new followers that the world was about to be turned upside down.
To Ponder:
- Imagine you were one of the disciples hearing the Beatitudes for the first time. How would you respond?
- Which of the blessings resonate with your own experience, which make you feel uncomfortable and which challenge you?
Prayer
Living God, help us not to become complacent with familiarity, but instead to hear your words afresh. Rouse us from our apathy and help us to respond to your challenge to us today. Amen.
Bible notes author: Dr Richard Vautrey
Dr Vautrey is a local preacher and church steward in Leeds, and a former Vice-President of the Methodist Conference. He works as a GP and is a former chair of the BMA's GP committee.