Kingdom, week 2, part 1

As Jesus begins His "Sermon on the Mount", His first order of business is to set forth the character of saving faith. 
When Jesus the Son of God and God in the flesh came, He came to usher in the Kingdom of God as prophesied in the Scriptures.  This is why Matthew 4:17 and 23 show that he began His ministry preaching the Kingdom. The Gospel of Matthew is known as "the Jewish Gospel", because Matthew aims to show Jesus especially as the Jewish Messiah and Christ of Israel.  In Matthew, Jesus shines forth as the Christ, the King of the Kingdom, and the fulfillment of the Scriptures.
The opening chapters of Matthew show a series of Scriptures that are fulfilled in Christ and His coming:  1:1-17 show Jesus as a descendent of Abraham and David with his entire genealogy; 1:23 shows His virgin birth as fulfillment of Isaiah9:7; 2:6 shows his Bethlehem birth as fulfillment of Micah5:2; and so on and so forth over chapters 3 and 4 (cf John the Baptizer, Jesus' ministry in Galilee, etc.). 

In 5:1, Jesus "sits up on the mountain" to preach, just as Moses had "went up on the mountain" where God would give His Word to be given to Israel (see Exodus 19).  Here Jesus is the One bringing God's Word to the people Himself.  Throughout Matthew, several very important moments happen on mountains (here with the Sermon on the Mount, the Transfiguration of 17:1, the End-times teaching of chs24-25, and the Great Commission of 28:16). 
Jesus' coming was not a result of randomness.  It was to fulfill Scripture, as "all of God's promises find their 'yes' in Him" (2Cor1:22).  Matthew emphasizes Jesus' mountain-teaching so that his readers know Jesus is bringing God's Word, because "in the past..God spoke to us by the prophets...but in these last days, He's spoken to us by His Son" (Heb1:1). 

In 5:3 Jesus gives the first characteristic of saving faith: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven".  Greek "makarios" is the word for "blessed", and while it means "happy" (so it could be translated "happy are the..."), it also is intended to communicate something even deeper: "Blessed by God are those who are poor in spirit, for the Kingdom is theirs".  It's a divinely-bestowed blessing because Jesus came to call the poor in spirit. It refers to those lacking self-sufficience and who realize they need something.  It's not just referring to those with poverty in financial means (though it could include those), but those of poverty in spiritual means.
This is because no one receives the Kingdom unless they receive it like a child (see 18:3-4), which is why Jesus tells Nicodemus of his need to be reborn (see John 3).  We're sinners at birth (Ps51:5, 58:3; Gen6:5, 8:21), and as we grow up and venture out on our own, we more and more come under the illusion that we're self-sufficient, and don't need any help.  Jesus is here saying that humility and poverty in personal spirit is the first prerequisite for entering the Kingdom he came to bring.  This is why being born isn't enough...we need reborn.  No one is in this place except by God's grace, which is why they're "blessed". 
This is the exact opposite of the way the world thinks.  While others would have you be confident and feel good about yourself, Jesus says you're blessed if your in the darkness, because He's come to bring you into the light. 
In 5:4 Jesus lists the next characteristic of saving faith as "mourning...for they'll be comforted".  Certainly Jesus isn't referring to just any kind of mourning.  Mourning over your sports team losing or over not having enough money to pay your drug-dealer isn't what He's talking about.  He's talking about mourning over sin; over the brokenness of the world and over longing for fellowship with God.  This is God-ward mourning Jesus describes.  "Godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation without regret" (2Cor7:10).  Pharaoh repented because of his mourning in Exodus9:27, but Moses knew better (v30), and later Pharaoh's heart was still hardened.  He only mourned because of the hail plague--the minute it was over, he was back to pride.  The kind of mourning Jesus describes is God-ward--that which longs for knowing God, but recognizes its own being prone to falling short.

Have you ever mourned over this?  It's my contention that Good News is only good if the bad news is understood and accepted.  Here Jesus' first real teaching on the Kingdom is that happiness and contentment are NOT prerequisites for the Kingdom, but that the prerequisite is a lack thereof...because then and only then will Jesus be treasured and adored as He who brings happiness and contentment.  The reason Paul was "content in all circumstances" is because his life was one of spiritual endeavors where only Christ could provide the strength and fruit...thus "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Phil4:10-13; see also Rom15:15, and 1Cor15:10).  Scripture also teaches us to "be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you or forsake you'" (Heb13:5).  Acknowledgment of Christ and the Holy Spirit's presence is the only road to contentedness and blessedness. And this only comes from recognition of need of Him.

The low state of Christianity in our country and culture is due to false conversions.  People "come forward" or even get baptized simply because they either are caught up in an emotional appeal, or because they fear Hell.  But they aren't mourning over sin, longing for God, or acting out of inward poverty, and so they aren't really looking for Christ to be their remedy and Mediator (1Timothy2:4-5).  The whole act of "coming to Christ" is just an exercise for their flesh, ignorant that "flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1Cor15:50).  This is why Jesus said it's the Spirit who gives life and the flesh is no help at all (see John6:63).  The flesh moves countless to false professions/baptisms and the tragic result is that the person's state is worse than before--because now they think they're saved, and won't be convinced otherwise.  This is why Jesus would rather the lukewarm be cold (Rev3:16-17). 

So Jesus wants to make no mistake here--if you're not poor in spirit and mourning, you won't receive the Kingdom. 
Have you ever been broken? 
I remember when I began to be broken.  I was a Bible-college student, and I began struggling with a sickening depression.  Every day felt black, I worried, and I was almost paralyzed from wanting to do anything.  I sought counsel from professors, therapists, pastors, and pills.  Nothing worked.  But then God began drawing me to His Son.  I began seeing that my problems were because I was hungry, and that Jesus was God's Word who came so that I would feast on Him and be satisfied (see Matt4:4 and John6:35, 51, 53).  I still struggle with those depressive tendencies some, but the difference is that I have new life in Christ now.  It's unfortunate one could grow up in the church and even be in Bible college, and not feast on Christ, when Jesus says that's the whole point of the Kingdom.  But that was exactly the case.  Praise the Lord for His grace!
Jesus says these first two statements in his sermon to safeguard against prideful false conversions.  "You must be poor in spirit, you must mourn, because then and only then will you feast on me". 
While the Father draws people to His Son in different ways and the Holy Spirit works like the wind, the character of all standing at the door of the Kingdom is always the same--broken and needy. 

One commentator on this verse pointed out that it's interesting the ancient philosophers, while making their "virtues" lists never once listed humility.  Here Jesus not only includes it in His list, but puts it first.  No humility, no Kingdom.  No brokenness, no Kingdom.  No sensing your need for Jesus, no Jesus.  It's just that simple!
How can I be made humble?  First, ask this: do you want to be?  Second, ask this: What motivates your inquisition--fear of punishment, or fear of alienation from God and His Christ?  Third, do this: Ask the Father for His Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13). Call out for faith.  He'll answer--just be patient, because He's probably going to go to work differently than you think, and with a different time-frame than you think.