Handout A “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the … · 2020-04-09 · 1 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS Handout A “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the

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Handout A

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” –Matthew 5:3

Who are the “poor in spirit”?

A. James 2:5 — Listen, my beloved brothers.Did God not choose those who are poorin the world to be rich in faith and heirsof the kingdom that he promised tothose who love him?

B. 2 Corinthians 6:10 — as sorrowful yetalways rejoicing; as poor yet enrichingmany; as having nothing and yetpossessing all things.

How is Jesus “poor”?

A. 2 Corinthians 8:9 — For you know thegracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ,that for your sake he became pooralthough he was rich, so that by hispoverty you might become rich.

B. Three Kinds of Poverty

1. Material Poverty

a. Luke 2:7 — and she gave birth toher firstborn son. She wrapped

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him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

b. Luke 2:22-24 — When the dayswere completed for theirpurification according to thelaw of Moses, they took him upto Jerusalem to present him tothe Lord, just as it is written inthe law of the Lord, “Every malethat opens the womb shall beconsecrated to the Lord,” andto offer the sacrifice of “a pairof turtledoves or two youngpigeons,” in accordance with thedictate in the law of the Lord.

c. Leviticus 12:8 — If, however, shecannot afford a lamb, she maytake two turtledoves or twopigeons, the one for a holocaustand the other for a sin offering.The priest shall make atonementfor her, and thus she will againbe clean.

2. Poverty of Family and Friends

a. Matthew 10:37 — Whoever loves father or mother more than meis not worthy of me, and whoeverloves son or daughter more thanme is not worthy of me.

b. Matthew 12:46-50 — While hewas still speaking to the crowds,his mother and his brothersappeared outside, wishing tospeak with him. [Someone toldhim, “Your mother and yourbrothers are standing outside,asking to speak with you.”] But he

said in reply to the one who told him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.

c. Luke 23:44-49 — When all thepeople who had gathered forthis spectacle saw what hadhappened, they returned homebeating their breasts; but allhis acquaintances stood at adistance, including the womenwho had followed him fromGalilee and saw these events.

3. Poverty of earthly power and glory

a. John 18:33-37 –Jesus answered,“My kingdom does not belongto this world. If my kingdomdid belong to this world, myattendants [would] be fightingto keep me from being handedover to the Jews. But as it is, mykingdom is not here.”

b. Matthew 4:8-10 — Then thedevil took him up to a very highmountain, and showed him allthe kingdoms of the world intheir magnificence, and he saidto him, “All these I shall give toyou, if you will prostrate yourselfand worship me.” At this, Jesussaid to him, “Get away, Satan! Itis written: The Lord, your God,shall you worship and him aloneshall you serve.”


c. Philippians 2:6-7 — Who, thoughhe was in the form of God, didnot regard equality with Godsomething to be grasped. Rather,he emptied himself, taking theform of a slave, coming in humanlikeness; and found human inappearance, he humbled himself,becoming obedient to death,even death on a cross.

What does this beatitude call us to do?

A. Matthew 19:16-22 — Now someoneapproached him and said, “Teacher,what good must I do to gain eternallife?” He answered him, “Why do youask me about the good? There is onlyOne who is good. If you wish to enterinto life, keep the commandments.” Heasked him, “Which ones?” And Jesusreplied, “ ‘You shall not kill; you shall notcommit adultery; you shall not steal; youshall not bear false witness; honor yourfather and your mother’; and ‘you shalllove your neighbor as yourself.’ ”The young man said to him, “All ofthese I have observed. What do I stilllack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish tobe perfect, go, sell what you have andgive to [the] poor, and you will havetreasure in heaven. Then come, followme.” When the young man heard thisstatement, he went away sad, for he hadmany possessions. Then Jesus said tohis disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it willbe hard for one who is rich to enter thekingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, itis easier for a camel to pass through the

eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

B. Matthew 18:8-9 — If your hand or footcauses you to sin, cut it off and throwit away. It is better for you to enter intolife maimed or crippled than with twohands or two feet to be thrown intoeternal fire. And if your eye causes youto sin, tear it out and throw it away. It isbetter for you to enter into life with oneeye than with two eyes to be throwninto fiery Gehenna.

Summary StatementThe poor in spirit are those who share in the poverty of Christ, who, although He had nothing on Earth, possessed everything in Heaven. Jesus experienced three kinds of poverty during his earthly life; material poverty, poverty of friends and family, and poverty of earthly power and glory. We are called to be poor in spirit by actively seeking to remove from our lives all things that prevent us from having a true relationship with Jesus Christ and attaining heaven. For some, like the rich young man of the Gospel, that may be material wealth, but for others it may be pride, or another spiritual obstacle.


Handout B

“Blessed are they who mourn [now weeping], for they will be comforted.” – Matthew 5:4

Who are those who “mourn” or “weep”?

A. Romans 8:19-23 — For creation awaitswith eager expectation the revelationof the children of God; for creationwas made subject to futility, not of itsown accord but because of the onewho subjected it, in hope that creationitself would be set free from slavery tocorruption and share in the gloriousfreedom of the children of God. We knowthat all creation is groaning in labor painseven until now; and not only that, but weourselves, who have the first fruits of theSpirit, we also groan within ourselves aswe wait for adoption, the redemption ofour bodies.

B. Matthew 26:74-75 — At that he began tocurse and to swear, “I do not know theman.” And immediately a cock crowed.Then Peter remembered the word thatJesus had spoken: “Before the cockcrows you will deny me three times.” Hewent out and began to weep bitterly.

C. Romans 12:15 — Rejoice with those whorejoice, weep with those who weep.

D. Psalm 137:1-4 — By the rivers of Babylonthere we sat weeping when weremembered Zion. On the poplars in itsmidst we hung up our harps. For thereour captors asked us for the words ofa song; Our tormentors, for joy: “Sing

for us a song of Zion!” But how could we sing a song of the LORD in a foreign land?

E. Psalm 42:3, 10 — My soul thirsts for God,the living God. When can I enter andsee the face of God?I will say to God, my rock:“Why do you forget me? Why must Igo about mourning with the enemyoppressing me?”

How does Jesus “mourn” or “weep”?

A. Hebrews 12:2 — For the sake of the joythat lay before him he endured the cross,despising its shame, and has taken hisseat at the right of the throne of God.

B. John 11:32-35 — When Mary came towhere Jesus was and saw him, she fellat his feet and said to him, “Lord, if youhad been here, my brother would nothave died.” When Jesus saw her weepingand the Jews who had come with herweeping, he became perturbed anddeeply troubled, and said, “Where haveyou laid him?” They said to him, “Sir,come and see.” And Jesus wept.


A. Hebrews 12:1-3 — Therefore, since weare surrounded by so great a cloud ofwitnesses, let us rid ourselves of every


burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart.

B. 1 Peter 4:12-14 — Beloved, do not besurprised that a trial by fire is occurringamong you, as if something strangewere happening to you. But rejoiceto the extent that you share in thesufferings of Christ, so that when hisglory is revealed you may also rejoiceexultantly. If you are insulted for thename of Christ, blessed are you, for theSpirit of glory and of God rests uponyou.

C. Psalm 71:23 — My lips will shout for joy asI sing your praise; my soul, too, whichyou have redeemed.

D. 1 Peter 3:15 — Always be ready to give anexplanation to anyone who asks you fora reason for your hope.

Summary StatementThe Bible speaks of many reasons to mourn or to weep; we mourn and weep in anticipation of our salvation, we mourn in sorrow for our sins, we mourn with others, and weep when we are alone or exiled or feel far from God. Jesus Himself mourned and wept, specifically to bring us our salvation from the eternal punishment of death. In light of this beatitude, we are called to persevere for the sake of the joy of the Good News of salvation and the coming of Christ. We should praise God in all things, even in our suffering, and always be prepared to explain the reason for our hope.


Handout C

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.” – Matthew 5:5

Who are “meek”?

A. Mark 9:35 — Then he sat down, calledthe Twelve, and said to them, “If anyonewishes to be first, he shall be the last ofall and the servant of all.

B. Proverbs 15:1 — A mild answer turns backwrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

C. Proverbs 15:4 — A soothing tongue is atree of life, but a perverse one breaksthe spirit.

D. Sirach 6:5 — Pleasant speech multipliesfriends, and gracious lips, friendlygreetings.

How is Jesus “meek”?

A. Matthew 11:29 — Take my yoke upon youand learn from me, for I am meek andhumble of heart; and you will find restfor yourselves.

B. John 13:1-17 — Before the feast ofPassover, Jesus knew that his hourhad come to pass from this world tothe Father. He loved his own in theworld and he loved them to the end.The devil had already induced Judas,son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand himover. So, during supper, fully awarethat the Father had put everythinginto his power and that he had comefrom God and was returning to God,he rose from supper and took off hisouter garments. He took a towel and

tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them with the towel around his waist. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Master, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.” Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Master, then not only my feet, but my hands and head as well.” Jesus said to him, “Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed, for he is clean all over; so you are clean, but not all.” For he knew who would betray him; for this reason, he said, “Not all of you are clean.” So when he had washed their feet [and] put his garments back on and reclined at table again, he said to them, “Do you realize what I have done for you? You call me ‘teacher’ and ‘master,’ and rightly so, for indeed I am. If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do. Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.


C. 1 Peter 2:23 — When he was insulted, hereturned no insult; when he suffered,he did not threaten; instead, he handedhimself over to the one who judgesjustly.

D. Matthew 21:1-9 — When they drew nearJerusalem and came to Bethphage onthe Mount of Olives, Jesus sent twodisciples, saying to them, “Go into thevillage opposite you, and immediatelyyou will find an ass tethered, and a coltwith her. Untie them and bring themhere to me. And if anyone should sayanything to you, reply, ‘The master hasneed of them.’ Then he will send themat once.” This happened so that whathad been spoken through the prophetmight be fulfilled: “Say to daughter Zion,‘Behold, your king comes to you, meekand riding on an ass, and on a colt, thefoal of a beast of burden.’ ”


A. 1 Peter 3:15 — But sanctify Christ as Lordin your hearts. Always be ready to givean explanation to anyone who asks youfor a reason for your hope

B. Matthew 16:24 — Then Jesus said to hisdisciples, “Whoever wishes to comeafter me must deny himself, take up hiscross, and follow me.”

C. Galatians 5:22-26 — In contrast, the fruitof the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,kindness, generosity, faithfulness,gentleness, self-control. Against suchthere is no law. Now those who belongto Christ [Jesus] have crucified theirflesh with its passions and desires. Ifwe live in the Spirit, let us also followthe Spirit. Let us not be conceited,provoking one another, envious of oneanother.

D. 1 Colossians 3:12 — Put on then, as God’schosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfeltcompassion, kindness, humility,gentleness, and patience.

Summary StatementThe meek are characterized not as shy or withdrawn, but as those who serve others in a spirit of unity, mildness, and kindness of speech. Jesus exemplified this kind of meekness and humility, claiming that his path gives peace. He modeled how to serve others by washing the disciples’ feet, embracing his own suffering and death, and rejecting earthly power and glory. We are called to follow in Christ’s footsteps and be ready to give a reason for our hope, carrying our own crosses in our lives, and building unity with each other in the Holy Spirit.


Handout D

“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” – Matthew 5:6

Who are the “hungry and thirsty”?

A. Luke 1:53 — Put on then, as God’s chosenones, holy and beloved, heartfeltcompassion, kindness, humility,gentleness, and patience.

B. Luke 6:25 — But woe to you who arefilled now, for you will be hungry. Woeto you who laugh now, for you willgrieve and weep.

C. Luke 12:34 — For where your treasure is,there also will your heart be.

How does Jesus “satisfy”?

A. John 6:35, 53-58 — Jesus said to them,“I am the bread of life; whoever comesto me will never hunger, and whoeverbelieves in me will never thirst.”Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I sayto you, unless you eat the flesh of theSon of Man and drink his blood, youdo not have life within you. Whoevereats my flesh and drinks my blood haseternal life, and I will raise him on thelast day. For my flesh is true food, andmy blood is true drink. Whoever eatsmy flesh and drinks my blood remains inme and I in him. Just as the living Fathersent me and I have life because of theFather, so also the one who feeds onme will have life because of me. This isthe bread that came down from heaven.Unlike your ancestors who ate and still

died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

B. John 4:13-15 — Jesus answered and saidto her, “Everyone who drinks this waterwill be thirsty again; but whoever drinksthe water I shall give will never thirst;the water I shall give will become in hima spring of water welling up to eternallife.” The woman said to him, “Sir, giveme this water, so that I may not bethirsty or have to keep coming here todraw water.”

C. 1 Peter 2:21 — For to this you have beencalled, because Christ also suffered foryou, leaving you an example that youshould follow in his footsteps.


A. Matthew 22:37-40 — He said to him,“You shall love the Lord, your God,with all your heart, with all your soul,and with all your mind. This is thegreatest and the first commandment.The second is like it: You shall love yourneighbor as yourself. The whole lawand the prophets depend on these twocommandments.”

B. Matthew 25:31-46 — When the Sonof Man comes in his glory, and all theangels with him, he will sit upon hisglorious throne, and all the nations willbe assembled before him. And he will


separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him and say, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?” And the king will say to them in reply, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” Then he will say to those on his left, “Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.” Then they will answer and

say, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?” He will answer them, “Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.” And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

Summary StatementJesus’ teaching directs us to hunger for or desire things in right order, specifically, that which is righteous, or of God. Scripture tells us that the righteous are compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Those who desire or hunger for worldly things, will not find satisfaction. Jesus taught that He is true bread and true drink, which we encounter in the Eucharist, and that only He will satisfy infinitely. We are then called to be righteous in our own lives, that is, to love God above all things, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. This is lived by following the law of God and by serving others.


Handout E

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” – Matthew 5:7

Who are the “merciful”?

A. Matthew 18:23-34 — That is why thekingdom of heaven may be likened toa king who decided to settle accountswith his servants. When he began theaccounting, a debtor was brought beforehim who owed him a huge amount.Since he had no way of paying it back,his master ordered him to be sold, alongwith his wife, his children, and all hisproperty, in payment of the debt. At that,the servant fell down, did him homage,and said, “Be patient with me, and Iwill pay you back in full.” Moved withcompassion the master of that servantlet him go and forgave him the loan.When that servant had left, he foundone of his fellow servants who owed hima much smaller amount. He seized himand started to choke him, demanding,“Pay back what you owe.” Falling to hisknees, his fellow servant begged him,“Be patient with me, and I will pay youback.” But he refused. Instead, he hadhim put in prison until he paid back thedebt. Now when his fellow servants sawwhat had happened, they were deeplydisturbed, and went to their master andreported the whole affair. His mastersummoned him and said to him, “Youwicked servant! I forgave you your entiredebt because you begged me to. Shouldyou not have had pity on your fellowservant, as I had pity on you?” Then inanger his master handed him over to the

torturers until he should pay back the whole debt.

B. Ezekiel 33:11 — Answer them: As I live—oracle of the Lord GOD—I swear I takeno pleasure in the death of the wicked,but rather that they turn from theirways and live. Turn, turn from your evilways! Why should you die, house ofIsrael?

C. Luke 15:11-32 — Then he said, “A man hadtwo sons, and the younger son said tohis father, ‘Father, give me the share ofyour estate that should come to me.’ Sothe father divided the property betweenthem. After a few days, the youngerson collected all his belongings andset off to a distant country where hesquandered his inheritance on a life ofdissipation. When he had freely spenteverything, a severe famine struck thatcountry, and he found himself in direneed. So he hired himself out to one ofthe local citizens who sent him to hisfarm to tend the swine. And he longedto eat his fill of the pods on which theswine fed, but nobody gave him any.Coming to his senses he thought, ‘Howmany of my father’s hired workers havemore than enough food to eat, but heream I, dying from hunger. I shall getup and go to my father and I shall sayto him, ‘Father, I have sinned againstheaven and against you. I no longerdeserve to be called your son; treat me


as you would treat one of your hired workers.’ So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your

brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ ”

How is Jesus “merciful”?

A. John 8:1-11 — Then each went to his ownhouse while Jesus went to the Mountof Olives. But early in the morning hearrived again in the temple area, andall the people started coming to him,and he sat down and taught them.Then the scribes and the Phariseesbrought a woman who had been caughtin adultery and made her stand in themiddle. They said to him, “Teacher, thiswoman was caught in the very act ofcommitting adultery. Now in the law,Moses commanded us to stone suchwomen. So what do you say?” They saidthis to test him, so that they could havesome charge to bring against him. Jesusbent down and began to write on theground with his finger. But when theycontinued asking him, he straightenedup and said to them, “Let the oneamong you who is without sin be thefirst to throw a stone at her.” Again hebent down and wrote on the ground.And in response, they went away oneby one, beginning with the elders.So he was left alone with the womanbefore him. Then Jesus straightenedup and said to her, “Woman, where arethey? Has no one condemned you?” Shereplied, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said,“Neither do I condemn you. Go, [and]from now on do not sin any more.”

B. Mark 2:17 — Jesus heard this and saidto them [that], “Those who are well donot need a physician, but the sick do. I


did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

C. Matthew 18:21-22 — Then Peterapproaching asked him, “Lord, if mybrother sins against me, how often mustI forgive him? As many as seven times?”Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seventimes but seventy-seven times.”

D. Colossians 2:14 — Obliterating the bondagainst us, with its legal claims, whichwas opposed to us, he also removed itfrom our midst, nailing it to the cross.

E. Romans 8:1 — Hence, now there is nocondemnation for those who are inChrist Jesus.


A. Colossians 3:12-13 — Put on then, asGod’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,heartfelt compassion, kindness,humility, gentleness, and patience,bearing with one another and forgivingone another, if one has a grievanceagainst another; as the Lord hasforgiven you, so must you also do.

B. Matthew 6:9-15 — This is how you are topray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed beyour name, your kingdom come, yourwill be done, on earth as in heaven. Giveus today our daily bread; and forgive usour debts, as we forgive our debtors;and do not subject us to the final test,

but deliver us from the evil one. If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.

C. Ephesians 4:31-32 — All bitterness, fury,anger, shouting, and reviling mustbe removed from you, along with allmalice. [And] be kind to one another,compassionate, forgiving one another asGod has forgiven you in Christ.

Summary StatementThe merciful are those who, unlike the servant of the parable, forgive others because God first forgave them. The merciful give what they have themselves received, mercy. The merciful forgive as the Father Himself forgives, which is unconditionally, and it is in this forgiveness that the merciful find their joy. Jesus Himself forgave the sins of many and did so without condemnation and as often as necessary, but always called the sinner to sin no more. Christ’s death on the Cross brought forgiveness for our sinfulness and removed our deserved punishment. We are called to forgive as Christ forgave, to give the forgiveness that we ourselves have received so that we might be kind and compassionate toward one another.


Handout F

“Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.” – Matthew 5:8

Who are the “clean of heart”?

A. 1 Samuel 16:7 — But the LORD saidto Samuel: Do not judge from hisappearance or from his lofty stature,because I have rejected him. Goddoes not see as a mortal, who sees theappearance. The LORD looks into theheart.

B. Matthew 23:27-28 — Woe to you, scribesand Pharisees, you hypocrites. You arelike whitewashed tombs, which appearbeautiful on the outside, but inside arefull of dead men’s bones and every kindof filth. Even so, on the outside youappear righteous, but inside you arefilled with hypocrisy and evildoing.

C. Matthew 5:28 — But I say to you,everyone who looks at a woman withlust has already committed adulterywith her in his heart.

How is Jesus “clean of heart”?

A. Matthew 4:1-11 — Then Jesus was led bythe Spirit into the desert to be temptedby the devil. He fasted for forty daysand forty nights, and afterwards he washungry. The tempter approached andsaid to him, “If you are the Son of God,command that these stones becomeloaves of bread.” He said in reply, “It iswritten: ‘One does not live by breadalone, but by every word that comesforth from the mouth of God.’ ” Thenthe devil took him to the holy city, andmade him stand on the parapet of thetemple, and said to him, “If you arethe Son of God, throw yourself down.For it is written: ‘He will command hisangels concerning you’ and ‘with theirhands they will support you, lest youdash your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesusanswered him, “Again it is written, ‘Youshall not put the Lord, your God, tothe test.’ ” Then the devil took him upto a very high mountain, and showedhim all the kingdoms of the world intheir magnificence, and he said to him,“All these I shall give to you, if you willprostrate yourself and worship me.” Atthis, Jesus said to him, “Get away, Satan!It is written: ‘The Lord, your God, shallyou worship and him alone shall youserve.’ ” Then the devil left him and,


behold, angels came and ministered to him.

B. Hebrews 7:26 — It was fitting we shouldhave such a high priest: holy, innocent,undefiled, separated from sinners,higher than the heavens.

C. 2 Corinthians 5:21 — For our sake hemade him to be sin who did not knowsin, so that we might become therighteousness of God in him.

What does this Beatitude call us to do?

A. Matthew 7:5 — You hypocrite, removethe wooden beam from your eye first;then you will see clearly to remove thesplinter from your brother’s eye.

B. Matthew 6:2-4 — When you give alms,do not blow a trumpet before you, asthe hypocrites do in the synagoguesand in the streets to win the praise ofothers. Amen, I say to you, they havereceived their reward. But when yougive alms, do not let your left handknow what your right is doing, so thatyour almsgiving may be secret. And yourFather who sees in secret will repay you.

C. Mark 7:14-15; 21-23 — He summoned thecrowd again and said to them, “Hear me,all of you, and understand. Nothing thatenters one from outside can defile thatperson; but the things that come outfrom within are what defile.”“From within people, from their hearts,come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft,

murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”

D. Mark 1:15 — This is the time of fulfillment.The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent,and believe in the gospel.

Summary StatementThe clean or pure-hearted are those whose actions on the outside match who they are on the inside. This includes chastity, as this beatitude is popularly understood to be referring to, but means more than that. Jesus compared the clean of heart to the opposite of the hypocritical Pharisees of His time who went through the outward motions of keeping the Law, but were empty in their hearts. Jesus was clean of heart because He was free of sin and resisted all human temptation for worldly desire and earthly power. He who was innocent of sin took on our sins so that we could be purified. We are called to repent of our sins and believe in the Good News of our salvation. We must strive to make sure that our actions and piety truly come from the heart and truly transform our hearts and we must avoid the temptations and sin that defile us and make us unclean, without judging our neighbor.


Handout G

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” – Matthew 5:9

Who are the “peacemakers”?

A. Matthew 7:12 — Do to others whateveryou would have them do to you. This isthe law and the prophets.

B. Ephesians 4:1-3 — I, then, a prisoner forthe Lord, urge you to live in a mannerworthy of the call you have received,with all humility and gentleness, withpatience, bearing with one anotherthrough love, striving to preserve theunity of the spirit through the bond ofpeace.

C. James 3:18 — And the fruit ofrighteousness is sown in peace for thosewho cultivate peace.

How is Jesus a “peacemaker”?

A. Ephesians 2:14 — For he is our peace, hewho made both one and broke downthe dividing wall of enmity, through hisflesh.

B. Philippians 4:7 — Then the peace of Godthat surpasses all understanding willguard your hearts and minds in ChristJesus.

C. John 20:21-22 — [Jesus] said to themagain, “Peace be with you. As the Fatherhas sent me, so I send you.” And whenhe had said this, he breathed on themand said to them, “Receive the holySpirit.”

D. John 14:27 — Peace I leave with you; mypeace I give to you. Not as the worldgives do I give it to you. Do not let yourhearts be troubled or afraid.

E. Matthew 10:34-36 — Do not think thatI have come to bring peace upon theearth. I have come to bring not peacebut the sword. For I have come to seta man “against his father, a daughteragainst her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;and one’s enemies will be those of hishousehold.”



A. Romans 12:18 — If possible, on your part,live at peace with all.

B. Philippians 4:6-7 — Have no anxiety atall, but in everything, by prayer andpetition, with thanksgiving, make yourrequests known to God. Then the peaceof God that surpasses all understandingwill guard your hearts and minds inChrist Jesus.

Summary StatementThe peacemaker is one who treats others the way he or she would want to be treated, that is, with humility, gentleness, patience, and common support through love, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Those who make peace are righteous in God’s eyes. Jesus is our peace and He gives us His peace, through the Holy Spirit, by which we are sent to proclaim His peace to the world. The peace of Christ, however, is not accepted by all, and may cause division when unaccepted or rejected. We are called to live in peace with everyone, through prayer and thanksgiving, and above all, by placing our trust in Jesus.


Handout H

“Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 5:10

Who are the “persecuted”?

A. John 15: 18-20 — If the world hates you,realize that it hated me first. If youbelonged to the world, the world wouldlove its own; but because you do notbelong to the world, and I have chosenyou out of the world, the world hatesyou. Remember the word I spoke to you,“No slave is greater than his master.”If they persecuted me, they will alsopersecute you. If they kept my word,they will also keep yours.

B. 1 Corinthians 4:12-13 — And we toil,working with our own hands. Whenridiculed, we bless; when persecuted,we endure; when slandered, we respondgently. We have become like the world’srubbish, the scum of all, to this verymoment.

How is Jesus “persecuted”?

A. Matthew 20:18-19 — Behold, we aregoing up to Jerusalem, and the Son ofMan will be handed over to the chiefpriests and the scribes, and they willcondemn him to death, and hand himover to the Gentiles to be mocked andscourged and crucified, and he will beraised on the third day.

B. Mark 15:15-39 — So Pilate, wishing tosatisfy the crowd, released Barabbas tothem and, after he had Jesus scourged,handed him over to be crucified. Thesoldiers led him away inside the palace,that is, the praetorium, and assembled

the whole cohort. They clothed him in purple and, weaving a crown of thorns, placed it on him. They began to salute him with, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and kept striking his head with a reed and spitting upon him. They knelt before him in homage. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, dressed him in his own clothes, and led him out to crucify him. They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross. They brought him to the place of Golgotha (which is translated Place of the Skull). They gave him wine drugged with myrrh, but he did not take it. Then they crucified him and divided his garments by casting lots for them to see what each should take. It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” With him they crucified two revolutionaries, one on his right and one on his left. Those passing by reviled him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself by coming down from the cross.” Likewise the chief priests, with the scribes, mocked him among themselves and said, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.” Those who were


crucified with him also kept abusing him. The Death of Jesus. At noon darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Some of the bystanders who heard it said, “Look, he is calling Elijah.” One of them ran, soaked a sponge with wine, put it on a reed, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see if Elijah comes to take him down.” Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. The veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. When the centurion who stood facing him saw how he breathed his last he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”


A. Matthew 10:16-25 — Behold, I am sendingyou like sheep in the midst of wolves;so be shrewd as serpents and simple asdoves. But beware of people, for theywill hand you over to courts and scourgeyou in their synagogues, and you will beled before governors and kings for mysake as a witness before them and thepagans. When they hand you over, donot worry about how you are to speak orwhat you are to say. You will be given atthat moment what you are to say. For itwill not be you who speak but the Spiritof your Father speaking through you.Brother will hand over brother to death,and the father his child; children will riseup against parents and have them put todeath. You will be hated by all becauseof my name, but whoever endures to theend will be saved. When they persecuteyou in one town, flee to another. Amen, I

say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. No disciple is above his teacher, no slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, for the slave that he become like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more those of his household!

B. 2 Corinthians 12:10 — Therefore, I am content with weaknesses,insults, hardships, persecutions, andconstraints, for the sake of Christ; forwhen I am weak, then I am strong.

C. Luke 9:23-24 — Then he said to all, “Ifanyone wishes to come after me, he mustdeny himself and take up his cross dailyand follow me. For whoever wishes tosave his life will lose it, but whoever loseshis life for my sake will save it.

Summary StatementAll those who follow in Christ’s footsteps will be persecuted, because of the contrary message of the Gospel to society, who first persecuted Christ Himself. The persecuted, however, respond with blessings, gentleness and endurance. Jesus foretold of his own persecution and that He would overcome it. In Christ’s Suffering, Passion, and Death on the Cross, He endured the greatest of persecution for our sake and so for the sake of the Kingdom of God. As witnesses of Christ, we are called to be like Christ, even unto death, and to endure our own crosses for His sake. In our weaknesses, we must rely on the strength of Christ.

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Handout A “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the … · 2020-04-09 · 1 SOPHIA INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS Handout A “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the