This commentary reads the Beatitudes as Gospel recognition rather than moral instruction. In Matthew, Jesus names and blesses people as they already are—mourning, weary, vulnerable—proclaiming God’s kingdom present amid violence, fear, and uncertainty, not as reward, but as promise and belonging.
Matthew 5:1-12 (4th Sunday after Epiphany) – January 29th, 2023
Both Matthew and Luke use the Beatitudes with a purpose and in aligning our preaching with their purpose, we can open a world of preaching opportunity. But if we preach on our preference and overly compare these two different Gospels, then we give permission to accept one and throw the other out, when in reality they are used for two entirely different purposes.
Micah Krey 