Original scientific paper
Moral dimension of the Beatitudes of Jesus (Mt 5,1-12)
Marijan Vugdelija
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Split
Abstract
We encounter the Beatitudes as a literary genre as early
as in the ancient literature, in the Old Testament, and in the
extra-biblical Jewish literature. In Greek literature the term
“beatitude” denotes transcendental happiness of life above
worries, suffering and death, the happiness that gods enjoy;
in the Hellenistic era that term becomes a mark for a happy
man. In the Old Testament the Beatitudes, by the structure and
content, represent a combination of encouragement, promises
and actions.
It is significant that the blessed are always marked as active
beings, as those who practice gentleness, mercy and purity
of heart, as peacemakers, while the beatitude carried out on
them is expressed in a divine passive, i.e. as a gift (they shall be
comforted, satisfied, etc.). Only with Apocalypse the otherworld
feature is emphasized: it speaks about the future salvation of
those who walk on the path of the Law.
The Beatitudes of Jesus combine the best elements of
wisdom teaching and apocalyptic hope. The originality of the
Beatitudes of Jesus does not lie in their form, but in their content
and close connection with the proclamation of the Kingdom of
Heaven. They praise those who have accepted the demands of
the Kingdom of God. Thus, Mathew depicts the path of life of
Jesus’ disciples in the Beatitudes and gives a fitting prelude to
the Sermon on the Mount.
Although the Beatitudes have a catechetical character
already in Luke’s version, yet this moral and catechetical
significance is much more pronounced in Mathew’s version of
the Beatitudes. The author clearly brings that to light comparing
the two versions of the Beatitudes, their reformulation and
additions of new Beatitudes in Mathew.
Keywords
term “beatitude” in ancient literature; interpretation of biblical Beatitudes; Sermon on the Mount; Beatitudes in Luke and Mathew’s version
Hrčak ID:
92412
URI
Publication date:
21.11.2012.
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