Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
February 1, 2026

Sermon

Camille Cook Howe
Pastor

Matthew 5:1–12

Jesus climbs up onto the mountain, sits down among his disciples, and then preaches a sermon that will forever change how they view the world. This sermon, known to us as the Sermon on the Mount, is long — in Matthew’s gospel it is all of chapters five through seven. In the sermon, Jesus tackles many topics of interest and concern — like how to pray, fasting, not judging others, murder, adultery, loving enemies, not making oaths, generosity, worrying, just to name a few. But before any of those specific teachings — Jesus sets out a vision of the kingdom of God, for his disciples in the Beatitudes. Preacher Tom Long suggests, “The Sermon on the Mount is the ‘constitution’ of the church of Jesus Christ, and the Beatitudes are its ‘preamble.’ They proclaim what is, in the light of the kingdom of heaven, unassailably true.”

This is where we should put down our pencils and notebooks and stop trying to write down the specific instructions for how to be disciples. Instead, this is where we just close our eyes and listen carefully to what Jesus is describing. What Jesus is describing is unlike anything the disciples will have ever heard before, imagined before, or experienced before. The Apostle Paul in First Corinthians writes, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him.” That is the type of intro to the sermon Jesus is offering us. In the first twelve verses of the sermon, Jesus is pulling back the curtain so that we might catch a glimpse of the kingdom of God. Lean in and listen closely, Jesus says.

In order to listen closely, we need to do a quick definition check — blessed, the repeated word throughout Jesus’ preamble, is not the modern use of this word that means something like prosperous, fortunate, or lucky. Modern vernacular and social media use #blessed for things such as getting an upgrade on a flight or finding a $20 bill in your pocket from last winter. Blessed is a word we attach to almost anything that feels categorically positive. In order to listen closely to the sermon from Jesus, we need to remember that #blessed is not what Jesus is talking about when he says blessed are the _______ and then takes us through his list of included people. The modern definition of blessed would make no sense with the list Jesus rattles off — the mourning, the persecuted, the meek, the humble, those who hunger for righteousness.

Blessed, as used by Jesus here, does not have the character of happiness or good fortune. Blessed, as used by Jesus, in reference to the kingdom of God, means included. The people, in these specific categories, they might not be high in stature, and they may not be flourishing in life and yet these are the exact groups of people Jesus wanted to call out and specifically include. The struggling, the overlooked, the hated, the sorrowful — mentioned by name, included by Jesus in the new vision for the disciples.

New Testament scholar Edwin Van Driel writes, “The Beatitudes are not entrance requirements for the kingdom. Jesus is not asking the crowd to become poor in spirit, or mourners, or persecuted for righteousness’ sake; instead, he offers consolation to those who find themselves poor and in mourning and persecuted.” When one of these labels finds its way to you, you might feel like you are far from the presence of God, and the world might assume you are far from the presence of God, but Jesus says it is in these times and in these conditions when you are most specifically included. The beatitudes are promises that you will not be forgotten when you find yourself with any of these labels attached to your name. They are promises that God stands alongside you in these moments - when your path is not straight, or the world seems too dark, or hope is hard to find.

When Jesus spoke these words, he was offering a brand-new theological framework for the disciples, unlike anything they had seen or heard or imagined. And the disciples, after this sermon would forever the view world in a different way — they would see the people, in any of these categories, with the labels of God’s inclusion placed upon them.

The blind beggars by the roadside — included.

The mourners gathered by the graveside — included.

The ones selflessly caring for the poor — included.

The ones without any material wealth — included.

The ones who are trying to make the world a better place — included.

The ones who are bullied and excluded — included!

It was a different way to see the world. It was the gift Jesus was offering them.

You never quite know when you are going to have an experience that significantly impacts the way you see the world. I had one several years ago, on a Saturday afternoon while watching some third-grade girls play a basketball game. I was sitting and watching and there was a mom I did not know, and she was confusing me by cheering for everyone. She cheered and clapped for every single player on both teams. She was so earnest and supportive and non-competitive. It was strange for me. After being confused for long enough, I just had to ask her. Which side are you on? “Oh,” she said, “my daughters on the blue team but I am just so proud of all of them. They are pouring their little hearts out and I just think they are all so great.” It was third grade basketball — none of them are actually great but that is not what she was talking about. I kept asking her questions to try and figure her out. She seemed so kind and positive and present. Eventually I learned more of her story. She had two older boys who both played basketball in this league. And a few years before, one of the boys got very sick and was diagnosed with brain cancer.

All through his illness, she said the basketball league treated her son with dignity and love and let him play even on the team even when he was physically too weak to contribute. She told me that her son did not win his battle with cancer; her story left me speechless.

Her experience changed the way she looked at children playing sports on a Saturday afternoon. She knew the real value of each of those children. They were blessed not because they were amazing at the sport but because they were God’s beloved children and they were pouring their little hearts out. I was grateful for that woman and how she helped me see things in a different way. We all need our vision checked every so often to make sure life has not blurred or distorted our sense of what is important or who is included or where there is value.

Coming to church each week does not give us every answer to the problems we face but it does give us a theological framework for how to think about the problems in our lives and in the world. Coming to church helps to reorient from the values of the world and towards the values of Jesus. Coming to church can be a chance to have our vision adjusted for the week ahead. A weekly eye exam is not a bad idea!

My vision needs to be checked when I would rather dismiss people than be curious about them.

My vision needs to be checked when I assume people who think differently just need to be changed.

My vision needs to be checked when I believe forgiving my enemies is not important.

My vision needs to be checked when I am certain I know who is and is not included in the kingdom of God.

My vision needs to be checked when I am certain I do not need my vision checked.

When God gave Jesus to the world, God poured God’s heart into the us and gave us a new way to see our lives and the lives of others. It was a vision rooted in eyes of love and mercy. It was a vision where justice mattered and humble ones were important. It was a vision where the last in line were invited up front. It was a vision where sinners received grace and second chances. It was a vision where reconciliation occurred. It was a vision where death and pain and sorrow were not the final chapters. It was a vision of belonging and compassion and hope. It was unlike anything their eyes had seen or their ears had heard or their hearts had conceived and it is just what we need right now.

The beatitudes are not just quotable lines from Jesus. The beatitudes are the profound reminder of the radical love of God for this broken and weary world. I, for one, am grateful on this day for the reminder of way God’s looks upon us all and I hope God’s vision will guide us in the days to come.

Amen.

Sermon © Fourth Presbyterian Church