Episode 3242: Origen and the Gospel of Matthew - Part 2

Origen on the Beatitudes
“With Origen, the Beatitudes become spiritual ascent more than moral instruction. On Matthew 5:6 (‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness’), he writes:
‘Jesus is "the bread that comes down from heaven" and "living water", for which the great David himself thirsted… “I shall behold your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied in beholding your glory.”
Likewise, he sees each Beatitude transforming the believer humility, mercy, purity, peace. Climbing the mountain with Christ means being changed from within.”
1. Background: The Beatitudes as Ascent
Origen doesn’t treat the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3–12) as a flat list of moral tips, but as a ladder of ascent each one a higher step up the mountain of perfection. He sees in the Sermon on the Mount a parallel to Moses receiving the Law on Sinai. But where Moses descended with stone tablets, Christ speaks directly to the people, writing the law on their hearts.
For Origen, this is the New Law of the Spirit. It is not just instruction it is transformation. The Beatitudes don’t merely tell us what to do; they describe what we are becoming when Christ lives in us.
2. The Beatitudes According to Origen
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Origen teaches that poverty of spirit is the first step. It is humility an emptying of self so God may fill the soul. Just as Israel had to leave Egypt before entering the Promised Land, the Christian must leave pride and self-sufficiency.
Reflection: Are we poor in spirit, or are we clinging to our own control?
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Origen interprets this mourning not as worldly sorrow, but grief for sin and compassion for suffering. It is the holy weeping that leads to cleansing. He reminds us that David wept for his sins, and Peter wept after denying Christ. Mourning is the soil from which conversion grows.
Reflection: Do we grieve more over losing worldly things than over sin?
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Meekness is not weakness but strength under control. Origen contrasts this with the violent conquest of land in the Old Testament. He says the meek inherit the true earth the new creation in Christ. Meekness allows the believer to master passions, not by force but by grace.
Reflection: Do we fight with anger, or do we conquer with patience?
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Origen writes:
“Jesus is the bread that comes down from heaven and the living water. To hunger and thirst for righteousness is to hunger and thirst for Him.” (Commentary on Matthew, Book 10)
He links this hunger to Psalm 17:15: “I shall behold your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied in beholding your glory.” For Origen, true satisfaction is not found in earthly goods but in Christ Himself.
Reflection: What do we hunger for most deeply success, comfort, or God Himself?
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”
Mercy, for Origen, is the imitation of God’s own mercy. Just as God forgave Israel and Christ forgave His persecutors, so must we. He stresses that mercy is not optional but essential: the merciful become like God, and in turn, they receive mercy at the final judgment.
Reflection: Do we show mercy only when convenient, or do we extend it even when it costs us?
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Origen takes this as the climax of the ascent: purity of heart is the condition for the vision of God. Sin clouds vision; purity opens it. Just as Moses could only glimpse God’s back, the pure in heart behold His face in Christ.
Reflection: What clutters my heart and prevents me from seeing God clearly?
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
Origen sees peacemaking as more than avoiding conflict it is actively reconciling, imitating Christ who reconciles man to God. Peacemakers build harmony in the Church, in families, and within their own divided hearts. By doing so, they show themselves to be true children of God.
Reflection: Am I a peacemaker, or do I spread division with my words and actions?
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
For Origen, this final Beatitude crowns the rest. To endure persecution is to be united with Christ crucified. He writes that persecution proves the reality of righteousness in the believer it is the ultimate test of fidelity.
Reflection: Do I fear opposition for my faith, or do I embrace the Cross as Christ did?