Matthew 5:3-10
3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus, arguably the best speaker ever to have lived gave this portion of sermon of the mount to teach what is now commonly called the beatitudes, seven personality traits to strive to obtain. In this particular sermon, there are several notable rhetorical devices, but what I would like to point out is the repetition and rhythm that make these memorable. They flow of the tongue with ease, and are easily remembered by the audience. This quality was extremely important at the time, when few were literate and most information was shared orally, if it was not remembered it was lost to the audience.
The flow is the most notable rhetorical device in this passage, however I would like to point out another. Jesus also made this passage memorable for modern saints, too, because it can be likened to the steps of the repentance process which have been taught to us as children. The first step is recognizing our shortcomings; we must recognize that we are unable to have the spirit with us at all times and thus are physically poor is spirit. Recognizing that, a repentant heart mourns because of imperfection and submits ones will to God. I won't give all away as to allow the reader to make the connections on their own, but I would submit that Jesus knew his audience and understood decorum well. He knew that the ones who heard the sermon would need to remember it, and he knew that the later saints who would read about it and need to make a connection with their childhood teachings to better understand it.
Ultimately Jesus utilized rhetorical devices and tools in all of His writing, and was the best rhetorician there ever was or will be.
I completely agree that Christ was one of the best rhetoricians ever to walk the earth. I wonder if he ever studied rhetorical devices as he was growing up and learning from his surroundings.
ReplyDeleteThe repetition is certainly important: At some point, as a listener and due to this repetition, it'd be easy to "tune out" the details and only hear the word "Blessed." The feeling of comfort and peace that comes with this cuts through the words, leaving a foundation of "you are blessed."
ReplyDeleteI like how you pointed out that eloquence was necessary in a time where not everyone was literate. I never thought about it that way, but it's so true.
ReplyDeleteI like how you pointed out that eloquence was necessary in a time where not everyone was literate. I never thought about it that way, but it's so true.
ReplyDelete