The crowds gathered to hear what is in Matthew Jesus' first major teaching discourse (5:3-7:27) probably expected the familiar, comforting guidelines of traditional wisdom sayings. Conventional Jewish wisdom taught that right behavior resulted in rewards, that certain human actions would guarantee specific outcomes. Earlier beatitudes (e.g. those in Proverbs or Psalms) testified to this predictable equation of divine rewards and punishments. Wisdom Psalm 128:1-2 illustrates the characteristic beatitude form and standard formula: declaration of happiness; description of that happiness; promise of rewards awaiting exhibitions of specific attitude.

While Matthew's beatitudes adhere strictly to this traditional form, their content reveals that something new has been added to the standard beati…