Text: Matthew 5:1-12
Focus: How Jesus' Kingdom is different than human Kingdoms.
Function: Having Peace in difficult times.
Form: Bible Study
Intro: By an interesting coincidence, or more likely, by the move of the Holy Spirit, the Lectionary text through February carries on the themes that we have been discussing the last 5 weeks.
This morning, we are looking at the introduction to the Sermon on the Mount.
And, I am done with the history of why we are what we are through January, but the Sermon n the Mount, and how we apply it, is a big part of our history.
When I was in Bible College, the professor who taught Matthew told us, “The Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7) is a message that, when one is finished, tells us that every single person hearing the message will be convinced that they need a savior.
Our history has said something completely different: “If Jesus said, it, He meant it, and we will follow it.”
The title of this message is: “The Principles of an Upside Down Kingdom.”
I want us to understand that this is a practical guide to show us what real righteousness is.
Remember last week, the Pharisees bragged about how righteous they were because they took the time to count out their mustard and dill seeds to be exact in giving one tenth. And at the same time, thought nothing of throwing a widow out on the street when she couldn't meet her mortgage.
Jesus' condemnation was that they make up a false righteousness by doing these religious things, while neglecting the things that mattered the most to God, which, JESUS says, are Mercy and Justice.
Justice doesn't mean “criminal proceedings” but it means ensuring that the “least of these” get a fair chance.
There is a key word throughout the “Sermon on the Mount” that speaks to the issue. Jesus keeps on saying: “Unless your righteousness exceeds the so called righteousness of the Pharisees, you have no part in the kingdom of God.” Matthew 5:20
I say, is it a “Get them lost so they get saved passage?” or is it “a set of rules to prove we are righteous?”
Well, it is neither.
The Sermon on the Mount is not intended to be a set of rules that if we follow we can prove that we are righteous.
Neither can its meaning be completely dismissed as a sermon that proves that everyone is a sinner.
It does prove that. I proves that you and I are still sinners. Our righteousness still lacks. The only path to reconciliation with God that we have comes from our faith in Christ.
The Sermon on the Mount exposes how following the letter of the law, without following the intent of the law doesn’t justify us before God.
A little quiz: What is the intent of the law? (Right, Love God, Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself).
Following the Letter of the Law without following the Spirit of the Law is exactly what Jesus condemned the Pharisees for.
The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 2 Corinthians 3:6
So, the Sermon on the Mount gives us a practical reality on following the intent, instead of merely, the letter of the law.
If we were to put it into modern day language, issues that weren't addressed at the time because they weren't at the height of the political or spiritual debates we could frame it this way: Don't call yourselves righteous just because you don't drink alcohol, or because you don't purchase lottery tickets, or because you take a proper stand against homosexual practice, if your entire life isn't dedicated to caring for others and loving your neighbor as yourself, you are not yet righteous.
Those external acts will not excuse you from your responsibility to care for the least of these as much as you care for yourself.
So, Jesus, in order to get His listeners to begin a whole new way of living life, living the Kingdom of God, the family of God life, gives them the beatitudes at the beginning of His very first recorded sermon.
Beatitudes: it means “The Blessings.”
Most translations say: “Blessed are.” Some are careful to add what isn't in the original text the word “God blesses.”
A literal translation taken from the root word, expression, is this: “Things will go well for you if:”
That is why one Mennonite Pastor, in writing commentary on this passage uses the word “Fortunate” are you.
It isn't as if we are trying to sell happiness here in the Beatitudes.
Happiness isn’t a commodity that the Church is in the business of selling.
But, when a life is lived by faith and trust in God, then even bad things cannot keep us from experiencing the love, peace and blessings of God.
God's kingdom is not an human Kingdom and in it, we can find real meaning in life.
So let us look at all of them one by one:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
v3. Fortunate are the humble ones. Such people are not the "poor" in this world's things. Jesus is speaking of the person who is broken before God. This person throws themselves on the mercy of God, they put their trust in him, depend on him. They stand in contrast to the "wicked". It is the humble who possess the kingdom of God.
That is according to our Mennonite Brother. However Luke, when he records this parable, for some reason under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit leaves out the words “in spirit.”
Luke's words, even if you are poor, you have the Kingdom of heaven set aside for you.
That is why Luke nails the point home when he describes the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16. Lazarus' salvation is a real problem for our understanding of faith, because the rich man was condemned for not caring for the poor, and Lazarus was saved because God had mercy on him simply because he was denied so much in this life. The story of the Rich man and Lazarus is not a parable about how a person gets saved, it is a story condemning the rich for not caring for the poor, but still, it stays consistent with the way Luke records this beatitude.
I am not saying that Lazarus was saved because he was poor. I have met some pretty evil poor people. What I am saying is that riches are not the sign of God's blessing.
4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
v4. Fortunate are those who mourn over the damage and loss caused by sin. Those who weep for such loss will be comforted with God's intimate love.
Does our heart ache over damage and loss incurred by others? When our brother stumbles and falls, do we rejoice, simply because we don't like him? Or does our heart mourn that someone has fallen away from God's family?
But every mourner that turns to God does indeed find comfort. “Jesus wept” is still my favorite verse.
5“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
v5. Fortunate are those who rely on God for their vindication. Those who do not try to take for themselves, but rather rely on God to fulfill his promises, will inherit the promised land (eternity), This is actually taken directly from Psalms 37:11.
Meekness is not weakness. It is a symbol that we do indeed rely on God for vindication.
This principle is very different than our culture. God defends us, not we ourselves. We do indeed turn the other cheek. We forgive those who harm us. We forgive unconditionally. We place ourselves in the hand of protection from almighty God.
Romans 12:17-21 (New Living Translation)
17Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
19Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,”
says the Lord.
I will pay them back,”
says the Lord.
“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”
6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
v6. Fortunate are those who desire to stand approved in the sight of God. Those who desire to be right before God will indeed find ultimate satisfaction in their relationship with Him.
More than that, the most basic translation of the word Righteousness is Justice. If you hunger and thirst for Justice, then your lives will have that satisfied feeling.
But, if you hunger and thirst for your own causes, you will never, ever be satisfied.
Jesus said, our song said, “If we come to Jesus to satisfy our thirst, we will indeed be satisfied.”
Listen to the words of that song from Isaiah 55, vs 1-2. Come, without money, without price. Why waste your life on meaningless things?
Without money. Without price. That is an upside down kingdom.
7“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
v7. Fortunate are those who know God's mercy and in that mercy, find that they can show mercy to others. (repeat)
The converse is also true. Those who refuse to forgive, those who refuse to pardon, those who refuse to get along, those who refuse to offer a chance will themselves be denied another chance.
I remember hiring a full time youth pastor in a previous Church. I told him the first day: “Don, this is my promise to you, as much as it is possible within me, you will not fail. I will always be willing to work around your weaknesses, strengthen you in those areas without judgment and be here to help you succeed.
That is not the way the corporate world works. An employee to them is a matter of convenience whose only value is in what they can produce for their master.
In God's kingdom, we are members of one another. If one suffers and fails, we all suffer and fail.
And, we are promised good fortune if we live our lives that way.
8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
v8. Fortunate are those who desire to know God, to love him, for in that desire they will find him.
This one deals specifically with the sins of moral nature, like pornography, alcoholism, lying, unforgiveness, greed and etc. When we strive for this moral purity, we have the promise of finding God.
Some people wonder if the only real sin I worry about it the way that we are party to permitting injustice. They wonder if I don’t care about moral purity in regard to sexual sins, addictions, lying and etc.
Jesus cares about those as well.
Righteousness does include both. We simply cannot hide behind “moral purity” while we permit injustice.
9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
v9. Fortunate are those who are at peace with God.
Fortunate are those who take the time to make peace with others instead of make division.
Extending the right hand of fellowship is always worthwhile, no matter how much water has gone under the bridge.
I look at it this way, especially with my brothers and sisters in Christ. We are going to be in heaven together. And when we get there, we will either laugh, or maybe weep an healing embrace, about the things that divide us here. So why not do it now?
Romans 12:18, from the text we read earlier: As much as it is possible within you, work for peace among others.
The command in Romans is that there is never an excuse to stop trying.
And in this passage, Jesus says, “this is the path to a blessed life.”
It isn’t the world’s path. I do not recommend it at all and I never watch shows like this.
But there are more and more “Judge Judy” type shows on TV. For the life of me, I cannot understand why someone would want to watch “Jerry Springer.” These shows make money off of people’s desire to hate and fight.
10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
v10. Fortunate are those who find the darkness against them. The world may reject the child of God, but suffering only evidences a far greater treasure, God's eternal kingdom.
11“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
v11-12. This saying is not part of the beatitudes. It is an application of the last beatitude, and is applied directly to the disciples. Abuse and slander was the lot of Jesus and it will be our lot as well. Yet, the rough edges we experience here do not compare to the glory which is ours in eternity. The notion of reward in these verses is not quantitative.
I like the fact that this is not a part of the beatitudes, but the only beatitude that Jesus chooses to explain Himself.
Even if we never see vindication, or these rewards while we live and breathe on planet earth, God has a future designed for us.
Live for Him.
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