Matthew 5v1-12

The blessings of the kingdom

We are starting the year by looking at probably the most famous sermon that’s ever been preached. It’s a sermon by Jesus Himself and it’s commonly referred to as the sermon on the Mount.

I’ve titled the series Radical Living.

There are two reasons why I’ve chose that title.

Firstly, because the standards Jesus lays down here are incredibly high.

He speaks about a righteousness that surpasses the righteousness of the Pharisees (the most religious people of the day). He speaks about being pure in heart. He even speaks about being perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect.

We’ll see this as we go. These are incredibly high standards.

Don Carson describes these chapters as the brilliant light of a spotlight. “The more I read these chapters” he says, “the more I am drawn to them and shamed by them. Their brilliant light draws me like a moth to a spotlight; but the light is so bright that it sears and burns.”

Secondly, I’ve called this series Radical Living because it’s so counter-cultural. It’s so different from the standards of this world. According to John Stott, in his commentary on these chapters, the key phrase that summarizes this whole section is just the first phrase of chapter 6 verse 8. “Do not be like them…”

That’s how John Stott summarizes this sermon by Jesus. Jesus is calling us to be different from the world.

Radical living

And so without further ado, we are going to dive straight in this morning to verses 1-12. I’ve called this section the blessings of the kingdom.

1) An announcement of blessing

Focus on verses 3 to 10. You can see you've got a list of sayings in these verses. In your own heart, I want you to try and work out whether these verses are a list of commands that need to be obeyed, or are they a list of statements of God’s blessing?

I hope you can see they are not a list of rules that need to be obeyed. They don’t say you must do this or you must do that.

And the reason I point this out is because we have a natural bent towards self-righteousness.

In the words of the Christian author, Trevin Wax, “...our moral compass is turned towards self-righteousness. It’s our default mode. We want to save ourselves.”

We can see that tendency even as we come to this section of the Bible. It’s a well-known section, commonly referred to as the beatitudes. Especially for those of us who are familiar with them, it’s very easy to read them as rules that need to be obeyed.

In fact this last week I was putting together an advert for this series, and I noticed some of the titles that have been given to this section.

Rick Warren refers to these verses as “Life’s 8 healing choices” or “8 ways to be happy”.

Another church refers to them as the “Rules Jesus gives to live by and be happy”.

There quite a few bible study booklets that describe them as “A guide to good living”.

Probably the most popular title is the one you can see on the screen. “The be-attitudes”.

It’s a play on the word, beatitude.

By the way, the word “beatitude” has actually got nothing to do with our attitudes. It comes from the Latin word, “beatus” which means blessed.

That’s why this section was originally called the beatitudes, because it describes blessings from God.

But many people see these as “attitudes” we must “be”.

Of course there is truth to all these titles. These verses do give us a guide for how to live. They do challenge our deepest attitudes and desires.

But if we just focus on the moral teachings of these verses, I think there’s a danger we’ll miss the main impact.

Listen to this quote by David Seccombe. He’s an excellent scholar of Jesus and the gospels. This is what he writes.

“It’s a common mistake to interpret these blessings … as though Jesus were spelling out the qualifications… (for) admittance to the kingdom…. (In these beatitudes), Jesus announces the kingdom, not as the reward of virtuous, but as God’s gracious answer to human need.”

You see, you just need to glance through these verses and the thing that jumps out is blessing. Each verse begins with the word, blessed.

And the blessings described here are the blessings of the kingdom. That’s what Jesus is announcing.

Just look at the first and the last blessing in verse 3 and verse 10. Did you notice that they are the same?

Verse 3

Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Verse 10

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

So these two blessings at the beginning and the end are like brackets or a heading for all these blessings. All these other blessings are actually a description of this one great blessing: the blessing of the kingdom of heaven.

And that fits in with the context in Matthew. Turn back to chapter 4 verse 17. Notice how Matthew summarizes Jesus’ message. Verse 17.

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

Look down to verse 23.

“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom.”

Now this is what we find in chapter 5. Jesus goes up a mountain. The disciples come to him. He announces the blessings of the kingdom.

Maybe this is the message for you this morning. Don’t miss the good news in this passage.

We live in a needy world. But here we find blessing that comes from God. The kingdom of God has broken in. The blessings of heaven have come down.

Skim through these wonderful blessings.

In a world full of sadness, verse 4 offers comfort.

In a world of fleeting possessions, verse 5 offers inheritance.

In a world of disappointment and emptiness verse 6 speaks about being filled.

In a world of punishment and revenge, verse 7 offers mercy.

In a world of blindness, verse 8 offers the vision of God

In a world of insecurity and rejection Verse 9 speaks about sonship.

These are glorious blessings. They really are the great longings of the human heart.

So I want to ask you this morning whether you know these blessings? Can you describe yourself as a blessed person? Have you received the blessings of the kingdom?

If you are a Christian person here this morning, then you have tasted these blessings. You’ve experienced them to some degree.

Look at verse 3 again. Notice it’s in the present tense.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Same thing in verse 10.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted … for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

It’s present tense. There’s a sense in which the kingdom has already arrived. We’ve already received it through faith in Jesus.

But in another sense the blessings are still to come. If you look at verses 4-9, all these blessings are in the future tense. They will be comforted. They will inherit the earth. They will be filled. They will be shown mercy…

And so we are still longing for all these blessings.

We mustn’t make the mistake of many churches today that offer all the blessings now. Just come to Jesus and you’ll be prosperous now. You’ll be successful now. All your problems will be taken away now.

No! Many of these verses speak about suffering now and mourning now and persecution now. But still we can rejoice and be glad, in spite of the suffering we are blessed, because our ultimate reward is in heaven.

That’s our first point this morning. This is an announcement of blessing.

Secondly, I want you to see who are the recipients of these blessings.

We need to be clear here. Remember that these aren’t rules we need to obey in order to earn God’s blessing. But they do describe the type of people who enjoy God’s blessing. There’s a crucial difference.

We are not trying to earn our way into the kingdom. But still this is a helpful test for us. Are we showing the signs of being part of God’s kingdom?

I wonder how you would describe the blessed person?

If you had to complete the sentence: Blessed is the person who…

What comes to mind?

Maybe you think of Lungisani Ngidi. He fulfilled his childhood dream of playing for the Proteas. More than that, he took six wickets in one innings in his debut match. That guy is blessed.

Or

Maybe you’d the think of the man from Limpopo, who hit the jackpot in 2002 winning 11 million rand. Seven years later he hit the jackpot again winning 30 million rand. Whats the chances! You win the jackpot once, that’s incredible. This guy won it twice. He’s blessed.

Or maybe you’ll think of the guy I heard about recently who married such a beautiful lady that other men who were complete strangers used to see him walking with his wife, and they’d come across the street and shake his hand and say well done mate! Maybe you’d say: That guy is blessed.

Well these verses give us Jesus’ definition of the blessed person. And I want you to see that it’s very different from what we might expect.

That's what we will do for the rest of our time this morning. As we look at each of these 8 beatitudes, I want you to notice how different they are from the world’s definition of blessing.

No. 1: Look at verse 3 again.

According to the world, the blessed person is the rich person, the self-sufficient person. The person who doesn’t have any needs.

Compare that with verse 3.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for their’s is the kingdom of heaven.

To be poor in Spirit doesn’t necessarily mean that you are financially poor. Rather it means to recognize your spiritual neediness.

In Psalm 86 David prays to God:“Hear, Oh Lord and answer me, for I am poor and needy.”

So this is describing the person who recognizes their spiritual brokenness. Unlike the self-assured, self-confident person, this person realizes that they are spiritually bankrupt. They’ve got no resources to save themselves. They are fully dependant on God.

No. 2: Look at verse 4.

According to the world, the blessed person is the person who is always positive and laughing and happy.

“Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.”

This doesn’t mean that every Christian must always have a sad face and tears in their eyes.

There’s a story about a little girl who once looked at a horse and said; “That horse must be Christian; it’s got such a long face.”

What a sad misconception of the Christian life, that a Christian must always be sad and serious!

Of course we must avoid that sinful mourning which is really just a cover up for self-pity and a lack of thankfulness and faith in God.

But at the same time, there is a place for mourning in the Christian life. Blessed are those who mourn.

I think it is true to say that the world doesn’t like people who mourn. The world wants you to put on a positive face and to be happy, to laugh at it’s jokes and to make it laugh.

If you are known as a mournful person, it’s not a positive thing. You are a wet blanket, too serious. You don’t have sense of humour.

But Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn...”

This follows on closely from the first beatitude. When you are poor in spirit, you recognize the rebellion in your heart and the spiritual brokenness of your life, it moves you to mourn over your sin.

This the mourning of Isaiah in chapter 6 when he sees the holiness of God. It exposes his sin. He cries out, “Woe is me for I am a man of unclean lips.”

It’s the mourning of Romans chapter 7 where Paul cries out: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?”

But its not just a mourning over personal sin. Its also a mourning for the sins of the world. It’s the mourning of Jesus in Luke chapter19 as He enters Jerusalem. Verse 41 says He wept over the city.

I ask you as I ask myself: Have we been influenced by a superficial world? Have we forgotten how to mourn?

Listen to these words by Don Carson. He argues that the Christian is to be the true realist. In the light of the realities of God and sin and eternity and heaven and hell, this is what he says;

“The Christian cannot but mourn. He mourns for the sins and blasphemies of his nation. He mourns for the erosion of the very concept of truth. He mourns over the greed, the cynicism, the lack of integrity. He mourns that there are so few mourners.”

Jesus says: “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.”

No. 3. Look at verse 5.

According to the world, the blessed person is the one who always gets ahead in life. He’s able to work things for his own advantage. No one takes advantage of him. He’s always one step ahead.

Jesus’ words stand in stark contrast to that.

“Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.”

This is a quote from Psalm 37. This Psalm is an encouragement for the godly person not to envy the wicked. When you see the evil person prospering and carrying out his wicked schemes; when someone takes advantage of you in this world, it’s very tempting to be envious and to retaliate with wrath.

But look at Psalm 37 verse 8. on the screen.

“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.”

Look at the next verse.

“A little while and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found. But the meek will inherit the land.”

And so in the context of Psalm 37, to be meek means to put your hope in the Lord. It’s to trust in God for your inheritance.

Many people view meekness as weakness. But in fact, to be meek is to have that special strength where you refrain from anger. You don’t retaliate. You put your hope in the Lord.

And it’s true, if you live like this, you might well be taken advantage of. You might lose possessions in this world. But Jesus says that you are blessed. You will inherit the earth, the kingdom of God, a new heavens and a new earth.

No. 4. Look at verse 6:

According to the world, the blessed person is the one who hungers for prosperity and for success and a fulfilling life.

Compare that with verse 6.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Now in the context of Matthew, righteousness includes personal obedience to God. You don’t want to sin. There’s nothing you dread more than a personal offence against God.

But in the context of the OT, it also includes a desire for justice, a concern for the poor and the oppressed, a longing to see justice done in the world.

This is a very rare desire. You think of all the hungers and thirsts of this world: Hunger for pleasure. Hunger for fame. Hunger for success.

Even in Christian circles, people seek after giftedness or spiritual fulfilment or church growth. How many people are hungering and thirsting for righteousness?

This is a powerful image. To hunger and thirst for something. I suspect many of us haven’t even experienced real hunger.

But for those who’ve gone more than a week without food, you’ll understand what this means. Clearly this is not just talking about a desire to be a little bit better. I think that’s how many Christians interpret it.

We don’t want to be too hungry for righteousness unless we be dismissed as religious fanatics.

But to hunger and thirst is to be desperate. Its to long for righteousness. As Murray Mcheyne used to pray: “Oh God make me as holy as a pardoned sinner can be!”

And unlike many other desires, which still leave you empty and which fail to satisfy your deepest needs, according to Jesus, this is a thirst that will be filled.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

No 5. Look at verse 7

According to the world, Revenge is sweet! If someone harms you, you teach them a lesson, you give people what they deserve.

But compare that with verse 7.

Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.

Now it might seem as though we are being called to earn God’s mercy by being merciful, as if God’s mercy to us is contingent upon our mercy to others. But the rest of the Bible makes it very clear. True love is only possible for those who have first received love from God. “We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

So the mark of someone who delights in God’s mercy is that they delight to show mercy to others.

If you are someone who’s holding onto grudges against others; if you are full of anger and bitterness and unforgiveness; surely that’s a mark of a heart thats too blind to come humbly before God and to recognize it’s sin. It’s too blinded by bitterness. And so there’s no hope for true repentance and finding mercy from God.

So we need to ask ourselves some hard questions:

Are we merciful or condescending towards the wicked? Do we respond gently or with hardness towards the needy? Are we helpful or cold towards those who backslide? Are we compassionate or are we impatient towards those who fall?

If we fail to show mercy, it’s worth examining whether we’ve really discovered the mercy of God.

No 6. Look at verse 8

According to the world, purity is old-fashioned and boring. If you are someone who’s pure, it probably means you are a little bit naïve and out of touch with the real world. You’ve probably been restricted in your upbringing. The blessed person is someone who’s escaped those old fashioned restrictions. You’ve found the freedom just to enjoy yourself and to live for your pleasures.

But look at what Jesus says in verse 8.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

Notice Jesus isn’t just talking here about outward purity. He isn’t just talking about outward observances of rules. He is talking here about purity of the heart.

Once again we need to ask some awkward questions: You might look squeaky clean on the outside, but what about the depths of your heart? What do you think about in your free time? What jokes do you find funny? How do we behave when no one is watching? What do we desire more than any other thing? God can see the depths of our hearts?

Are we pure in heart?

And the great blessing for the pure in heart is that they will see God.

Ultimately this will only be fulfilled in heaven. But even now, our perception of God and our fellowship with God depends on our purity of heart.

Psalm 24 verse 3 says: “Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.”

Hebrews 12 verse 14 says: “Make every effort to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord.”

Now of course none of us can claim to have a perfectly pure heart. But for those of us who trust in Jesus, our hearts have been cleansed.

Hebrews 10 verse 22 says: “...let us draw near to God…, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience.”

The blood of Jesus can cleanse our hearts. That should motivate us to become more pure.

No 7. Look at verse 9.

According to the world, if you face conflict with another person, you just move on to the next person. You don’t waste your time and energy trying to mend the relationship. You form a new friendship. You find a new spouse.

But look at what Jesus says: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

Notice carefully that Jesus doesn’t say, “Blessed are the peaceful.”

So He’s not just talking about living a peaceful life where you don’t offend anyone, where you never step on anyone’s toes.

No, He says blessed are the peacemakers. So he’s talking about going out of your way to go and make peace where there’s conflict, to resolve tensions, to say sorry when you’ve offended someone, to work at relationships.

And the greatest peacemaker is Jesus. Not content just to leave us in rebeliion against God, He came into the world to make peace. And so the greatest way in which we make peace is by proclaiming what He’s done so that sinful people can be reconciled to God.

When we live in this way, we’ll be called sons of God.

This doesn’t just mean that you’ve got a loving relationship with God. It means that we are acting like God.

In those days a son would always do what their father did. So if your father was a baker, you’d become a baker. If your father was a farmer, you’d become a farmer. You’d walk in the footsteps of your father.

Even today, if someone says to you, “You’re a son of a dog. They are not really insulting your parents. They are insulting you. They are saying that you are behaving like a dog.

That’s what Jesus is talking about here. He’s saying that if you make peace with others, then you are a true son of God. You are behaving like Him.

Finally, Verse 10 brings together all of the above. If you really live according to these standards, then you are going to be different, you are going to stand out from the world. And so what can you expect? Persecution.

Jesus isn’t saying that we must go out and look for persecution by being arrogant and unneccasarily offensive. But just by living according to these standards; if we are persecuted because of righteousness, then we mustn’t think that we’ve done something wrong. That’s the temptation, isn’t it, when we are persecuted. Or we might feel like God’s against us.

But Jesus says: “Blessed are those who are persecuted, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

If we never face any persecution, then we do need to ask ourselves whether we’ve conformed to the pattern of this world. Are we standing out because of righteousness?

Now finally, I want you to see how Jesus summarizes the righteousness described in these verses.

In verse 10, Jesus speaks about persecution because of righteousness. Then look carefully at verse 11. Jesus elaborates on what that means: insults, persecution, false accusations. But Notice the subtle difference. In Verse 10 it’s persecution because of righteousness. In verse 11 it’s persecution because of …me

It’s because of Jesus.

In other words, The great thing that’ll bring persecution into your life, the great thing that’ll make you stand out from the world, the great summary of what it means to be righteous … is the fact that you belong to Jesus.

This is the truly blessed person: It’s to have a personal relationship with Jesus. It’s to belong to Him.

Do you see the massive claim Jesus is making here? He isn’t only announcing the arrival of God’s blessings. He’s saying that these blessings are for the person who belongs to me.

So I want to ask you this morning: Do you belong to Jesus? Are you walking with Jesus? Do you love Jesus? Can you honestly say Jesus is my personal Saviour and Lord?

If so, then you are greatly blessed.

You might seem weak and despised and persecuted in the world. But in the eyes of God, you are blessed.

On the screen you can see a book titled “Chasing the Daylight”. It was written in 2005 by a man named Eugene O Kelly. And this man had made it in life in almost every sense of the word. He was an incredibly successful businessman. He was the former CEO of KPMG (One of the top 1 or 2 accounting firms in the world). He had a great marriage, a beautiful child, holiday houses to die for. He had travelled the world. He’d succeeded in the world.

But at the age of 53 he visits his doctor who tells him he’s got brain cancer. He’s got 100 days to live. And so he writes this book and he calls it Chasing the Daylight. He realizes there is something lacking in his life.

I haven’t actually read the book. I’ve just read a few reviews. But apparently he reflects on the futility of so much of his success. I don’t know where Gene O Kelly stands with Jesus. He doesn’t say anything about that in his book. So I can’t say.

But if he never came to trust in Jesus, then this is what we can say about him:

He is not a member of the kingdom of heaven.

He will not be comforted.

He will not inherit the earth.

He will not be filled.

He will not receive mercy.

He will not see God.

He cannot be called a son of God.

He is not a member of the kingdom.

You see, you can have all the success and prosperity in the world, but in fact you have nothing if you don’t belong to Jesus.

Do you belong? Are you blessed?

Let’s pray.