Homily Pastor
The
Beatitudes (Part 1)
When we start a new series, it
has been our custom to start with some context, and background, explain some big idea that will serve as a
unifying them for the series, and then finally zero-in on the particulars of a
certain passage.
I like that approach… and, quite frankly, I think we’ve done a pretty
good job of it. In just the short life of this church, over the past 18 months
we’ve handled some solid series including:
- The Book of Ephesians
- The Gospel of John
- The 7 Deadly Sins & 7
Heavenly Virtues
- The Book of Philippians
- Jesus in the Old
Testament
- The Book of Romans
And now we’ll start a twelve-week series on the Sermon on the Mount
that will take us right up to Advent.
This morning I’m going to go a bit backwards…
Rather than starting with the big idea, I’m going to start with the detail
elements and then in a sort of expanding, concentric circle approach, we’ll end
up with a big idea for this series that starts today:
What do these words mean?
What is this passage saying?
What are these Beatitudes?
What is the point of this
Sermon on the Mount?
What do these words mean?
Since this is an especially short passage, we can take this opportunity
to carefully go word-for-word to make certain we know the meaning of each word.
Sat Down- Not proclamation
- Not reading Scripture
- Teaching – It was the
custom of Rabbis to sit as they taught.
- Disciples
- Followers (more than the
twelve)
To them he directed his
speech, because they followed him for love and learning, while others attended
him only for cures.[1]
- Not merely the crowds
who were there for the show or the free lunch
- Teach Them
- Deliberate
i. Much of what we read in the
Gospels is in the course of living, meeting needs, dialog, Passion Week.
ii. Here, Jesus takes a position
of authority and deliberately instructs
- Blessed
- Jesus, using a technique
common in what we now know as the Old Testament, used this powerful form
beginning with this powerful word “Blessed.”
- A good example is found
in Psalm 1:1
- More than just “happy”…
but like happy
- Total Contentment. The
Greeks reserved this word only for the gods or the dead.
- Poor in Spirit
- No dependence on self
- Not bankrupt or corrupt
in spirit, poor in spirit.
- And not simply poor
i. Spiritual understanding
ii. Frame of mind
this
poverty of spirit is a gracious disposition of soul, by which we are emptied of
self, in order to our being filled with Jesus Christ. [2]
- Theirs is the
- IS – Not will be
- Fullness of Christ
So the poor in spirit are enriched with the fullness of Christ, which is
the kingdom in substance; and when He shall say to them from His great white
throne, “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for
you, ” He will invite them merely to the full enjoyment of an already
possessed inheritance. [3]
- Kingdom means rule,
reign, and authority
- Mourn
- Commonly understood to
mean either repentance or bereavement
- The feeling of spiritual
poverty
i. The second beatitude is the
compliment of the first
ii. The one is intellectual; the
other the emotional aspect of the same thing.
- Comforted
- We read “make
comfortable”
- παρακαλέω [ parakaleo /
par·ak·al· eh ·o /] – Encourage,
strengthen, teach, coach
- Meek
- Direct quote of Psalm
37:11
i. Affirming that this Kingdom
isn’t an entirely new Kingdom
ii. It is the fulfillment of the
old
- Greeks used this word to
describe a horse that had been broken.
- Power under control.
- It is a misunderstood
word… not weak.
The
meek are those who quietly submit themselves to God, to his word and to his
rod, who follow his directions, and comply with his designs, and are gentle
towards all men ( Tit. 3:2 ); who can bear provocation without being inflamed
by it; are either silent, or return a soft answer; and who can show their
displeasure when there is occasion for it, without being transported into any
indecencies; who can be cool when others are hot; and in their patience keep
possession of their own souls, when they can scarcely keep possession of any
thing else. They are the meek, who are rarely and hardly provoked, but
quickly and easily pacified; and who would rather forgive twenty injuries than
revenge one, having the rule of their own spirits.[4]
- Inherit the Earth
- Inclusive of the land –
- All things
What is this passage saying?
This short passage of Scripture reminds us to keep ourselves in the
proper perspective.
Paul echoed this same sentiment in Romans 12
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do
not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself
with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.[5]
The philosophers did
not reckon humility among their moral virtues, but Christ puts it first… The
foundation of all other graces is laid in humility.
Those who would build
high must begin low; [6]
What are these Beatitudes?
Blessed = beatus (Latin)… the root of Beatitude
Response to the human condition.
Specifically, in the context of the religion of the period, a response
to the Pharisees (Matthew
The Pharisees taught that righteousness was an
external thing, a matter of obeying rules and regulations. Righteousness could
be measured by praying, giving, fasting, etc. In the Beatitudes and the
pictures of the believer, Jesus described Christian character that flowed from
within. [7]
The Pharisees saw righteousness primarily as an outside in process.
The Beatitudes reveals true righteousness to be an inside out process.
What is the point of this Sermon on the Mount?
Over the centuries, there have been a variety of approaches and
applications related to the Sermon on the Mount…
There is a worthwhile
consideration embedded in each of these points of view:
Plan of Salvation (rules)- Certain specifics
- Incongruent with the
teaching of the New Testament
- Prescription of Conduct
- More of a ruler
than a rule
- Practical
It is a practical
discourse; there is not much of the credenda of Christianity in it—the
things to be believed, but it is wholly taken up with the agenda—the things to be
done;[8]
- Emphasis must be on the
enjoyment of the Kingdom…
not on earning membership to the Kingdom - Charter for World Peace
- Of course these
principles apply; but not the primary focus
- Eschatological
Description of the Future
- We cannot discount the “already”
- Last Will and Testament
- Definitive Teaching on
Righteousness (Matthew
A good sermon needs a text.
Here in The Chapel we endeavor to point to a clear portion of Scripture
and expound upon it.
In this case, the master preacher, Jesus, had a text. In this case, the
text upon which he then expounds upon in the Sermon on the Mount was his own
message recorded in Matthew 4:
17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is near.” [9]
Natural questions on the
heart of every Jew would have been,
“Am I eligible to enter Messiah’s kingdom?
Am I righteous enough to qualify for entrance?”
The only standard of righteousness the people knew was that laid down by the
current religious leaders, the scribes and Pharisees. Would one who followed
that standard be acceptable in Messiah’s kingdom?[10]
I believe the Sermon on the
Mount is more descriptive than prescriptive.
In today’s vernacular, Jesus might
have said:
You’ve heard me say that God’s Kingdom is near….
Do you want to know what God’s Kingdom is like?
Sit down with me and let me teach you.
First of all, the Kingdom isn’t so much about a place; it is about
people.
And it certainly isn’t about a castle; it is about a King. God is that
King.
The people in the Kingdom are poor in spirit, and they are happy.
They are happy because they are in the Kingdom, both now and forever.
They are happy because they have come to realize that they have nothing
that earns them favor; but by God’s grace they are welcomed into the Kingdom.
The people in the Kingdom mourn; and they are happy.
They are happy because they find comfort;
they are happy because they know the Comforter.
They are happy because they are sorrowful for their sin yet find great
joy in knowing that their Savior has made a way in spite of their sin.
The people in the Kingdom are gentle; and they are happy.
They are happy because they have all they need; in fact they have
everything.
They are happy because they are not merely subjects of the Kingdom;
they are heirs of the Kingdom.
I believe we need to break through the idea that these Beatitudes are mysterious
paradoxes… they’re not really. They are wonderful statement of:
Life in the Kingdom
The best I can see, The Sermon on the Mount is about life…
Life in the Kingdom
In this teaching, Jesus is helping us to see that God’s Kingdom is like
none other.
We need a perspective that doesn’t come naturally.
We need a Kingdom perspective.
So for you disciple, you believers who love the Lord and are finding
your place in the Kingdom, this will be a great series.
Just as they did on that mountain, we’ll sit at the feet of Jesus and
drink in the water he has for our minds and souls.
We’ll be stretched, just as the original hearers were stretched.
These descriptions of God’s Kingdom are countercultural… they’re
against our human nature. But we’ll learn and grow together.
What if you’re not one of the disciples… one of the believers?
Then I hope you’ve seen something today that you want…
This is worth your pursuit.
You want this Kingdom, now and forever.
You need this Kingdom…
And all you need do to be an heir to this Kingdom is step in.
Repent and believe.
Respond to the conviction you’re already feeling in your heart, turn
from your self-centered, self-reliant ways and turn to God.
And believe. Believe that Jesus, God’s own Son, made the way for you.