Righteousness, Reward, and Hypocrisy
Matthew 6:1-6
Jesus warns that our motivation for righteousness and reward should come from our Father in Heaven and not others
Matthew 6:1-6
March 31st, 2019
Main Idea: Jesus warns that our motivation for righteousness and reward should come from our Father in Heaven and not others
I. RIGHTEOUSNESS & REWARD (6:1)
Jesus warns not to “practice your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them.” How does this fit with what he has already said in 5:16 (that others are to see our good deeds as we live as the light of the world)?
Jesus is getting down to the level of the motivations and the intentions of our hearts. Do we have a desire for God and his glory to be esteemed or for my own glory to be lifted up?
“If we are honest, our hearts are desperate for the praise of people. We desire to be insiders. We work hard to construct and maintain an image that we believe will impress others, earn their approval, and give us a sense of significance. We want to escape shame and shine with glory… this hunger for the glory that comes from man is so insidious that it makes its way into even the most sacred of activities, and taints the motivations of nearly every action… Jesus knows that our temptation is to see life as a stage and the watching world as our audience. Even the most religious acts can be done with one eye on God and the other eye on people, hoping they see that one eye on God and admire us for it.” ~ J.R. Vassar
“We are to show when tempted to hide and hide when tempted to show” ~ A.B. Bruce.
Jesus warns that what might seem commendable and honorable from a human vantage point may be worthy of disapproval from a divine perspective. And what might seem insignificant from a human vantage point might be honorable and worthy of reward from a divine perspective.
II. GIVING FOR REPUTATION (6:2-4)
To be a “hypocrite” in the 1st century meant to be an actor performing in a play. The “hypocrite” would lay aside their true identity for a false one while they are acting and performing. Jesus says this is the religious posture of the Scribes and Pharisees.
Isaiah 29:13: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
What they are craving is to be “praised by others” (lit. “glorified”). But, at the end of the day, this praise is not really about other people; it’s about themselves.
“The ultimate choice is always the choice between pleasing self and pleasing God… ultimately our only reason for pleasing men around us is that we may please ourselves. Our real desire is not to please others as such; we want to please them because we know that, if we do, they will think better of us. In other words, we are pleasing ourselves and are merely concerned about self-gratification… it comes to this: man by nature desires the praise of man more than the praise of God. In desiring the praise of man, what he is really concerned about is his good opinion of himself.” ~ D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Jesus says there are 3 different ways to give:
You can give in order to be seen and praised by others (6:2)
You can give in secret while being filled with self-congratulations (6:3)
You can give to please our Father in Heaven (6:4)
The only way we can give in this 3rd way (the only truly righteous way) is if we understand the gospel and that our reward is the riches of eternity spent with our Father in heaven because of grace.
III. PRAYING FOR RECOGNITION (6:5-6)
Matthew 23:5-7: They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.
Instead of this public spectacle, Jesus says we are to go into a room where we can’t be seen and to pray in private. This is how Jesus himself prayed, constantly retreating from the masses to commune with his Father.
Our Father sees us in secret when no one else does. And our reward is communion and friendship with him; we get the ear of the creator and sustainer of the universe. When we twist this, we lose the only reward that really matters.
But: how do we actually have the power to actually live in the way Jesus commends? W must know deeply that we have a “Father in heaven.” We don’t need the approval and praise of others because we have the approval of God the Father on the basis of Jesus Christ.
“If you are persuaded in your own soul that what you believe and what you do are acceptable to God, whether they are acceptable to man or not is of very small consequence. You are not man's servant, you do not look to man for your reward, and, therefore, you need not care what man's opinion may be in this matter. Be just and fear not. Tread in the footsteps of Christ, follow what may. Live not on the breath of men. Let not their applause make you feel great, for perhaps then their silence will make you faint. Let no man in this respect domineer over you, but let Christ be your Master, and look to his smile.” ~ Charles Spurgeon
A Kingdom Devoid of Self-Interest
Matthew 5:38-42
The Sermon on the Mount is the most quoted section of Scripture; the magnum opus of Jesus’ teaching, revealing and defining what Jesus’ Kingdom is like.
*For more information on Pastor Aaron Proffitt & Aletheia Church, visit their website here: www.aletheiatampa.com
Matthew 5:38-42
March 17th, 2019
Introduction: The Sermon on the Mount is the most quoted section of Scripture; the magnum opus of Jesus’ teaching, revealing and defining what Jesus’ Kingdom is like. The goal is not for us to see his words as principles. His kingdom is one that is upside down when compared to the kingdoms of this earth. Ultimately, hearers more than anything must see Jesus as the fulfillment of his words.
Twisting Words (v38-39a)
“You heard that is was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil.”
Jesus is speaking to a Jewish audience who would have been familiar with his first reference (i.e. Ex 21:24, Lev 24:20).
Moses wrote this principle with the intent of protecting those who suffered physical violence.
If an eye or tooth was damaged by another individual, equal legal punishment should be enforced.
It meant equal justice without respect of persons, in order to protect people from severe violence.
This precept took punishment out of the arena of private vengeance and put it in the public; the judicial realm.
In Jewish culture especially, this idea had become distorted to accommodate self-interest and protection to mean individuals could personally and privately inflict physical harm on another if they themselves had been harmed.
But this was never the spirit of the law (Prov 24:29 “Do not say I will do to him as he has done to me.”).
Jesus’ second statement clarifies his first.
Jesus is pleading with the individual to deny self-interest and the “rights” we feel we are owed, especially when physically harmed.
We tend to become experts at taking what Jesus says and turning it around to serve ourselves, instead of coming to grips that Jesus’ words are chiefly about him.
Turning Cheeks (v39b-41)
“But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”
Jesus then moves on to give three hypothetical examples to support and clarify his words.
The first has a direct tie to his previous statements.
Jesus seemingly isn’t requiring a further incurrence of violence inflicted upon us.
The example given describes a lesser sort; the right cheek is being smacked with an open hand, the back of the dominant right hand.
Additionally, Jesus himself didn’t turn the other cheek when he was illegally struck by an officer at his trial cf Jn 18:22-23.
Jesus seems to be saying it would be better to take another smack to the face than to act out in any sort of retaliation.
The second example has to do with an entirely different scenario.
An impoverished follower of Jesus is being oppressed where their final remaining belongings are at risk of being lost.
This is taking place in a court of law, making the process leading up to this one that is legal.
The one suing has achieved legal means by which they can now literally take the last shirt off this person’s back.
Everything else would have been sued for before a person’s used article of clothing.
Not only should the oppressed not retaliate, but rather he should give his most expensive article of clothing.
The third example has to do with a compulsory, meaning obligatory act of public service.
The precedent was one where a government authority would solicit the help of a civilian unprompted and unpaid.
The requirement usually had to do with running an errand that would be about a mile in length.
Jesus presents a situation where the person asked is to do twice as much as what is asked.
It comes down to loving your neighbor as yourself (the second greatest commandment).
Loving your neighbor even if he is an enemy back handing your face; even if you lose the clothes on your body; and even if you have to do something you have no interest in.
Treasuring Nothing (v42)
“Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.”
Jesus changes up his pattern of hypotheticals to throw out two commands in verse 42: “Give” and “Do not refuse.”
The given is that we will be asked because people have needs all around us.
Jesus is asking us to be ready to meet them abundantly (not perfectly).
If we treasure nothing (meaning, we treasure Christ above all), and remember everything is his, we don’t “need” anything, and we can hold on to loosely the things we have for the sake of his glory and the good of others.
The goal here is neighbor love which Jesus represented and fulfilled perfectly.
Citizens of the Kingdom
Matthew 5:33-37
Our speech reveals the kingdom we are citizens of and the king we are serving.
Matthew 5:33-37
March 10th, 2019
Summary: Our speech reveals the kingdom we are citizens of and the king we are serving.
“But what exactly is an ‘oath’? In an oath a person calls upon a thing, a power or other person greater than himself, usually God, to bear witness to the truth of what he says and to punish him if he breaks his word or if what he says proves to be false.” ~ Sam Storms
I. OLD TESTAMENT BACKDROP
Leviticus 19:12
“You shall not swear by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.”
“To take His name in vain means to invoke His name emptily, lightly, or profanely – to use it without humbly acknowledging the holy character of the One whose name you are invoking. To invoke the name of God in an oath or vow when your statement is false or when you do not intend to honor your words is a direct violation of the third commandment. And to invoke the name of God over a trivial or inconsequential matter is also a violation of the third commandment, because taking the name of the Lord in vain includes taking it lightly – treating it as common or trivial.” ~ N.T. Wright
Matthew 12:34b, 36-37
“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks… I tell you on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned”
II. IMMEDIATE CONTEXT
Matthew 23:16-22
“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it. And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.”
III. IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY
“[The Jewish Leaders] had trouble telling the truth consistently, just like you and I do, so in order to guard themselves against being found guilty of swearing falsely by the name of God, it seems that they had firmly established the habit of swearing by everything EXCEPT God. They wanted to add some kind of force to their promises to make their words more credible, but they didn’t want to incur the judgment of God by swearing something in His name when they didn’t fully intend to make it good or when it was not entirely true. They wanted to have their moldy cake and eat it, too. So they created what was in effect a lesser class of oaths – oaths that were bound to various parts of God’s creation rather than to God Himself.” ~ N.T. Wright
“A man who cannot be believed upon his word certainly cannot be believed upon his oath.” ~ Charles Spurgeon
The Sanctity of Sex and Marriage
Matthew 5:27-32
God’s people are to maintain sexual integrity and marital faithfulness because they have been transformed by the gospel
Matthew 5:27-32
March 3rd, 2019
“The Bible speaks often of sexual immorality not because the Bible disregards the goodness of sexuality but because it affirms it. The Christian vision of sexuality is so high and positive that those forces that would twist it apart do great harm, both to human flourishing and to the grasp of the good news of the gospel.” ~ Russell Moore
Main idea: God’s people are to maintain sexual integrity and marital faithfulness because they have been transformed by the gospel
I. Sexual Integrity (5:27-30)
Jesus here is not saying that any and all sexual thoughts or impulses are automatically sinful; rather he is warning against looking at another “with lustful intent.” This is to look at someone else “with the desire to desire.”
Lust is ultimately using someone in a self-serving way. It is a theft of sorts, as it is entertaining what is not yours and what is forbidden. Lust is, at its core, dehumanizing.
“Sin is this terrible thing which so deludes and fools us as to make us feel quite happy and contented so long as we have not committed the act.” ~ D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
The danger of lust and adultery is that it detaches sex from its good purpose and design. There are essentially 2 ways to view & treat sex:
Sex as self-serving, which comes from a posture of lust.
Sex as self-giving, which comes from a posture of love.
“Lust is a cheap thrill at the expense of another human being, but without any personal accountability or commitment to that human being.” ~ Scott Saul
“A Christian vision of life is one of genuine living sacrifice, not a series of self-absorbed transactions. In order to gain one’s life, one must really lay it down. That is the word of the cross, and the cross is to shape our sex lives as much as anything else.” ~ Russell Moore
Jesus calls us to fight lust not by a literal self-mutilation (5:29-30), but rather an extreme self-denial. This is the idea of “mortifying” sin.
“We are to deal drastically with sin. We must not pamper it, flirt with it, enjoy nibbling a little of it around the edges. We are to hate it, crush it, dig it out.” ~ D.A. Carson
“The issue isn’t whether sexual immorality is damnable- it is. The question is whether damnation can be turned back, and the cross says it can, by Skull-Hill crucifixion and Garden-Tomb resurrection. The first marriage was between two virgins; that is true. But the original one-flesh union reflected something else, something unveiled only ages later in the preaching of Christ. Jesus was a virgin; his bride wasn’t. Yet- he loved us anyway... The search for sexual excitement is not really men & women looking for biochemical sensations. We are not, ultimately, even looking for each other. We are looking for that to which sex points- something we know exists but just can’t identify. We are looking, whether we know it or not, for a Christ and for a church.” ~ Russell Moore (153)
II. Marital Fidelity (5:31-32)
The Scribes, Pharisees, and Rabbis in this time period frequently cited Deuteronomy 24 as the basis for pursuing a divorce. They used the language here in this obscure passage to justify ridiculous reasons for divorcing a wife.
Matthew 19:3-12 helps shed light to Jesus’ challenge. The Pharisees are asking if they can divorce a wife “for any cause” and later claim that Moses “commands” them to pursue divorce. Jesus continually draws them back to see God’s good design and to charge them with being self-serving.
Jesus continually draws them back to God’s good design for marriage. Divorce is never a “divine commandment” but a “divine concession” because of our "hardness of heart." Sexual immorality (and also “abandonment” - 1 Cor. 7) are the two “exception clauses” in Scripture. Reconciliation and restoration should always be the posture and desire of the church.
The husband “makes” the wife commit adultery in this scenario because women had little to no options besides remarriage in this culture to find protection & financial provision.
Why does Jesus come down so strongly on this issue? Marriage, according to Paul in Ephesians 5, is a “mega-mystery” but then says that the mystery “refers to Christ and the church.” Marriage is meant to point us to the heart of the gospel, which is why Jesus takes it so seriously.
The only hope that we have for earthly marriage is to be transformed by God’s covenantal love toward us. Even if we are not married, God relates to us as a faithful spouse who will not leave us or forsake us. This is the only place our hope is found, regardless of our marital status or situation.
Deconstructing Anger
Matthew 5:43-48
Deconstructing anger.
Matthew 5:43-48
February 24th, 2019
True Righteousness
Matthew 5:17-20
Jesus upholds and fulfills the Scriptures and welcomes us into the life of true righteousness
Matthew 5:17-20
February 17th, 2019 (*Note: No audio available)
Main Idea: Jesus upholds and fulfills the Scriptures and welcomes us into the life of true righteousness
I. Christ & The Bible (5:17-18)
Jesus begins by clarifying his relationship to the Scriptures and the OT Law; he has come not to “abolish” them (to destroy or to overthrow), but instead he came to “fulfill” them.
This means you can’t understand the Scriptures without understanding Jesus, and you can’t understand Jesus without rightly reading the Scriptures.
“When we start with Christ in the gospel and go back from there into the Old Testament, we find that the Old Testament eventually leads us back again to Christ.” ~ Graeme Goldsworthy
If Jesus is the fulfillment of the Scriptures, then the Scriptures must be upheld in their totality, even down to an “iota” (smallest letter in the Greek alphabet) and the “dots” (strokes that make up a letter).
Jesus’ coming and what he accomplishes does change our relationship to certain types of laws in the OT (ceremonial & civil), but the spirit of the Law is to be upheld in its deepest meaning.
Application: Are we reading the Bible as if it’s all about Jesus? Or are we reading the Bible like it is all about us?
“The Bible, then, is not a collection of Aesop-like fables, fictional stories that give us insights on how to find God and live right. Rather, it is both true history and a unified story about how God came to find us in the person of Jesus Christ, who lived and died in our place so we could be saved by grace through faith and live with him forever in a remade world, the Garden-City of God. From this basic plot there emerges profound insights, principles, and directives on how to live. But the Bible is not primarily about us and what we should do. It is first and foremost about Jesus and what he has done.” ~ Tim Keller
II. Christians & True Righteousness (5:19-20)
Since Jesus has come to fulfill the Law and since he upholds the entirety of the Scriptures, we should not seek to relax or work our way around them. To relax them will result in being the “least” of the Kingdom, because it will cause us to miss the King.
Verse 20 is a startling statement, since the Scribes and the Pharisees were the standard of righteous and faithful living in this time period. They were upheld as the great moral examples of their day and taught the people what God’s word says and what it requires.
However, Matthew 23 condemns the scribes & Pharisees for “cleaning the outside of the cup” but being filthy inside. He calls them “whitewashed tombs” who look good externally, but are actually dead inside.
The “righteousness” of the Scribes & Pharisees is only skin-deep; it is only focused on the externals rather than the whole person.
“The Sermon (on the Mount) in many ways is an epitome of a moral philosophy on what righteousness is…All the while, there is a subtle and powerful redefinition of what true righteousness is- it is not merely external piety but is the faithful purity and integrity of the inner person, the heart, as opposed to the Pharisees, whose righteousness is only skin deep… The ‘righteous’ person, according to Matthew, is the “whole” person, who does not only do the will of God externally but, most importantly, from the heart. This is both radically continuous with the ethics of the Jewish Scriptures and radically in conflict with Jesus’s debaters, the Pharisees” ~ Jonathan Pennington
There are two types of “righteousness” set up here:
Outside-In Righteousness (Pharisees)
Inside-Out Righteousness (Christians)
This “exceeding righteousness” is not a new set of behaviors or swapping out old actions for new ones. This is about becoming a new kind of person altogether. This exceeding righteousness is not about “being better” but rather about “becoming new.” The only way we can have this true righteousness is to receive it as a gift.
“The Pharisees and scribes were denounced by our Lord as being hypocrites. But they were unconscious hypocrites. They did not realize it, they really thought all was well. You cannot read your Bible without constantly being reminded of that terrible danger. There is the possibility of our relying upon the wrong thing, of resting upon things that relate to true worship rather than being in the position of true worship.” ~ Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Salt and Light
Matthew 5:13-16
Disciples of Jesus are salt and light, called to live distinct and compelling lives in the world.
NO AUDIO AVAILABLE
Matthew 5:13-16
February 10th 2019
“Christians are to live in such a way that as men and women look at us we become a problem to them. They will ask ‘What is it? Why are these people so different in every way, different in their conduct and behavior, and different in their reactions? There is something about them which we do not understand, which we cannot explain.’ And they will be driven to the only real explanation, which is that we are the people of God, the children of God.” ~ D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Main Idea: Disciples of Jesus are salt and light, called to live distinct and compelling lives in the world.
I. The Salt of the Earth (5:13)
Identity: Salt had over 10 uses in the ancient world, but it was primarily used as a preservative. You would rub salt into meat or fish and it would slow down the spoiling process.
Disciples of Jesus are to have an enduring, lasting, purifying effect on the world around them. God’s people alone are salt in this way. This is their identity as followers of Christ.
Implication: The world (the “earth”) is dying, decaying, and deteriorating. It cannot stop itself from this process of going bad. Something from the outside must prevent this spilling that will inevitably occur.
“Disciples of Jesus are called to be a moral disinfectant in a world where moral standards are low, constantly changing, or non-existent.” ~ R.V.G. Tasker
Warning: Salt can’t lose its “saltiness” strictly speaking, but it can be adulterated, contaminated, and diluted. The warning here is to fight against the temptation to simply assimilate into the world and the culture.
“The glory of the gospel is that when the Church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then that the world is made to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first” ~ D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
We are called to be distinct from the world but we still must be in contact with it. Salt does nothing if it does not come into contact with the food.
“The world does not thirst for a religious imitation of itself, nor does it thirst for an “us against them” moral turf war with its zealous religious neighbors. The world thirsts for a different kind of neighbor- not the kind who deny their fellow man, take up their comforts, and follow their dreams- but the kind who deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow Jesus in his mission of loving a weary world to life.” ~ Scott Sauls
II. The Light of the World (5:14-16)
Identity: Jesus gives imagery to his disciples being the “light of the world” in 2 ways. They are like:
1. A City Set on a Hill
2. A Lamp in a House
Disciples are the “light of the world” in a borrowed or a derivative sense from Jesus, who is himself the “light of the world” (cf. John 812). We must be “charged up” from the true light of the world, as we are conduits of this light to the world around us.
Implication: The world is a dark place. It needs something from the outside to shine a light into its own darkness.
Warning: We must fight the temptation to “conceal” the light (‘putting it under a basket”). We must avoid isolation from the world. Covering & concealing defeats the whole purpose of the light.
Light is inherently compelling. We are to “shine as lights” in the world (Phil. 2:15) the glories of the gospel as people who have been fundamentally changed by it.
“A Christianity that is without friction in the culture is a Christianity that dies… a Christianity that is walled off from the culture around it is a Christianity that dies… Our call is to a Christianity that preserves the distinctness of our gospel while not retreating from our calling as neighbors, friends, and citizens.” ~ Russell Moore
What happens as we live out this identity? People will see and encounter Jesus through his disciples. As God’s people declare the King and display the Kingdom, they will “give glory” to the Father in worship.
Practical Considerations:
We must remain in close proximity to Jesus
We are called to do this together
Start with the opportunities right in front of us
The Kingdom of Heaven
Matthew 5:1 (Sermon on the Mount)
Jesus is the fulfillment of the entire Biblical story, who declares and displays the Kingdom of Heaven in the Sermon on the Mount.
January 27th, 2019
Text: Matthew 5:1 (Introducing the Sermon on the Mount)
Introduction:
“The Sermon on the Mount is probably the best-known part of the teaching of Jesus, though arguably it is the least understood, and certainly it is the least obeyed.” ~ John Stott.
Main Idea: Jesus is the fulfillment of the entire Biblical story, who declares and displays the Kingdom of Heaven in the Sermon on the Mount.
I. A Greater Prophet (1:1-4:16)
The Gospel of Matthew serves as a perfect “bridge” between the Old & New Testament. He is concerned about how Jesus has come to “fulfill” all that has come before in the story.
Matthew 1:1: “The book of the genealogy (lit. “genesis’)” that connects Jesus into the promised royal lineage of David and the Father of the Israelites (Abraham) who was to be a blessing to all of the families of the earth (cf. Gen. 12:3).
Matthew’s greater concern in chapters 1-5 seems to connect Jesus’ story to Moses. There was messianic expectation concerning a prophet and redeemer who would come in the same way as Moses had (cf. Deuteronomy 18:15-19).
Similarities between Moses & Jesus:
Birth stories (Matt. 2:16-18/Ex. 1:15-2:10)
Traveling to Egypt (Matt. 2:13-15/Ex. 4:18-20)
Baptism & “passing through” the waters (Matt. 3:13-17/Ex. 14)
Led by the Spirit into the wilderness to face temptation (Matt. 4:1-11/Ex. 16)
“Like Israel, Jesus has a lengthy period of wandering in the desert. The Spirit leads him into a dry and barren place, in which he has to trust God for the provision of bread, resist evil, and stand on the testimony of Scripture. The specific temptations echo those that unraveled Israel: grumbling about the lack of food, testing God by demanding a miracle, bowing down to false gods, and seizing his inheritance before it was time. It is no coincidence that in all three of his temptations Jesus quotes Deuteronomy, the sermon Moses preached to remind Israel of their need for obedience. But Jesus succeeds where Israel failed. For all our familiarities with the exodus story in Scripture, we have never seen this before. The all-too-familiar biblical melody of failures has been transformed and turning into a song of hope.” ~ Andrew Wilson & Alastair Roberts
Going into a land that was promised (Matt. 4:13-16)
Jesus going up the mountain to teach from God’s Word (Matt. 5:1/Ex. 19)
What’s the point of all of this? Jesus is the continuation and the fulfillment of the whole Biblical story up to this point.
Jesus, as the greater Moses, is leading the captives into freedom. Moses came to rescue Israel from the bondage of physical slavery in Egypt, but Jesus comes to rescue his people from their bondage to sin & Satan (cf. Matt. 1:21). We are in need of this redeemer and this rescue if we are to live out The Sermon on the Mount.
II. A Greater Kingdom (4:17-5:1)
The summary of Jesus’ mission and ministry is found in 4:17: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Jesus announces that at his coming, the Kingdom of Heaven has broken in; the first step for us is to recognize that we are unfit to enter it.
“The life of heaven - the life of the realm where God is already king - is to become the life of the world, transforming the present earth into the place of beauty and delight that God always intended. And those who follow Jesus are to begin to live by this rule here and now. That's the point of the Sermon on the Mount… [it is] a summons to live in the present in the way that will make sense in God's promised future, because that future has arrived in the present in Jesus of Nazareth. It may seem upside down, but we are called to believe, with great daring, that it is in fact the right way up” ~ N.T. Wright
The Sermon on the Mount presents a holistic picture of what life in the Kingdom looks like as we await its arrival in fullness. The Sermon focuses on:
True Flourishing
True Righteousness
Practical Concerns
The Lord’s Prayer (6:9-13) sits at the center of the sermon intentionally. “The Lord’s Prayer stretches from the Father at the beginning to the devil at the end, from heaven to hell, and in between in six brief petitions everything important in life.” ~ Jonathan Pennington
The invitation extended to all of us is to move from being a part of the “crowd” to being a “disciple.” In this, we must acknowledge the feeling of condemnation the Sermon can bring, while simultaneously recognizing that it points to the source of power as we are drawn further into this life in the Kingdom.
“After nineteen hundred years the Sermon on the Mount still haunts men. They may praise it, as Gandhi did; or like Nietzsche, they may curse it. They cannot ignore it. Its words are winged words, quick and powerful to rebuke, to challenge, to inspire. And though some turn from it in despair, it continues, like some mighty magnetic mountain, to attract to itself the greatest spirits of our race, so that if some world-wide vote were taken, there is little doubt that men would account it ‘the most searching and powerful utterance we possess on what concerns the moral life.”~A.M. Hunter