Sermon Tone Analysis

What does it look like to be Kingdom of Heaven people in the midst of an Earthly Empire?

Matthew’s gospel explores this question from start to finish.

We are in a section of Matthew for four weeks that we call “The Sermon on the Mount” and these three chapters are some of the most important if we want to know “What did Jesus teach?”

Last week we saw how Jesus blesses the empty, the full and the hurt.

And that being salt and light will still look like being empty, full or hurt at any given time.

And that those aren’t states we move through just once, but over and over again.

So we live out our identity as salt and light by noticing God’s blessing in those who are empty (ourselves or others), in those who are full (and thus able share that blessing by acts of mercy, purity or peacemaking) and in those who are hurt (again whether ourselves or others).

This week, we continue on and get to hear Jesus issue seven commands.

We discover that Jesus is no “softy” when it comes to the Law.

If you’ve ever heard or thought that Jesus is somehow the “soft side of God.”

It’s easy to caricature the images we get of God.

Oh, that Old Testament God is violent and full of judgment.

I like the New Testament better because Jesus is… nicer.

Nicer?

Are you sure?

But also, that idea is deeply anti-Biblical … let me explain

Many of you will have heard me talk about Jesus Collective - a network that I’ve been a part of for the last 18 months or so.

It’s a wonderful group of pastors and leaders from across North America and beyond, who are seeking to unite, amplify and equip a Jesus-centered movement.

Those of you who are doing the Centered-Set Church study are tasting of their good work.

One of the things that I’ve been learning and clarifying in my time with Jesus Collective is to take another look at how we read scripture

One options is that we take all the “portraits” of God in the whole Bible and give them equal weight.

We average them all and then, whatever that result is, that it what God is like.

But I think that’s not served us well.

Nor is it actually honouring what the Scriptures teach.

God is revealed to us in Jesus.

Not partially revealed in Jesus.

Not showing us the “soft side” but a full revelation.

Colossians 1:15 (NIV)

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

Colossians 1:19–20 (NIV)

19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

God is revealed to us in Jesus.

If we want to know what God is like, we are to look to the Word.

The Word made flesh.

The Word of God, who is revealed to us in the Scriptures.

God always looks like Jesus, and we read scripture properly when we read through him.

Through the lens of Jesus.

And the beginning of reading the scriptures through the lens of Jesus has to be taking a good look at what it is Jesus actually said.

So the gospels are key.

The gospels are necessary, even.

Which is why I will always want to anchor at least a third of every year in one of the four gospels.

This year.

It’s Matthew.

So.

This morning, we’ll let this section of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount speak for itself.

We’ll read from Matthew 5:17-48, in small sections.

I’ll make a few comments between each section but only in an attempt to help us hear Jesus’ words.

Prayer

Gracious God, as we turn to your Word for us, may the Spirit of God rest upon us.

Help us to be steadfast in our hearing, in our speaking, in our believing, and in our living.

Amen.

My friend Keith Smith - a pastor in “[There are] three Kingdom Guides that I have been reflecting on recently.

These guides are: those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, and the meek.

Another reason to focus on these three: they are a direct echo of Micah 6:8—do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.”

He goes on to say, “Simply put, righteousness is making the world right.”

Not only “personal piety” - more than just singing songs about how much we love God… but also justice that “rolls down like a river” (Amos 5:23-24)

We are not to divide worship from witness, love of God from love of neighbour, personal piety from social justice.

More than just avoiding murder.

But treating others with dignity, with respect.

Even when they’re being idiots.

Fools.

This came up for me this week.

A lot.

And I got to thinking, not only did send me back to a “poor in spirit” posture.

God, I can’t do this.

I don’t know how not to write people off.

But that’s it, isn’t it?

If I can write someone off.

Categorize them as “idiots and fools” as mentally or morally incompetent.

Well, then I don’t have to remember that they’re people.

That they’re brothers and sisters.

That they’re image bearers.

Even if they’re wrong.

Either in their mental calculations or in their moral choices.

As Bruner writes: “I can love abstract neighbours easily enough...” it’s those actual neighbours, those actually difficult individuals where our love for God and neighbour becomes difficult to manage.

But then, Jesus takes it farther.

He again links our personal piety and suggests that if we are coming to worship, to offer our gift at the altar, and realize that someone has something against us, well, we should stop.

Here we see Jesus linking our love of God to our love of neighbour.

Often, there are arguments about which goes first, or which should be emphasized.

But Jesus here is saying, it’s not either/or it’s both.

I don’t know what this raises for you.

But it does make me think about our journey as a church with Truth & Reconcilation.

What if something like the Blanket Exercise is a way of “leaving the altar” because our Indigenous siblings have told us that there’s a problem?

Lust is about power.

Lust uses people.

It’s not about connection and mutuality.

It’s power being misused.

And Jesus just told us in the earlier part of chapter 5 that mercy and purity are what God blesses.

So their is no place for lust in the kingdom of heaven.

“Jesus raises the bar of sexual purity within his Kingdom to include the private thought-life of his followers.”

Jesus Collective Theology Circle, Reflections on a Jesus-Centered Sexuality

More than actions.

Jesus is demanding purity of thought as well.

This isn’t “nice Jesus” - is it.

This is Jesus raising the bar on sexual purity and telling those who have the power in the 1st century, that their power is not a free pass.

Divorce will come up in this next one - and in a subsequent command.

So divorced people in the room.

And anyone who knows someone who has experienced divorce and/or remarriage, please take a moment to breathe.

We’re going to listen to Jesus’ words here.

But we’re going to separate what he says from some of the judgment-laden things that you may have heard or felt or been told directly.