Matthew 5:4 - Magnifying Godly Sorrow

Introduction

Have you ever changed Doctors because of his or her bedside manner?

Over the years Ann and I have dealt with dozens of physicians. Some were for ongoing care and others were for a single procedure. The Doctor I choose for primary care is one whom I want to build some level of professional rapport. The one who I choose for a procedure is the best technician I can find, bedside manner is of little concern.

Likewise, Pastors have a lot of different personalities. Some are very precise in theological position, Some are very comforting, some seem to rely upon being entertaining, and some seem like they are angry at the world and everything in it. You have a right to search for a shepherd who is concerned for your soul. As we learned in VBS a week ago, sometimes a shepherd anoints with oil and causes us to lie down in green pastures. Sometimes a good shepherd will lead us to a new place to graze.

I don’t want to be a sourpuss Eyeore, but I also want you to yearn for greener pastures by not becoming too comfortable where we are. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus speaks to a larger crowd who are familiar with the present situation, yet he reveals to them that there may be circumstances under which they could receive greater blessing from God.

The Thursday morning men’s Bible Study has been working their way through Jeremiah. Where we have been repeated shown what happens when false preachers only tell what the listener wants to hear.

TRANSITION: in the Beatitudes Jesus is calling listeners to move toward the blessed life. We saw last week that this movement starts with the humility to admit I am not self-sufficient, and this 2nd ring of the swing teaches that we need Godly discontent.

Your Best Life Now?

a Taste of Heaven

Last week we looked at Isaiah 57 that describes the dwelling place of God. We saw that God dwells BOTH in the exalted Heaven AND among the contrite of heart. This is a CURRENT blessing, but it is only a foreshadow of the fuller blessing to come.

I think we have all been to a gathering where the appetizer is so abundant that there is little room left for the main course. I can make a meal out of chips and salsa if the chips are thin and fresh. I’ve also been known to send the waiter at Olive Garden back for more breadsticks. Don’t even get me started on the warm rolls with honey butter at Texas Roadhouse.

But being satisfied by bread when there is a ribeye to come is rather short sited. Similarly, emphasizing comfort on this planet is rather foolish when one considers there is a whole other world where the lover of our souls is waiting for us!

I feel rather sorry for those who hold a view of the end of time that denies a literal kingdom to come that precedes the new Heaven and new Earth. Those who hold so tightly to the “already” that there is no anticipation of the “not yet”.

Already/Not yet

Matthew 5:3 and Mt 5:10 use a present tense [theirs is the kingdom of Heaven]; Beatitudes 2-7 use a future tense [will be]

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament 5:1–12—The Beatitudes, or Blessings

Jesus’ hearers would have understood [the beatitudes] especially as promises for the

Yes, Jesus has already proven victorious over the Evil One, but this Evil One is still the prince of the power of earth and he has not yet been restrained and cast into the pit. There is coming a time when the spiritual battle we experience now cannot hold a candle to the victory that will be our normal experience.

That day has not yet come! We cannot simple wish the battle away or deny that it is a struggle. The first beatitude admits that we are broken, the Second is our reaction to that brokenness.

Too many today choose to respond wrongly to our brokenness. Too many today take pride in their brokenness or make excuses like “I can’t help who I love” or “I was born this way”

Let me apply that thinking to other vices. A spouse acts out on attraction with someone who is not a marriage partner; I guarantee there is going to be marital stress until that is confessed and forgiven. An addict acts out on his chemical temptation; family and friends will not rest until an intervention takes place. A kleptomaniac acts out on her temptation; restitution is demanded by society and the property owner. By taking pride or denying that an offense has happened one ignores the 2nd beatitude and skips the 2nd ring that gives us velocity toward the blessed life.

Isaiah 5:20 ESV:2016

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!.

Jude 18 ESV:2016

They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.”

just because you say it, doesn’t make it right! We don’t hate those who call evil good. We don’t hate those who scoff at righteousness. We call ourselves and ALL to mourn over all evil.

We cannot allow our earthy struggle to define our eternal reality!!

The Divine Avenger

If I mention an Avenger in this sermon, some of your minds naturally go to the 2012 movie when Samuel Jackson recruited a team of 6 superheroes to stand up against the evil Loki.

Others of you would know that the Avengers of the Marvel Universe are actually older than I am, appearing first in The Avengers #1 comic book in September 1963.

However, I would be remiss if I did not point out that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were not the first to imagine these Superheroes. Jesus is making an OT Allusion. An allusion is a general reference to a topic, not a direct quote.

Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament Matthew 4:17–5:20

Isaiah 61:2

Isaiah 61:1–2 ESV:2016

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;

While this verse may sound familiar, this very portion of the Scroll is what Jesus read to describe his purpose on earth.

Luke 4:17–21 ESV:2016

And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

While the word mourn is not in Luke’s telling of the story, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the allusion to the captive, blind and oppressed as those whom Jesus is talking about in Matthew’s account.

While Marvel thought it would take a whole team to avenge Loki, God impressed the prophet Isaiah to write about the ONE suffering servant who would avenge all who mourn over things that are not as they should be.

Jesus is the one who was prophesied. He announces that he is the one who has been anointed for this purpose. and He promised in John 14-16 that the task would be continued. through another comforter while He was gone, until He would return where Rev 21:4 indicates His comfort will be ultimate.

Revelation 21:4 ESV:2016

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

TRANSITION: Jesus is clearly teaching that personal might is not the basis for entry into the place of where God reigns and blesses. He is “the mighty one” where “little ones to Him belong” and “we are weak, but He is strong”

Proper Penitence (πενθέω)

the word Jesus uses for mourning is connected to penance, repentance, penitence. Sorrow/grief/mourning can take on 3 faces:

Personal Grief

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. πενθέω

to experience sadness as the result of some condition or circumstance,

I notice a contrast between the expectations of those in the kingdom and the one who comes in the name of the King. There is an obvious reversal of a power dynamic. First Century Jews were anticipating one powerful enough to overthrow Roman occupation. As their anticipated Messiah or Christ would be an overcomer, they often thought POWER would be their key to participation in that Coup. You may recall that the Sons of Thunder wanted to call down fire or that Peter brought a sword to the Garden of Gethsemane. But Jesus’ message of a coming kingdom starts at the other end of the spectrum. Jesus says blessing does not come from personal flex, but from the humility of poverty and the grief of mourning. Jesus clearly says that blessing comes not from the flex of the disciple, but by the humble allowance of the King to be the only one who flexes.

It is not a coincidence that disciples are called SHEEP, while Jesus is the LION from the tribe of Judah. My personal mourning is revealed when I become humble and broken over my own sin and my need for a Savior.

Communal Grief

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. πενθέω

Also, [in

Last week I participated in our FLC ABF where we looked at Spring Feasts in Leviticus 17. Depending upon the translation people read, some read 2x about a sacred assembly or a holy convocation. This was a reminder that sin is not only a personal matter between you and God. There are times when whole families or communities stand guilty together in need of atonement or covering.

In our modern days of identity politics, it is common to group identifiers and assign collective guilt. Just because I am a male does NOT mean that I am guilty of all the ways women have been injured by “toxic masculinity”. Just because I am caucasian does not mean I ever oppressed or enslaved another human.

Yet, it is also true that evil is often more pervasive than I realize. Even if I am not culpable, I can grieve that some women have experienced mistreatment. Even if slavery was abolished decades before I was ever born, I can confess that racism still exists in many situations where people of color face challenges different than mine.

One example of this is our society is predatory lending. I’ve never obtained a payday loan. I’ve never borrowed money from a loan shark and I’ve never loaned money to another person at usurious interest, but I don’t for one minute deny that there are wicked people who take advantage of those who believe one of these finance documents is the only way to feed her family.

I can mourn that malaria takes the lives of people, even if I’m not to blame. I can grieve that women experience miscarriage even if I do not contribute to the death. I can admit that there are situations that require someone greater than I, without confessing contributory negligence.

In a world where some are quick to assign blame, we must agree that even if I do not contribute to your pain, I can equally mourn that you experience that pain and seek a deliverer who is more able than I to bring true comfort.

TRANSITION: I can grieve over my sin. I can grieve that the sin-filled world in which we live causes discomfort and I can mourn that you need comfort.

Sympathetic Grief

Matthew 21:12 ESV:2016

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.

Shortly after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Matthew records that Jesus had to cleanse the temple of money-changers. Jesus was not abusing the pilgrims coming to Temple, but he saw others being mistreated. Sometimes we need to be able to admit that harassment is happening in order for comfort to be realized.

TRANSITION: Jesus promises a future change to current malady. Comfort for those in a condition that merited mourning. A deep awareness and feeling that things are not as they should be. A desire for something different. Things should be different, I can’t make them different, but I have hope in the one who can make things different.

Comfort is His name

We’ve already seen the Isaiah and Luke references that Jesus is the Messiah who comforts the poor, brokenhearted, captives and prisoners.

The word Jesus uses here for comfort is a nuanced word (literally, called along) with at least 5 New Testament usages.

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. παρακαλέω

1. to ask to come and be present; 2. to urge strongly; 3. to make a strong request; 4.to instill someone with courage; or 5. simply treat someone in an inviting or congenial manner.

ASK or Bring

Jesus doesn’t say He is the one who ASKS for comfort, He COMFORTS! After Jesus identifies Himself as the deliverer, He tells the disciples that another (alla/of the same kind) would be sent from God to Comfort as He started.

John 14:16 ESV:2016

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,

The choice between allos and heteros carries theological weight. Allos suggests equivalence or substitution within the same category, while heteros emphasizes genuine difference or incompatibility.

Conclusion

I don’t know exactly what discomfort you are feeling this morning. I don’t know where you feel like you need a blessing from God. I know that you can’t make that happen. I know I can’t make that happen. But I do know that when we admit our humility, when we mourn that things are not right, that Jesus is a Savior that makes painful situations comfortable. I know that the Father sent another who comforts like Jesus did.

I know that when we admit or confess that things are not as they should be, that we can have hope in the one who brings comfort.

1 Thessalonians 4:13 ESV:2016

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.

You’ve probably seen the bumper stickers that say No Jesus, No Peace; Know Jesus, Know Peace. Join me in testifying “What a friend we have in Jesus” The one who comforts those who mourn.

Response Song #412......................... “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”

Benediction:

Colossians 3:15 ESV:2016

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.