An Alternative Community - Part 5
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Review: If you’ve missed us the last few weeks, we are in a series on the Sermon on the mount. We are talking about how Jesus has called us to be an alternative community.
Last week we started the beatitudes with - “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
We said that none of us have anything to offer. That realizing this puts us in a position for God to work.
Transition: Tonight I want to go back to this first beatitude and look at the first three of these together.
Matthew 5:
Points
Points
Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit...
Who is in Jesus’ Audience here? What ethnicity of People? What’s been going on with them historically?
Jesus was speaking to Jewish people
They would have been under the thumb of Rome. They are not free.
They are an oppressed group sort of down on the social totem pole - They are, in a sense, poor.
Jesus is speaking to a group of people who have been oppressed and waiting for their messiah to come. They have been hoping, waiting, praying for years.
They may be tempted to give up hope.
Their oppressors and those over them often probably made fun of them and looked down on them for their hope, but they keep hoping.
These are the people to whom Jesus says, “Theirs is the kingdom of God.” Those who are down, broken, yet continue to hold on.
In His Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, Scott McKnight says this, “Our conclusion is that the ‘poor in spirit’ is a perfect blend of the economically destitute who nonetheless trust in God and put their hope for justice and the Kingdom of God in God.”
When we have nothing to give, when we feel like we are on the bottom, yet we continue to hope and trust in God - It is to those who continue to trust and hope that the Kingdom of God comes.
Blessed are the meek...
How are oppressed, poor people tempted to react?
They are tempted to react in anger against their oppressors
They are tempted to take matters into their own hands and pull themselves out.
What does it mean to be meek?
I’ve heard it said this way - Meekness is power under control.
Mcknight puts it this way, “the meek are those who suffer and have been humbled, and yet they do not seek revenge but God’s glory and the welfare of others.”
The meek are either those who have no power or those who have power but choose to use it in a gentle way.
Jesus says here - “The Meek will inherit the earth”
This is a bad translation - The real word here is “land.”
Remember he’s speaking to Jewish audience - An audience who has been promised a land. They are living in their land, but another group is ruling over them in their land.
The temptation would be for them to rise up and overthrow their oppressors.
There was a group known as the zealots who would do just this. They would engage in terrorism and guerilla warefare against Rome.
Likely some of these individuals would have been in the audience.
Jesus is saying, the kingdom of God doesn’t operate in violent overthrows, killing, or warfare, but in meekness. In other words, those who are in this new community don’t force things, they wait on God.
Where, in your life, are you tempted to try and manipulate and force things, rather than patiently wait on God?
Blessed are those who mourn...
Given our context What are they mourning?
Remember he’s speaking to Jewish people who would have been under the rule of Rome.
They aren’t just mourning about sin or personal loss - although that could be part of it.
They would have been mourning the state of the world.
They are mourning because things are not right. Life is not the way it should be.
They are mourning because we live in a broken and fallen world.
They would have been mourning their own actions that may have helped cause this state (their personal sin - Check out Isaiah - “I’m unclean and from people are unclean..”)
They would have been asking God, “How Long?”
These mourners are faithful to God in a world that is not right.
1 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; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. 4 They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
Does the state of the world make you mourn from time to time? What is it that makes you mourn?
They will be comforted...
How are they comforted?
They are Comforted because they know one day all will be made right.
There’s a long history in the OT of God saying he’s going to comfort his people.
1 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; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3 to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. 4 They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” 3 The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad. 4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like streams in the Negeb! 5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! 6 He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.
“They will be comforted” is future
They are Comforted because they know they are not alone
Jesus is with them
The community of saints is with them
They have the promises of God with them
“They will be comforted” is future
Conclusion
Conclusion
Let’s sum this up: When we are broken and down, feel poor and neglected, mourning the state of the world and our own inner state - We are blessed as we patiently wait and trust in God.
It is this group of people that are in the kingdom.
So where are you tempted to Give up? Where are you tempted to take things into your own hands? Where are you tempted to manipulate, force, coerce, or use your own power or ability to bring about your desired end?
Tonight, surrender it to Jesus. Mourn the state of your life and the world that isn’t right - But trust him to bring about the fix in his timing.