Our Only Hope

Introduction

In this lesson, I want to take a look at the sermon on the mount because it’s Jesus’ explanation of how Kingdom Citizens should live. This sermon is extremely important for us as Christians.

One scholar called it the Kingdom Manifesto

It’s not just an important sermon, it’s also a very difficult sermon. It contains many difficult teachings.

This sermon is difficult because Jesus is preaching about the upside-down values of the upside-down kingdom.

Many bible students and scholars have admitted that the demands of Jesus in this sermon are extreme, and this makes sense because. These teachings are supposed to be different from how we think.

So, here’s what I want to do in this lesson.

I want to look at some of the difficult teachings in the sermon and spend some time talking about it.

Then at the end of the lesson, we are going to talk about what the Sermon on the Mount means for you and me.

The Requirements of the Kingdom

Anger (Matthew 5:21-26)

Matthew 5:21–26 ESV

21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

In this section, Jesus talks about how Kingdom Citizens should not be angry with one another, but he goes even further than this. He says that if we insult one of our brothers, then we are guilty of God’s judgment.

This is a difficult saying, isn’t it? I know it’s difficult because we almost spend more time talking about what this saying does not mean, than we do talking about what it does mean.

This isn’t a good thing. When we spend more time talking about the exceptions of the rule than we do talking about the rule, then we’ve done something wrong.

We do this with divorce and remarriage.

This saying of Jesus is so difficult that we spend more time looking at the exceptions than looking at the rule. Why is this?

Some people just want an excuse to be angry with their brothers and sisters.

Some people just want an excuse to be angry in life. (on the road, at the restaurant, at home)

What’s the rule? Jesus says that we should not be angry, and that is difficult.

Humiliation (Matthew 5:38-42)

Matthew 5:38–42 ESV

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

In this section, Jesus deals with being humiliated, or being taken advantage of. If we read this for what it is, then Jesus says that if people are going to humiliate and take advantage of you, then let them do it.

This is also difficult, isn’t it? I know it’s difficult, because we definitely spend more time talking about what this doesn’t mean than we do talking about what it does mean. I can’t think of many times when we do talk about what this verse means… We always talk about what it doesn’t mean.

I know Jesus said this, but he didn’t really mean that…

It’s like we think that we can improve on Jesus’ words.

Jesus’ words here cannot mean nothing… They must mean something. I would encourage you to talk about this with your family when you get home.

I understand why we do this. Jesus’ teachings here are difficult.

Jesus literally says that if someone wants to take our shirt, then we should give them our jacket.

How many of us would do this? I wouldn’t.

This is difficult teaching, but that’s a part of being a part of the upside-down kingdom.

And notice that Jesus himself did it. When the soldiers wanted to take, beat, and humiliate Jesus, he let them do it.

So, Jesus commands his disciples not to retaliate.

Treasures in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-24)

Matthew 6:19–24 ESV

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Here, Jesus tells us to lay up treasures in Heaven and not on Earth, but what does this mean? Does this that we find the Heaven 401K and start making contributions?

Luke 12:32-34. In the context, Jesus has been talking about not being anxious for tomorrow...

Luke 12:32–34 ESV

32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

So, laying up treasures in Heaven is actually something that we do with our wealth. We lay up treasures in Heaven when we use our treasures to take care of others.

So, in this context Jesus tells his disciples not to be anxious about tomorrow because God is going to take care of you. So, you don’t need to store up all of this wealth on earth. Instead store up treasures in Heaven by using your wealth to help others.

This isn’t saying that it’s sinful to have a savings or retirement, but it is saying store up treasures in heaven first. Instead of paying ourselves first, we need to store up treasures in Heaven by helping others.

Is this easy or difficult?

It’s difficult for me.

Jesus teaches us that we should help others before we store up treasures for ourselves.

Perfection (Matthew 5:48)

Matthew 5:48 ESV

48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Here, Jesus tells us that we must be perfect.

But it’s not just any type of perfection, we must be perfect in the same way that God is perfect.

Can we do this?

Can we fulfill the requirements of Jesus’ sermon? Can we be perfect the way that God is perfect?

This section is one of the most troubling sections in the sermon, so many people try to come up with excuses why Jesus doesn’t really mean ‘perfect.’

Someone might say that the word doesn’t really mean perfect. It means complete or mature, but I don’t think that really fixes the problem.

Can we be complete or mature in the same way that God is complete or mature?

The answer is no.

We are broken human beings, and we will never be able to live up to God’s expectation of perfection or maturity.

I’m never going to be as whole, complete, mature, or perfect as God is perfect.

So, how do we explain all of this?

What’s the point? Jesus is our only hope.

What’s the point of the sermon on the mount? If we can’t perfectly live up to Jesus’ expectations, then what is this sermon trying to teach us?

This sermon is trying to teach us that we are broken. We are not perfect, so we need Jesus, the great physician.

Someone one might ask, “Do you think God expects or commands something that we cannot do?”

Yes, and he’s done it before.

“Be Holy for I am Holy.” Is it possible for the Israelites to be perfectly holy in the way that God is holy?

It’s not possible. When Isaiah is brought before God’s throne, he despairs because he’s unholy.

God expected and commanded the Israelites to keep the law, and were they able to do that perfectly? Peter calls it a burden that they were unable to bear. Acts 15:10.

Acts 15:10 ESV

10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

When Jesus says be perfect as God is perfect, he wants us to see our brokenness and realize that he is our only hope.

It reminds me of what the disciples asked Jesus.

“Then who can be saved?”

“What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

The point

That’s the point: Jesus is our only hope.

Once we are done reading the Sermon on the Mount, we are supposed to feel unworthy. So, this feeling takes us back to the beginning of the sermon. Matthew 5:1-6.

Matthew 5:1–6 ESV

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

The more I learn about what Jesus expects of me, the more I recognize how poor in spirit I am.

The more I recognize how poor in spirit I am, the more I mourn.

The more I mourn, the more I meekly and humbly seek Jesus.

The more I meekly and humbly seek Jesus, the more I hunger and thirst for righteousness like his.

The list goes on.

Jesus’ sermon is challenging and perplexing. This sermon shows us what we should be and makes us realize that we aren’t there yet. This sermon’s goal is to drive broken people to Jesus, the source of healing.

God expects us to be perfect, but he also understands that we aren’t always going to be perfect. Even though we aren’t going to be perfect, he still expects us to be trying.

God expects us to be righteous, but he also understands that we aren’t always going to be righteous. Matthew 5:6.

Matthew 5:6 ESV

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

If you are hungry and thirsty, what do you not have? You don’t have food or water.

If we are hungering and thirsting for righteousness, then it means that we aren’t always righteous, but we long for it anyway.

God understands that we aren’t always going to be righteous, but he wants us to be trying. He wants us to hunger and thirst for righteousness.

What does this have to do with zeal?

So, let me answer the question that you are all probably asking: What does this have to do with zeal?

Philip told us that zeal is NOT the burst of energy that we get after we’ve been baptized. He said that zeal is focusing on the one thing: pleasing God and bringing him glory.

When we realize that Jesus is our only hope, what are we going to do?

We are going to make it our mission to please God and bring him glory.

That is what zeal is.

Summary

So, let’s summarize.

If we are zealous, then what are we going to do?

We are going to lean on Jesus because he is our source of righteousness.

We are going to realize that we are starving people, and so we long for the one who offers us the bread and waters of life.

We are going to be loyal and allegiant servants of our King Jesus.

Conclusion

Do you want to fuel your zeal? Then read through the sermon on the mount.

The sermon on the mount will make you hunger and thirst for the righteousness that only Jesus can offer. The sermon on the mount will make you understand your need for him.