“Humble Thyself”
February 17th, 2008Matthew 5:5-6 - When Jesus sat down to preach the sermon on the mount, very few people understood what a radical message about the kingdom of God he was about to deliver. It is seldom that one speech can have such an impact. In our time, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech” delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial comes to mind. Jesus’ message was that radical. And the journey of discipleship that he invited people to participate in would be transforming.
“Humble Thyself”
Matthew 5:5-6
1. It is a rare and beautiful thing when one speech changes the course of history.
A. Most obvious example – Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
B. Speech is defined not only by the words spoken. Also defined by the context.
2. I often wonder if those hearing Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” were aware that they were hearing a world-changing sermon.
A. We read Jesus words and, of course, we agree with them. They make perfect sense…in principle.
B. Jesus’ sermon would have sent shockwaves through the crowd.
C. His version of the kingdom of God was dramatically different than what they had been taught.
D. His first salvo – there would have been a collective gasp – “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
E. I can almost see the pot-bellied sheriff meandering up to Jesus – “that’s not quite the way we do things in these here parts.”
F. But, who are the poor in spirit? Essentially, they are the people that come to the recognition that they are in need of God’s grace. They recognize their need – their dependence – on God.
G. This would have been a radical message in a culture defined by “self-righteousness,” which was achieved by strict adherence to the Law of Moses.
3. And then just as the crowd is pulling their jaws off the ground from his first blessing, Jesus hits them with another one.
A. “Blessed are those who mourn; they will be comforted.”
B. Mourn our sin, our lostness, our separation from God.
C. Who would want to identify themselves with this group?
D. Our culture – I want to party with Paris Hilton. I want to drive my beautiful car up and down PCH so the world can bask in my glory. I want to hob-knob with the well-to-do.
E. I don’t want to mourn. In fact, I want to follow every distraction and passion I can that keeps me from mourning.
F. But, Jesus said, “uh-uh, not in my kingdom. That dog won’t hunt.”
4. Right about now there is a serious buzz running through the crowd. People are telling others, “Go get ‘such and such,’ they want to hear this.”
A. The high and the mighty are beginning to squirm a little bit in their seats.
B. When Jesus talks about the “poor in spirit,” He is not referring to the chief priests, or the local real estate magnate; He wasn’t referring to the newest self-help guru selling his series of CDs and DVDs for three low payments of $29.99.
C. He was referring to the humblest people around. And he said, “My kingdom is reserved for just such people…are you in, or out?”
D. In a world of self-made people, of “earned” righteousness, Jesus message of the poor in spirit was revolutionary, indeed.
5. So Jesus continues. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
A. Does not mean, mealy-mouthed, milquetoast, doormats of the world.
B. Meek = reversal of “this-wordly” idea of kingship and power. For the messiah, the one who was expected to deliver Israel from the grip of Rome. This would have sounded absolutely crazy.
C. But, Jesus is saying very clearly that in his kingdom, you best not concern yourself with power as the world understands it.
D. In fact, Jesus is pitting the power of his kingdom over and against the power structures of this world, and he was challenging the people to, in the words of Joshua, “choose this day whom you will serve.”
E. Are you beginning to see how Jesus has invited us on a journey here – acknowledge our need for God, mourn our sin and lostness, align ourselves with the principles of the kingdom of God, not the laws of humanity.
F. He is preparing to take us somewhere, step by step.
6. Now, I want to take a little tangent here. Before we go on, I want you to see where this is heading.
A. Matthew 5:17-20.
B. Righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees. What does he mean?
C. These folks obeyed every law there was. And when they got bored, they wrote more laws so that they could obey them, too.
D. How could anyone be more righteous than the scribes and the Pharisees?
E. Because in the kingdom of God, righteousness is not defined by one’s ability to obey the rules. It is instead defined by one’s ability to submit to the grace of God, which – believe it or not – is a much more difficult thing to do.
F. Hence the journey that the beatitudes represent. Poor in spirit ——- those who mourn —— the meek. They are all stages if faith in the kingdom of God.
G. Righteousness that truly exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees is righteousness grounded in a true and faithful walk with Christ.
H. Sometimes messy, sometimes smooth. But, always faithful.
7. And then Jesus begins to change direction. He begins to actually move from preparation for the kingdom of God to actually living in the kingdom of God.
A. He proclaims, “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
B. Now, here is where things get real interesting.
C. What is this righteousness that we are to hunger and thirst for? Not only personal piety (that would be the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees).
D. It is something more, something that incorporates all of the principles of living in the kingdom of God.
E. Love of God, love of neighbor, personal holiness, true social concern.
8. Blessed are the poor in spirit…Blessed are those who mourn… Blessed are the meek…Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
A. Jesus invites us on a journey, a path. In the kingdom of God, righteousness is connected to our relationship with God, not by our ability to be yes-men and yes-women.
B. There is a great old hymn of the church entitled “Just a Closer Walk With Thee.”
C. I am weak, but Thou art strong/Jesus, keep me from all wrong/I’ll be satisfied as long/As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
D. Just a closer walk with Thee/Grant it, Jesus, is my plea/Daily walking close to Thee/Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
E. That is the heart of righteousness in the kingdom of God. That is the path to which Jesus calls us all. That is the life well-lived.
F. That is what is means to be “blessed.”
Sermon delivered 2/17/08 at Light of the Canyon United Methodist Church, Anaheim Hills.
