A Message of Hope

…but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.                                  Matthew 5:19
            At this point in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins to ‘stop preaching and start meddling’ as the old saying goes.  He is not taking any of God’s commands away, but instead is beginning to accomplish the prophecies from the Hebrew Bible.   If we are going to truly become the salt and light of the world then we must live like it in accordance with God’s will.
Jesus tells the people here that our righteousness must surpass “that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law” to be acceptable in God’s kingdom.  What does this mean to us today?  The answer lies within the idea that we must practice and teach God’s Word.  We’ve got to walk the walk as opposed to just talking the talk.
The Pharisees and teachers of the law were continually castigated by Jesus during his ministry.  It’s not that He just didn’t like them.  He considered them as people who had the knowledge of God, but refused to live their lives in accordance with that knowledge.  In other words, they were hypocrites. 
In Matthew 23, Jesus outlines exactly what his concerns are about the Pharisees and teachers of the law.  Verse 13 tells us the gist of His condemnation of these ‘religious’ men.  Here he calls them hypocrites and then summarizes their problem by claiming that they shut the door of heaven in people’s faces.  This is an excellent visual representation of how religious leaders often keep people from entering the kingdom of heaven.  They refuse to follow God’s commands and ensure the people follow them and not God.  They become their own idol and their followers are condemned by bowing down to their demands instead of God’s.
As we strive to follow God’s guidance today, we have His inspired Word given to us in many versions and media.  We cannot rely on anyone but ourselves to understand what God calls us to do in this life.  We must learn to walk the walk of God as opposed to just talking the talk.
John writes about the importance of love both in his gospel epistle and in his letters.  In fact, in 2 John 1:4, he writes that it gives him great joy that Christians are walking in the truth.  What is the truth as John sees it?  In verse 6, he tells us that his (Jesus’) command is that we “walk in love.”  I see this as our ultimate way of walking the walk.  We continually focus our lives on loving God and other people.  We become true Christians as we evidence the love of God in our lives in dealing with others.  It is a love that prevents us from becoming just another semi-religious hypocrite that slams the door of the kingdom in peoples’ faces. 
Scripture:  2 John 1

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14
            Being the light of the world is a huge responsibility.  To be followers of Christ we must become the light of the world.  We have the information and knowledge of God that saves the world.  We must show it to the world.
Amy Grant sings a song entitled Thy Word based on Psalm 119: 105 which says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” We are provided light for our path by the Word of God.  His teachings via Scripture enable us to move toward Him in our journey on the path of life.  We also are able to help others find God in their lives by showing them that light.
Jesus tells us that we must become that light of the world to help others find God.  The light of the world cannot be hidden like a town on a hill cannot be hidden from view.  If we are truly living as Christians in this world our light will radiate out from us and fill the dark void with spiritual light from God. 
But as Christians, we must accept our awesome responsibility as rays of light from God.  We understand Jesus was the light of the world while He was in the world (John 9:5).  As we are now His Body as the Church in the world, we provide that light to people walking in darkness as described in Ephesians 5: 8.  Here in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we are taught to live as “children of the light.”  We must follow the light and by our lives show the world God’s way to salvation.
As Christians we accept our unique role as the light of the world.  In fact, according to 1 Peter 2, we are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.”  These are choice terms for our new heritage as Christians.  So what is the catch?  What is our job as God’s servants?  Peter finishes with the responsibility of Christians to “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”   This tells me that our duty as children of the light (1 Thessalonians 5: 5) is to share the call of God for everyone.  To do anything less is a failure to fully comprehend what our current mission is in the world today.  Decide today to become the light of the world!
Scripture:  1 Peter 2

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot..
Matthew 5:13
            What is the value of salt in today’s world?  In 2003, Mark Kurlansky wrote the definitive book on the history of salt.  We have very little appreciation today of the immense value people throughout history have placed on salt.  Early groupings of people were gathered around natural sources of salt.  National fortunes were based on the production and trade in salt as a preservative.  Salt was used to pay people thus generating the term salary.
Today we have food preserved by canning and refrigeration.  Salt has become the bane of people with high blood pressure.  We tend to forget the requirement of our bodies for sodium chloride which we call salt.  Without these elements our bodies cannot function properly.  Salt is a basic need of all life here on planet earth.
Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount uses salt as an effective analogy for His followers.  In the above verse he calls Christians the salt of the earth.  But what does He mean?  Many times commentators read this to mean we are the ‘real’ people.  We are the basic unadorned, needed people in the world.  Nothing fancy; just salt. 
Another way to view this statement is that we are the life of the world.  We are a valuable asset people in the world must have.  We provide the necessary ingredients for the salvation of the world.  We are in fact the preservative for the world.  But how can we be the life-giving force of God in the world?  Isn’t that the reason Christ came into the world?
Perhaps Jesus is telling us here that we need to become Him for the world.  Maybe we as Christians form His body for the world to see (Ephesians 4:15).  Our actions and love in the world should draw people to God as they are drawn to salt for life.  We as Christians must see our value to the world as salt, and provide that value to others who are seeking God.  We are the salt of the earth.  We have a spiritual value that is as critical to spiritual life as salt is to physical life.  Let’s season the world with salt from God.
Scripture:  Colossians 4:2-6

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, 
   for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:10
            Persecution.  When was the last time we were persecuted for being a Christian?  In today’s world, we may think we are persecuted, but the persecution Jesus is speaking of above is one that we need to consider.  This persecution is based on doing right in the kingdom.  If we are following Jesus in His kingdom, we will be persecuted by those in the world who don’t know Him.  Here is when we have to decide to be persecuted for righteousness.
Paul talked about this persecution in 2 Corinthians 4. His mindset should help us as we go through this life trying to follow God’s will.   Starting in verse 7, Paul tells us that God’s treasure resides with us (jars of clay) in order to show His great power to the world.  In other words, we have the wonderful news of the gospel and are able to share it with others no matter how weak our earthly bodies are.  We have spiritual power from God to show the world His saving grace through Christ.  He made it that way so that people can see His power in our lives.  What a great blessing that is!
Next, Paul describes how our challenges in life do not destroy us no matter what they are.  When we are stressed by life, we make it because of God’s power (vs .  When we are confused by life, we don’t spiral down into a hopeless depression because of our faith in God (vs .  Persecution does not destroy us because God does not abandon us (vs 9).  When our health fails and we feel like Job sitting in the ashes scraping his boils, we do not lose heart because God is with us (vs 9).  What a blessing we have to be in the kingdom of the living God.
Paul, in verses 10-12, explains how we are regenerated for Christ everyday in this world.  How we face the trials and tribulations in our lives matter.  We have death and life in our bodies.  We cannot overcome death on our own, but with Jesus, we express the hope of eternal life through our service to Him.  “Death is at work in us, but life is at work in you” (vs 12). 
Let’s celebrate the blessing of persecutions we have in this life.  Decide to show the world how God can take our frail, human bodies and turn them into power generators for life.  Today show the world the light of the gospel in handling the “light and momentary troubles” in our lives that we know lead to an “eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (vs 17).
Scripture:  2 Corinthians 4.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Matthew 5:9
            Are we peacemakers in this world?  Do we seek peace for ourselves and those around us? Jesus is here telling us that we should seek to become peacemakers in our world in order to fully be His children. 
One scholar postulates the Greek words that we translate “peacemaker” come from the concept of making something whole again.  In fact, he says
Eirene is derived from the verb eiro which means to bind or join together that which is broken or divided. The idea is to set at one again. So we can expand the definition of “peacemaker” as those who facilitate the binding together those who were divided, thus setting them at one. Jesus is referring to those who actively intervene to bind together those that are divided. By making peace, kingdom citizens manifest themselves as sons of God.
Using this idea of peacemaker, we should seek to bring the broken together.  Spiritually, this means that we continue to invite the lost of the world into the peace of God.  We are continually seeking people who do not know God and are looking for the glue to hold their lives together. 
In Ephesians 2, Paul tells us that Jesus is our peacemaker.  Here Paul describes how the blood of Christ enables all people to “have access to the Father by one Spirit.” (2:18)  Jesus is again showing us how to do what he asks us to do.  He says we are blessed by being peacemakers in this world and then He sacrifices Himself on the cross to bring peace between people and God.  Jesus is our ultimate example of a peacemaker. 
The world is a broken place filled with broken people.  Sin continues to separate people from God.  Jesus asks us to help bring the peace of God into their lives.  We don’t have to fight for world peace, but daily bring the peace of God into the world one person at a time. 
Make a commitment this week to become a peacemaker in this world.  Enable the world around us to see the love of God in our lives so that they too can come to enjoy the peace of God that we know, bought and paid for by the blood of Christ.
Scripture:  Ephesians 2: 11-18

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  Matthew 5: 8
            According to one source, 80% of all information we perceive comes from our sense of seeing.  We take in the majority of what we understand about the world around us through our eyes.  In fact, most of our memories are formed by what we see.  So how do we use this dominant sense to see God?
            Paul tells us in Romans 1, verse 20 that we can see God’s invisible qualities through what he has made.  Eternal power and divine nature are seen by examining the world around us.  Based on this assessment, shouldn’t everyone see God?
            Paul, in the same verse, says people are without excuse.  His meaning is clear.  Everyone alive can experience the creation of God and understand who He is from what He has made.  Unfortunately, that’s not the case.  But why?
            Why doesn’t everyone see God in His creation and accept His will in their lives.  Why not just see God in this world?  The reasons are many.  If we acknowledge there is an eternal creator, then we are obligated to follow Him.  That means we must stop doing what we want to do and pick up our cross and follow Him.  This is really the crux of the issue.  People don’t want to give themselves up for anything or anyone.  Why should we?  It’s our life.
            Seeing God means we understand that we are not the ultimate authority.  It means our control is trumped by another. We cannot continue to do whatever we want as opposed to what He wants.  Jesus tells us if we have seen Him, we have seen the Father (John 14:9).  Jesus also says that we are blessed today without seeing Him in the first century (John 20: 29).  Today, let’s open our eyes and see God.  Let’s experience the glory of His work and at the same time acknowledge that He is in control of our lives.  It’s worth 100% of our attention.
Scripture:  John 20:24-29

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  Matthew 5: 7
            Kyrie Eleison is the phrase early Christians used to pray in Greek.  It is translated ‘Lord have mercy’ and reflects their understanding of our relationship to God and His mercy for the world.  What is our understanding of that mercy today in the 21^st century?
            We stand here in the beginning of the year 2012 as masters of all we survey.  The world is our oyster and we like it raw.  We have modern technology, entertainment, and worldly culture that we revel in.  Why do we really need God’s mercy?
            Last Sunday night, we discussed in our family group the story of Hosea and his unfaithful bride Gomer.  God used this dysfunctional marriage example to show the nation of Israel how much He loved them.  Hosea in chapter 3 is told to go buy back Gomer and ask her to be faithful to him.  For “fifteen pieces of silver and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine” Hosea paid the price for Gomer’s freedom; an undeserving unfaithful harlot, so she would return and again be his wife (Hosea 3: 2).  All he asked in return was that she be faithful to him.
            Patricia A. Forseth, in an article about this situation, equates Christians with Gomer.  When we sin, whatever it may be, we separate ourselves from God.  We let our desire for other things take us away from God just like the people in the nation of Israel did in Hosea’s day.  We become hopelessly trapped by sin and death with no way back to God.  And why should God want us back?  We left Him to join with the world in sin.
            Mercy is God paying the price for our freedom.  Instead of paying with silver, barley, and wine, the blood of Jesus paid our ransom.  Forseth’s thesis is that we can only say yes to God’s mercy when we truly understand our slavery to sin.  We are the prodigal son who returns to his father accepting his undeserved favor which we call mercy.  We know we deserve death, but ask for life.  When we fully comprehend who we really are, then and only then, can we completely grasp the prayer Kyrie Eleison.
Scripture:  1 Timothy 1: 12-17

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
   for they will be filled.  Matthew 5: 6
            What do we hunger for?  Each of us has our own favorite meal.  Steak, potatoes, chicken fried chicken, pecan pies, the list is endless.  We each have a desire to eat and fill our stomachs, but why?
            Our bodies are miracles in and of themselves.  We take in food and the stomach transforms it into all the things our bodies need to grow, develop, and just continue running.  We all have sulfuric acid sitting in our stomachs that breaks down the food we eat.  Nutrients are taken to our body via our blood.  Waste products from the process are sent out of the body.  (For more details, just ask Sheila).
            So God has designed us to desire food to ensure that we continue to live.  Food is our unleaded gasoline that keeps us going.  We need food and water to live.  Hunger is God’s way of telling us we need to eat to live.
            Strangely enough, spiritual hunger is God’s way of telling us we need spiritual food.  Every human has a need for God.  No matter the situation.  No matter the age.  No matter the sin.  People need God.  Jesus in Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount blessed those who recognized and acted on this need.  When we understand our soul is telling us we need spiritual food and water, then God is ready to fill that void.
            In John 4 and 6, Jesus speaks to these issues.  He tells the woman at the well that he has living water that will last forever (John 4: 14).  He tells his disciples in John 6 that He is the bread of life (vs 35) and that we will never hunger and thirst again as His followers.  That is a promise with enduring ramifications.  Our bodies age and grow frail.  They break down and eventually stop working.  But our eternal soul lives forever and sating our hunger for God with the teachings of Jesus will never let us down or feeling empty.  Let’s fill our soul’s hunger for God with eternal food.
Scripture:  John 4 and 6
 

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  Matthew 5: 5
            Who are the meek and why are they going to inherit the earth?  Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount relates to the people by quoting David in the Psalms.  In Psalms 37:11, David writes that “the meek will inherit the land.”  Jesus returns to this passage to reinforce the blessings for the people in his audience.  But why?
            The idea that the meek will inherit the earth is not new.  Jesus reiterated the promise in the form of a blessing in the Sermon on the Mount.  In Psalm 37, David is making a contrast with those that are evil and good people.  In fact, in verse 9, he writes that the evil will be cut off and those who “hope in the Lord will inherit the land.”  In verse 10, he indicates the wicked will be no more prior to saying the meek will inherit the earth.  Notice that David is reassuring the people that God will bring His righteous judgment and those who are patient will ultimately triumph.
            But who really wants to be meek?  We often hear the word meek and think timid or mousey.  Good Texicans aren’t meek.  We stand up for ourselves and others.  Meekness is not in our DNA…or is it?  David uses several descriptive terms to identify who the meek are.  In verse 1, he tells us the meek are not envious of the evil people.  God’s people do good and trust God (vs 3).  The  meek delight in the Lord and are blessed (vs 4).  The meek commit to God while we wait patiently for him (vs 5,7).  We refrain from anger, wrath, and fretting because that only leads us to evil (vs .  The meek inherit the earth because they are God’s people.
            Meekness is a trait of Godly people.  Sometimes that is one of the changes that occur in our lives as we begin to seek God.  We understand that we need to transform ourselves by the renewing of our minds as Paul tells us in Romans 12:2.  We become new creations in Christ that yearn to draw near God as we read about in 2 Corinthians 5:17.  Meekness doesn’t mean that we are subservient to other people.  It means we choose to serve God and not ourselves.  That is the change that makes us God’s meek people who inherit everything.  Meekness is Christian DNA.
Scripture:  Matthew 5: 3-12
 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 5: 3
            The Sermon on the Mount is Matthew’s rendition of Jesus’ ministry to the masses.  He sat down and started teaching about the new kingdom he was instituting on earth.  The words were new and different for those hearing Him on that mountainside in Galilee.  He talked about God’s kingdom and how they were to live in it.  Jesus was a change agent of God for the earth and He still is today.
            Jesus begins His sermon by talking about those who are blessed.  He does not say you who are rich are blessed.  He does not say you religious people are blessed.  He does not say you famous people are blessed.  He literally turns their world upside down by identifying the weak and oppressed as blessed in the Lord’s kingdom.  How do we today process that image?
            Blessings are in the eye of the beholder.  We live in a free nation:  blessing.  We live in a modern society:  blessing.  We have loving families:  blessing.   We are saved by the blood of Jesus without any preexisting condition on our part:  blessing.  Are these the blessings that Jesus was talking about in the first century?
            Jesus identified nine types of people that are blessed in the Kingdom of God.  Each of these categories is also identified with a specific kind of blessing.  First, he tells us that blessed Christians are in the Kingdom of Heaven.  That is the ultimate blessing of life.  Additionally, Jesus does not say they will eventually get into heaven.  He says that is their blessing.  We need to seek that blessing as we go through this temporal world and not hope for it after this life.
            I mentioned the blessing of the Kingdom, but who really is eligible.  The first group Jesus mentions is the “poor in spirit.”  Ever wondered who these people are in the Kingdom of Heaven?  In Luke 6: 20, Jesus just says the poor are blessed with the Kingdom of God.  Many people understand these lines to mean that His ministry was to both the spiritually and financially poor; those with no creditable means of support in the secular or religious world.  Who are these people today who have God’s Kingdom?
            That is the real question for us today.  Who are these disenfranchised people today?  In the first century, Christ ministered to those who needed the doctor.  He brought hope to people without it; people not good enough by societal standards.  This idea that we are blessed spiritually should resonate for us as we try to live in this world.  Blessings in life are often a matter of our perspective.  Let us revel in the Kingdom of God and trust our King to bless us.
Scripture:  Matthew 5: 3-12