This morning we’re beginning a whole new series of messages from the Sermon on the Mount - Matthew chapters 5 to 7.  Before we get there, let me share some background on what this series is about.

About 1500 years ago the emperor of Rome - Valentinian III built a tomb for his beloved sister Galla Placidia - the Mausoleum of Galla Placidia - which still stands today in Ravenna, Italy.  The small building was designed in the shape of a cross with a vaulted ceiling covered with colorful mosaics - swirling glittering stars - the twelve apostles - and Jesus as the Good Shepherd - surrounded by sheep in paradise.  These are incredible mosaics.  The chapel is on the World Heritage list.

Visitors who’ve seen these mosaics as pictures - like in travel books or on the net - can be really disappointed when they enter the mausoleum.  The structure has tiny windows - that let in limited amounts of light.  When the door gets shut it gets really really dark.  The vision of the Good Shepherd in a starry paradise - heaven - is hidden in a veil of darkness.

From what I understand - people will stand - packed together - a herd of tourists - in darkness - in a building that smells like - well, like a tomb - because it is - smelling the odors of the people around them - the perfume - the sweat - gazing into the darkness - waiting for light to shine on the mosaics. 

In the mausoleum there are there’s a metal box.  When someone puts 300 lira - about 25 cents - into that box - it triggers the spotlights.  For a brief period of time these people - who’ve endured all the darkness and smell - get a glimpse of what’s above. (1)

Our trying to understand the Kingdom of God is like that.  Imagine God.  What’s He like?  What’s it like for Him to be holy - almighty - all knowing - eternally existing transcendent of time.  What’s it like to dwell in God’s presence?  The blinding radiance - the magnificence - the awesomeness beyond anything we can even begin to begin to begin to imagine.  How are we to understand God?  How are we to understand God’s kingdom - the universal sovereignty of God - in particular His sovereign rule over the affairs of history - over human life - over our lives.

We’re like those tourists - crowded together - waiting for a glimpse of the Divine.

The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus illuminating God’s kingdom - what it means to live in relationship with the Sovereign God - knowing Him and being known by Him.  What that relationship is like down at the level where we live life.

What you’re looking at is the traditional site where most people think Jesus shared the Sermon on the Mount.  Its more like the Sermon on the Hill - not a mountain.  A giant amphitheatre - with the Sea of Galilee - the water to amplify Jesus’ voice up the hill.

Jesus was at the height of his popularity.  Crowds were coming to Him from all over.  Wherever Jesus went the crowds went.  One day, Jesus looked at these crowds of people - Jesus sits down - probably in this location - and begins to teach these thousands of people what it means to know God’s presence in our lives.  To give them a glimpse of what it means to live life with the living God.

Coming to Matthew 5 - verse 1 - these are pretty familiar verses so I’d like to have us read them out loud together - to get them fresh in our minds.  Then we’ll come back and make some observations and application.

Starting at verse 1:  When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down His disciples came to Him.  He opened His mouth and began to teach them saying,  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

First observation.  We need to understand what Jesus means by being “blessed.”

These verses are what have been called the what? “The Beatitudes.”  Beatitude comes from the Latin “beatitudo” meaning “a state of blessedness”  9 times Jesus says, “Blessed are…”  What does Jesus mean by that? 

Do you all know what starts this Thursday night?  8:00 p.m., on CBS?  Survivor China.  That’s must see TV.

Anyone know who this person is?  Remember Katie Gallagher?  The local Mercedian who was on Survivor a couple years ago?  Katie came in second to New York Firefighter Tom Westman - the ultimate survivor.  Westman got the $1 million prize.  Gallagher - for being #2 - got $100,000.

Imagine this - a group of people from all kinds of backgrounds - from all over the place - trying to survive together and yet at the same time they’re competing against each other.  After each round of competition they do what?  They vote to see who gets kicked out.  For whatever reason - you’re lazy - you cheated - you’re too old - you’re ugly - your mother wears army boots - whatever.

The ultimate goal is what?  Not to get voted out.  To survive.  Survival is by using people.  Making alliances.  Breaking alliances.  There’s betrayal and suspicion.  Nobody trusts anybody.  The winner is the person who’s able to use the others more ruthlessly - more hurtfully - at whatever cost to ensure their own survival.

Sounds kind of like life.  Doesn’t it?

We live in a world where survival depends on us.  Success doesn’t involve character.  Success involves the ability to climb over anyone else on the way to the top.  Cheat - lie - steal - be an adulterer - fornicate - do what it takes.  And, its all okay as long as you don’t get caught - as long as you’re moving up.  More wealth - more toys - more power - more control over others.

“Blessed” is the Greek word “markarios.”  It means a whole lot more than some passing surface emotion - or having things seemingly go right for us.  “Blessed” has the idea of a profound sense of essential well being - of being rightly aligned at the core of who we are.  Being centered on what’s important in life and experiencing a peace - a settledness in our hearts - as a result.  That blessing is what God brings to us in the reality of where we live our lives.

In the midst of what this world tries to abuse us with - conform us to - beat us down with - in the midst of the survival mentality of this world - God offers each of us something tremendously different.  His approval - His provision for our lives - His healing - His purpose for us - life in His kingdom - knowing God and being known by Him.

We are blessed by God.  Say that with me, “We are blessed by God.”

Second observation:  We need to understand where God’s blessing touches our lives.  Jesus’ “blesseds” are a description of what it means to live blessed by God.

Jesus begins:  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”  

Jesus is talking to a crowd of diverse thousands - multi-ethnic - multi-cultural - from every economic strata - the suffering and sick - average people just trying to get by - people from different religious backgrounds - religious leaders proud of their piety and traditions.

To Jesus’ listeners - life with God meant sacrifices - regulations - traditions - impossible standards of holiness - condemnation and ostracism for failure - hundreds of laws imposed by the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Who’s Jesus talking to?  He’s talking to the “poor in spirit” who’ve been told all their lives - that spiritually - you don’t have what it takes.  You’ll never measure up.  Ever feel that way?  And yet, Jesus says we’re blessed by God.

Some versions of the Bible render Jesus’ teaching like this:  “Happy are those who are spiritually poor.” (GNB, TLB)  Which sounds silly.  Just think happy thoughts and it’ll be okay.

I googled “happiness.”  Did you know that eBay has happiness for sale?  Find happiness at Amazon.com.  There was this one site that advertised a technique called Holographic Creation.  For only $28.19 they’ll send you this book that will teach you how to create your own happy space reality.

How can we be happy if we never measure up?  No matter what we do - whatever we achieve or fill our lives with - even the pursuit of God - how can we know God’s blessing if deep down we know we fail?    

To be poor in spirit means admitting that we don’t measure up.  That we’re powerless to control our penchant for doing the wrong thing.  Jesus says of the poor in spirit, “theirs is the kingdom of heaven” - present tense.  God has already brought His kingdom down to those who realize they can never measure up to God.

Look where Jesus goes with this - verse 4:  “Blessed are those who mourn - those who cry and weep over their sins - for they shall be comforted.”

Jesus enters into Jerusalem on what we celebrate as Palm Sunday.  At some point - in the midst of all that confusion - Jesus comes to a place where He can see the whole city of Jerusalem laid out in front of Him.  Luke writes, “When Jesus saw the city He wept over it.”  He mourned. (Luke 19:41)

In one instant of time Jesus is confronted with the sin of Jerusalem - their hopeless situation.  He sees all the sins the people have committed - the spiritual poverty of the people - their coming judgment because of sin - His crucifixion and carrying of their sin - and ours - and Jesus mourns over the city.

That’s what Jesus means by mourning.  Feeling the depth of our own spiritual bankruptcy - mourning the cost and depth of our sin.  Feeling the spiritual poverty of those we live with - those around us - who like us are crying out - in the same ways that we cry out.  Who have the same needs and struggles - and who sin as we sin - and desperately need to know God’s comfort and healing - His blessing.

Jesus says, God blesses - comforts - those who mourn - who realize their need - their spiritual poverty - and are open and ready and crying out to God for His comfort.  That’s not a bunch of spiritual happy thoughts.

God has answered our cry with the comfort of salvation and life in Jesus Christ.  In Isaiah 61:3, Isaiah writes that Jesus comes to give “the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”  In Jesus, God Himself comforts us. (see also Matthew 11:4-6; Luke 4:18-21; 7:22)

“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He - what?  loved us an sent His Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven.”  (1 John 4:10)

“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ - what?  died for us.”  (Romans 5:8)

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the - what?  gift of God.”  (Ephesians 2:8)

Hear this:  Jesus isn’t talking about how to be blessed - how to earn God’s blessing.  He’s talking about being blessed - no matter who we are - no matter how we’ve failed - no matter how ugly and stunk up with sin we are - we’ve been blessed by God.  The kingdom is ours.  God’s comfort is ours.

That’s revolutionary.  Life transforming.

Bottom line:  We’re powerless to free ourselves from our failure and sin.  But, God is not.  God has already blessed us by dealing with our failure and sin through Jesus Christ.

We’re blessed because God has come to us.  Say that with me, “God has come to us.”

Jesus goes on - verse 5:  “Blessed are the gentle - or some translations render this “meek” - same word in Greek - “praus” - blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

I read about J. Upton Dickson who wrote a book entitled, “Cower Power.” Have you heard this?  According to the story - Dickson founded an organization for submissive people called DOORMATS - an acronym for Dependent Organization Of Really Meek And Timed Souls.  Their motto is:  “The meek shall inherit the earth - if that’s okay with everybody.”

When we think of meekness we often think of weakness.  Like being a doormat that says “STEP HERE.”  People who just sort of lay there and let the world wipe their feet all over them.

But, meekness is not what? weakness.  That is so misunderstood in our survive at all costs - gain the world by destroying others - society.  The meek are those who have chosen to commit their lives and will to God’s care and control.

Jesus goes on - verse 6:  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Picture the scene of starving people in a Third World country.  Children - dying with swollen stomachs.  People are desperate - without hope.  Day after day the only task is survival.

When the trucks arrive with water and bags of grain how do the people respond?  Indifferent?  Like they don’t really need what’s on the truck?  Politely?  “May I please have a sack of grain and some water.  If its not too much trouble.”

Women - mothers - will throw themselves in front of a moving truck to get it to stop so the children can swarm onto it.  In a matter of minutes the children will strip it clean.  Actually happens.  These people are desperate - starving - hungering and thirsting - surging towards the truck - jostling with each other.  Nothing will keep them back from what they desperately need.

Way too often we delude ourselves - filling up on junk - religious experiences - creature comforts - endless activity.  We’re far too easily satisfied with what keeps us from what we desperately need.

The result is far from be blessed.  When we live life our way we live empty.  There’s a void within that never gets filled.  A purposelessness.  A uselessness to life.  There’s fear - uncertainty - guilt - pain.

We need a passion - a desperation for righteousness - for living life God’s way.

The Greek word for “satisfy” is ”chortazo” - it has the idea of fattening up cattle.  Happy cows come from where?  California.  Well feed.  Satisfied.

Blessed are those who passionately desire to live as God requires.  Who passionately desire to allow Him to transform our hearts into conformity with His heart - to remove from us whatever keeps us back from living life as He would have us live life.  That kind of life is the only kind of life that really satisfies.

Bottom line:  When we’re willing to totally commit our lives to God - to passionately pursue what He has for us in life - living life as He would have us live life - God takes care of the rest - supplying all that we need - satisfying us - even at the depths of our hearts.

We’re blessed because God will satisfy our deepest needs.  Say that with me, “God will satisfy our deepest needs.”

Jesus’ goes on - another blessing - verse 7:  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

Peter comes to Jesus and asks Him, “Lord, how may times can my brother sin against me before I don’t have to forgive him any more?”  Jesus answers Peter, “You should forgive your brother” - what?  “70 times 7”  490 times - a limitless amount of times.

Why?  Because our example of mercy is God.  We sinners deserve the wrath of God - to be leveled by God forever and ever amen.  But God is merciful towards us - holds back His wrath.  Do we deserve mercy?  No.  Can we earn God’s mercy?  No.

Jesus is talking to people who probably never had received mercy from those who were over them.  Feels like that sometimes - doesn’t it?  It would be so easy to become bitter - resentful - angry.  There are times when we’d really like to level somebody.  Probably be justified in doing so.  Be honest.  Tell them what to do with themselves because of they way they’ve treated us.   

But Jesus is saying that we’ve been blessed by God - in that - regardless of what we’ve done to God - He’s shown us mercy.  Point being:  Those who show mercy to others understand God’s mercy towards them.

Jesus goes on with this -  verse 8:  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

A boy and a girl look at each other and love passes between them.  They see each other - not only with their eyes - but with their hearts. 

Even when Jesus was dealing with the outer issues of people’s lives - healing them - feeding them - when Jesus looked at people he saw their hearts.  Not the outside stuff that we tend to focus on.  But the core of who they were.  Their feelings and desires and thoughts and passions.  Their will.  Even where they were spiritually in their relationship with God.

A pure heart is a heart that’s 100% sold out to God.  Not 50% - not 70% - not 90% - but 100%.

God wants to work in our hearts - to deal with us at the core of who we are.  To purify us - cleanse us.  The pure in heart are those who are willing to allow God to examine their hearts - to remove anything there that’s not of Him.  So that nothing clouds our vision of God.  Nothing hinders our relationship with Him. 

Then Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.”

Jim Walton was translating the New Testament for the Muinane people of La Sabana in the jungles of Colombia. But he was having trouble translating the word peace.

During this time the village chief Fernando was promised a 20-minute plane ride to a location that would have taken him 3 days to travel by walking.  The plane was delayed in arriving at La Sabana - so Chief Fernando left on foot.  When the plane finally came a runner took off to bring Fernando back.  But by the time they returned the plane had left.

Chief Fernando was ticked - angry because of the mix-up.  He went to Jim Walton and started yelling.

Fortunately - Jim Walton taped the chief's angry tirade.  When Jim later translated it, he discovered that the chief kept repeating the phrase, "I don't have one heart." Jim asked other villagers what having "one heart" meant and he found that it was like saying, "There is nothing between you and the other person." That - Jim realized - was what he needed to translate the word peace.

We experience peace within us when there’s nothing between us and God - we have one heart with God - nothing is held back from Him.  We bring God’s peace into the circumstances of our lives - we act like His children in the lives of those around us - when we’ve trusted God with our hearts.

Bottom line:  Mercy comes from God.  Purity of heart comes from God.  Peace comes from God.

We’re blessed because of God’s work in our hearts.  Say that with me, “God’s work in our hearts.”

Then verses 10 to 12.  “Blessed are who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” 

In all three verses the word of persecution is “dioko.”  The idea is pursuit - a relentless - dug-in - thought-through commitment to hurt somebody - to put them down or destroy them.

Anyone here enjoy watching the name of Jesus dragged through the mud?  Or, Christians shredded in the media?  Having your morals and values and beliefs continually assaulted - ridiculed - or laughed at?  While we’re trying to live for God at work or at school or out doing the normal stuff of life - it is amazing how quickly - if we take stand for God - it is amazing how quickly we can be put down - attacked - marginalized - nailed for doing what meets God’s approval.

The world loves to hate.  It enjoys its cherished hatreds.  And it loves to relentlessly hate Christians.  Behind all that is Satan.

God is blessing this congregation.  Amen?  People are coming to know Jesus.  Lives are being changed.  There are increasingly amazing opportunities for ministry that God is opening up to us.  We’re excited about all this.  There’s a sense that we’re on in the midst of something awesome.  God is blessing.

Do you think that Satan is just jumping for joy about all this?  “Alright!  Those people at Creekside are being blessed by God.”  Satan hates us to the core of we are.

John wrote, “Don’t be surprised if the world hates you.”  (1 John 3:13).  To follow Jesus is to be hated by the world - to become a target of our Adversary.

The people Jesus was talking to probably didn’t see themselves on the same level as the Old Testament prophets.  Most of us don’t - see ourselves as legendary spiritual giants.  But Jesus’ point is that its all the same battle - the prophets - the cross - Merced. 

God blessed those who have gone before us in the battle.  God will bless us.  As we suffer and struggle today we know that God has prepared a great reward for us in heaven.

Bottom line:  We are blessed with an eternal reward.  Say that with me, “We are blessed with an eternal reward.”

One thought of application.

It is significant that Jesus shares the Sermon on the Mount - on this hill by the Sea of Galilee.  The people could look around.  They’d see the fields where many of them worked.  Saw the sea where many of them fished.  They could look off in the distance where the town was that many of them were from.  Where they had their homes - families - businesses.  All around them were the things of their everyday lives.

Jesus taught in places where people came to get water - where people caught fish - collected taxes - shared their meals.  He spoke in synagogues.  But most of His contact with people was where they lived their everyday lives.  God entering into the stuff of our lives.

When Jesus talks about what it means to live in relationship with the sovereign God - Jesus isn’t sharing some abstract theological concept.  He’s talking to people like us - who are trying to live for God out there.

People who are crunched for time.  Who are dealing with issues of stress and fatigue.  Who often feel disappointed in themselves.  Who wonder why their faith isn’t deeper.  Who are scaling back on their dreams.  Who are trying to make it financially.  People who’s bodies are increasingly unreliable.  Wondering if the best years of their lives are over.  Who wonder how God is relevant to where they live their lives outside of Sunday morning.

Doesn’t your heart long to know the blessing of God’s presence in your life?  The One who sees you as you are and loves you deeply - mercifully?  Who longs to comfort and heal you?  To fill you with His peace?  To satisfy your deepest needs?  The God who has prepared an eternity for you with Him?

Hear this - realize this for yourself - right now - remind yourself of this each day this week - in the midst of whatever’s going on in your life - God has come to you.  God has blessed you.  Say that with me for yourself, “God has blessed me.”

_______________

1.  Sky Jethani, Glimpses of Glory, Leadership, Summer 2007