Beatitude Back Story Matthew 5
There isn’t a more encouraging passage of Scripture that influences and instructs and challenges the church to embrace who she is than Matthew 5. Before you break down Matthew 5 you have to have the backstory first. You have to see the gospel within it to really apply it to your life and the church. There are layers of orthodoxy in Jesus’ teaching. There are three I want to point out in Matthew 5 for us today. 1. Location, Loaction, Location. 2. It takes a city and 3. Citizen Jesus.
First, The Sermon on the Mount takes place on a side of a mountain overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Relators say it’s, “Location, location, location,” because they know the right location sells. Why did he choose this place for this message? There was a reason it was a wedding he turned water to wine. There was meaning in the upper room he chose for the last supper. When my wife and I were married, there was a reason we were married on an Air Force Base in DC. Her father who had passed away was an Air Force Chaplain and her Step Father was also an Air Force Chaplain. Being married in a chapel on an Air Base was communicating layers of a story that we wanted to tell. When Jesus finished teaching on faith then pushed off into the sea before a storm hit their sea craft it was to engage their faith on the water from teaching to practical application.
In Jesus choosing this Hill Side He is about to describe a community, a city of people in his sermon on the mount. He places them where this metaphor perfectly illustrates what they are to be. We will see that it takes more than one candle’s light to pierce the darkness in this world. It will take more than a village to be salt and light. It will take a city, a holy city.
Second, Jesus walks us through street-by-street, brick by brick who this holy city is comprised of. He declares that it’s citizens will be unlike any city on this planet. They will be unlike any city they have ever experienced before. He says its citizens will be blessed and we will find out this word is very specific for this city.
When we think of cities in general, we think of places like New York City or Chicago that offer jobs for her citizens, promises of wealth and stardom with towers stretching into the air to live in. Or maybe we think of a fortified city with walls protecting her citizens. What Jesus does in Matthew 5 is tell us, it is going to take a city. This gospel work is not a task for the successful as the world describes them. It is not a task for just one or two. Living this Christian life is going to take us being something peculiar, something other worldly, that stands out from the shadows of the common. It will take more than coming to church two or three times a month because you like the worship, message or your kids have fun in the children’s program. It will take much more than the former to be blessed.
In Matthew 5:14, right after he has gone through the beatitudes he says “14 l“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” Jesus has just described who lives in this city and only such citizens, living together, will cast a light that will reach to the nations. Here, the multitude sits on the side of a mountain as Jesus draws a picture for them, as if they were that city already. Are you a part of such a city? Do you think that having a relationship with God apart from church will create enough light to break through the darkness? Is your city displaying a gospel light together or does it seem like a lot of different lights spewing out in different directions? Is there any light at all coming out or is it all directed at itself? Are you boldly sharing the gospel light encouraged by those around you who are? Or do you feel alone and and often hide your light because you feel inadequate, poorly taught, or fearful of what the world’s response will be?
You can’t have Jesus change your life and then expect to do life on your own apart from the city that He has just described. This city can’t be independent from our faith. So, I must speak to the macro and the micro dimensions of this city on this hill. First the micro, it’s not always easy being a witness for Jesus Christ. Jesus has told us, in his sermon, that we will be persecuted. If that’s not redefing worldly success I don’t know what is. He also said that when we empty ouselves, we will be refilled when living for him. The fundamental contradictions abound here that require faith to accept them. Even easier when you’re not the only one hearing them. It is easier, to be a witness when you know you are one in a city who is doing the same. The city struggles with the same struggles and persecutions. They are boldly declaring the gospel. When many are being challenged in their faith together, you along with the many other citizens will faithfully display the light of the kingdom of God that Jesus has described in Matthew 5.
There can also be negative effects on a corporate, macro, level too. When your city (church) isn’t helping to teach a common orthodoxy that helps them to denote objective truth from the world’s they can be left to blow in the wind. This happens when churches don’t teach the full breath of scripture. They may avoid controversial passages or unpopular cultural topics, so the city wrestles with difficult cultural teachings on their own and they find themselves alone as a single light amidst the dark landscape.
Too often, when a single light is left alone in these situations the person chooses to hide their light under a bowl, because the gospel isn’t being displayed in corporate unity. Sound orthodoxy and strong hermeneutics are crucial at this macro level. The city needs God’s word to be rightly divided and taught without apology. It’s the gospel word that transforms everything. They must know that there is an objective truth that can be their confidence and comforter so all of the lights work as one magnificent light to pierce the vast darkness on the horizon. We must believe that our light will swallow up that darkness. To be this light it takes more than one, it takes more than a village. It takes the blessed, the successful citizens in a city of God on a hill.
Third, we discover Jesus has modeled this citizenship for us. The greatest encouragement we can find is the gospel picture Christ is painting on this mountain side. Before we see these beatitudes are about us as citizens of His Kingdom, we must first see that they are about Him. He is describing himself in the context of the gospel. The word Jesus uses for blessed is best defined in the Hebrew and Greek as successful, well off, fortunate (makarios). When I was in seminary Dr. Blevins would have the class yell makarios! And make noise to affirm our teaching that day. It was to affirm that our teaching in the New Testament that day was successful and that we are better off today than we were yesterday because of our teaching. Out of that teaching we would be more successful in the kingdom of God. Today we think of success as someone who is wealthy or popular, powerful, and that lends well to our thinking of a city in this world. What Jesus does in this sermon is redefines what success is. Read Matthew 5 and insert the word successful where you see the word blessed.
Matthew 5 3 r“Blessed are sthe poor in spirit, for utheirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are vthose who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the wmeek, for they wshall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and xthirst yfor righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are zthe merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are athe pure in heart, for bthey shall see God. 9 “Blessed are cthe peacemakers, for dthey shall be called esons1 of God. 10 f“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for utheirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 g“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely hon my account. 12 iRejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for jso they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Jesus was successful in giving us the kingdom of heaven because he became poor, emptying himself out unto death so that we might be filled with the riches of heaven. He was successful in living a life for others, serving others, living selflessly. We can be encourage and find strength to do the same when we see that Jesus was successful in meekness. The inheritance of the world is a quote from Psalm 37:11 which foretells the destruction of evildoers.” When the wickedness is gone, it will be the meek and righteous who will be left to inherit the kingdom that will come the new heaven and new earth. Jesus was successful in extending mercy in that on the cross He took the wrath of God when it was ours to receive and successfully extends mercy to us. When we can see he did this, we can too. Jesus brought peace between us while we were still enemies. Romans 5:10 says, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.” We have been emancipated and there is now peace between us and our heavenly father. He was persecuted by the world, cursed and rejected by the very ones he would die for. In Luke 23 They cursed him and he prayed father forgive them… When we can see he was able to exchange persecution with forgiveness, it makes it easier for us to do the same for those who persecute us for our faith.
We will be faithful citizens on the side of this mountain, shining the light of the gospel because Jesus was a citizen in this kingdom before us. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, 5 iTrust in the Lord with all your heart, and jdo not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways kacknowledge him, and he lwill make straight your paths.” We can trust in the Lord because he has had to do what we are called to do now. When we acknowledge him and his success, we can then be successful for Him in the same ways he was for us. When we are in the right location, living life with the city, and have Jesus as our example of a citizen in this city, he makes our paths, our light, our choices our life straight. This call to be different, should encourage us. You are not alone in this. You are an important part of a beautiful city of God already. There are those in the darkness depending on our city light for rescue out of the dark waves of torment. Trust His words and call today.
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