Mission 66 (English podcast)
Matthew 05 A Surprising Spirituality
You know, life treats us really unfairly at times. And we can't always get justice and we're not to seek revenge because God reserves that for Himself. So sometimes the only appropriate thing is to mourn and we will be comforted by God at some point. Today, we continue our focus on the Gospels. Mission 66 originates from the ministry of Bible teacher and pastor Dr. Louis Cau and is produced and heard in multiple languages around the world in partnership with Transworld Radio. Let me remind you to download your free study guide of the Gospels. You'll be able to go deeper into God's Word and follow along with each day's program. It's a great companion resource of the audio teaching of John Matthews and Esther Susullo. To get your free study guide of the Gospels, visit mission66.org, that's mission66.org. Get ready for some serious discussion as John Matthews and his co-host Esther Susullo take us through today's study. And we invite you to join us in our series of studies in the Gospels. My name is Esther, your host and together let's find out more about the Kingdom of God from Matthew chapter 5. Now I have to tell you today, I'm really excited because we'll be looking at one of the most beautiful passages in the book of Matthew that brings a very important lesson as well. Jesus is well-known sermon on the Mount and if you didn't know about it, well you're going to find out more as we get into this teaching with our teacher John Matthews. But just briefly, we are dealing with what Christian character should be like in contrast to the messed up values of this world. So that's what you can look forward to as we delve into our theme, a surprising spirituality. Hey John. Yeah, Esther, great to be with you as always and a very warm welcome to you all once again listening wherever you are today. It's so good to be with you. And now let's start with this then, you've teed us up nicely there Esther. What about these kind of people? Perhaps you've met them. We'll say they're people who consider themselves righteous because they may support some virtuous cause and they think perhaps then that enables them to rank themselves better than you because you do not follow them in their support of their favor at virtuous cause. Or perhaps you know people who look down on other people who are caught in a certain type of sin and so they preach long and hard condemning other people's sins. But you know they're actually guilty of their own sins which may be just as bad or perhaps people who choose to evaluate their own conduct and the things that they've done and then merits by comparing themselves to those who they consider worse sinners than they are or worse people than they are. Perhaps if you're not familiar or that familiar with the term sinner. They may say I must be okay because I don't do that particular sin or that particular wrong. Well when we get to Matthew 5, Jesus is going to surprise us with God's true perspective in what has become known as the Sermon on the Mount and in chapters 5, 6 and 7, Jesus is going to cause us to realize that there really is nobody who meets the standard. There's nobody virtuous that when we compare our life with God's standard of perfection that is the standard of the Kingdom of Heaven that nobody measures up. Yet even though we fail to measure up to perfection these are God's virtues that we're to strive for in our own personal walk of faith. Let's begin in chapter 5 when Jesus goes up onto a mountain and speaks to crowds following him and he starts off his Sermon on the Mount with what are called the Beatitudes. That is in other words a list of virtuous qualities which if we follow them will be blessed by God. Jesus says in Matthew 5 verse 3, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." What do you think of when you hear the word "blessed" Esther? What would you say is a blessed person? Yeah, I think a truly blessed person is a joyful person in the complete sense of the word, a person who perhaps is doing well in life, is empowered, has enough to eat maybe, and even has God's favour and is spiritually fulfilled. Yeah, and that sounds right doesn't it from a spiritual perspective and I think it's a good way of saying it, Jesus says that the poor in spirit are blessed. But what do you reckon poor in spirit means? Because that's a difficult one sometimes isn't it for us to get our heads around? I think it means being humble. People who don't think they have all the answers, people who are willing to admit they are not perfect, people who need God's help. You're right, those who are poor in spirit realise their need, realise that something is missing, that there's an insufficiency maybe you could call it, of their need for some kind of help and so they're sad, they're sad about their sins when that happens. As Jesus says in verse 4, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." What do you reckon about that one? Yeah, well I guess we all have to mourn the loss of a loved one or when we lose something that's dear to us, so maybe heart breaks, yeah. Yeah, that's right and isn't the Lord and Jesus able to comfort us and comfort those who mourn when that happens. I think this speaks as well, not only of that and not only about people who mourn over the sadness they feel about the things that they've done wrong, their sins or those who mourn the loss of a loved one but also those who have to endure injustice that is a part of life, people perhaps who are robbed, cheated, misrepresented, denied, beaten up. You know, life treats us unfairly at times and the reality is we can't always get justice and we're not to seek revenge because God reserves that for himself. So sometimes the only appropriate thing to do is to mourn and we will be comforted by God at some point. He goes on as Jesus to say in verse 5, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." It means the humble people, those who are willing to listen to God, who may not own much on this earth but they will be rewarded for their faith and he goes on as Jesus to say, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." You know, those who are poor of spirit feel, a spiritual weakness, those who mourn do so because they find out that they're sinners and that they are far from God, that they've done things wrong and they need a solution to that. Those who are humble realize their weakness and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness to be right with God are those who know and understand and realize the need for divine righteousness because everything seems so unjust. Then Jesus says in verse 10, "Blessed are those who are persecuted, for righteousness is sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." And you know, John, I've seen it that there are sometimes Christians who are persecuted and mistreated for no other reason than their faith in Jesus Christ and I think God is especially eager to comfort those people, isn't that true? Yeah, that is right, Esther, and make no mistake, God will avenge us if we suffer wrongly for his sake and that day is coming. But meantime, remember our theme is surprising spirituality and surprisingly here are some characteristics that people would probably never think of or even perhaps desire such as mourning, being humble, being hungry for righteousness. What does that mean? Being merciful and persecuted because of righteousness, but these are the very characteristics that should mark somebody's life or start to mark somebody's life if they follow Christ or start to follow him. After receiving salvation, there's an onus on us, there's something that says we need to press on to the kingdom of God, the kingdom that Jesus is talking about here. So the people who realize what their faults are, the people who understand their weakness and are hungry to be right or for righteousness because they do not have that rightness themselves and they know it. These are the people who have their hearts purified because they know the God that can bring us peace. Believers who are willing to stand for Christ, even if you get laughed at or are persecuted, these are the people that Jesus is referring to here in chapter five. And it's a long chapter and we don't have time to discuss every point in depth, but we will try to hit the high points. And Jesus says to those who are listening in verse 13, "You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand where it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven. There's a need to be salt and light in this world, salt it's a preservative, isn't it? It fights off corruption. Salted meat is preserved from spoiling, light dispels darkness, one match. Lit on a dark night can light the whole bath, cannot be snuffed out, by the darkness. Then Jesus says, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished." You see, until heaven and earth disappear, this will be so. Jesus says that he came to fulfill the law and that he's not rejecting that which was given in the past and his demands will go even beyond that. For example, about the law, Jesus says in verse 21, "You have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not murder, and whoever murders will be liable to judgment. 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." He continues and begins then to talk about adultery mentioning what the law says in verse 27, Jesus' words. He says, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery, but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away, for it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away." Whoa, that's a very heavy statement. Do you think he meant to literally chop off your hand? Yeah, it does seem rather extreme that Esther, doesn't it? Look, I think what Jesus is saying here is get rid of anything in your life that causes you to sin because it's really serious business. So if something is just getting you down and it's a repeat sin, Jesus is saying you've got to be ruthless with that sin and the way you approach that sin. As we move on, the question is, I'm going to sort of rhetorical question, but what did the law have to say then about divorce? And Jesus goes on here, "The law of Moses allowed it according to what's written in Deuteronomy." That's the Old Testament. But here in verse 31, this is what it says, "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce. What I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife except on the ground of sexual immorality makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorce woman commits adultery. And what about oaths?" Well, Jesus said, "You don't have to emphasize your statement by swearing." Simply say yes or no. And about vengeance, which is many times presented and even celebrated in the Old Testament itself, when it comes up as retributive justice, Jesus says in verse 38, "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, 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. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, we'll let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles, give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. And Jesus will continue, won't he, to surprise all those who listen to this across the centuries." In verse 43, he says, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, 'Love your enemies.'" Did we hear that right? Is that what Jesus is really saying? Is that even possible? Well, let's read it again. This is what Jesus says, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be sons of your father who is in heaven, for he makes his son rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect. My dear listeners, the things that Jesus says here in the Sermon and the Mount are very surprising. And these are things that do not come naturally to us, lost and misguided human beings. You know, it's so true, it's very challenging. But honestly, it sounds to me like Jesus is demanding perfection in order to be saved. That's the impression, isn't it, that you might get reading that in isolation. But this is the beautiful thing about this. Jesus is not talking about how to obtain salvation here, but rewards for doing good. He's saying, if you want to know what God's standards are, if you want to know what true ethics look like, here it is. It is not what man thinks is virtuous, it is not what you or I believe is virtuous. This is a whole different standard, completely, because this is God's standard. Yeah, and obviously no one should look at the Sermon on the mountain and say, well, that's me, you know, I'm almost there, I'm doing it. No, I think that this passage humiliates us, because whenever we feel like we're doing all right, the words of Jesus, they shoot us down. Well, I think the words perhaps humble us, because Jesus was never in the business of humiliation. That wasn't his way. But the truth is that we have to trust Jesus for salvation, not on our own ability to keep a law, the law, whether it be the law of Moses or a list of regulations. But you know, even after we are saved, we still need to press on toward perfection. You know, the supreme ethic of the kingdom of heaven is be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect, it's something, though, that we know is not possible in this sinful world and these sinful bodies. It's just not possible. But perfection is the goal to be worked toward. It's a goal, no matter how unsuccessful we may prove to be. This is mission 66, and we are studying through the book of Matthew chapter 5 today. And you know, we're talking about the Sermon on the Mount with our speaker, John Matthews. Now, John, in verse 17, Jesus said that he did not come to abolish the law, a very interesting statement. So he seems to be saying that the law is still valid today, right? Well, yeah, what he's what he's saying is that the Old Testament law shouldn't be discarded in its entirety. So he says this, not the least stroke of the pen would disappear from the law until everything has been accomplished. Now, we know that everything has not been accomplished. Some things have been accomplished by Jesus' death, his burial, and then his resurrection. Jesus actually, by doing that, rendered the ceremonial parts of the law unnecessary. So we can now come to God directly by means of believing on Jesus' name. But the moral law of God as is spelt out in the Old Testament has not gone away. We think of the 10 commandments in particular, still in force. That means that, for example, murder is still murder. Stealing is still stealing. Adultery and sexual sin are still adultery and sexual sin. In fact, as far as God is concerned, hating your brother is the same as murder or looking at a woman with lustful intent is the same as committing adultery. Now when we consider that the thought of evil, that's what Jesus is saying here, the thought is as bad as the act, then who can say that we're without sin? Well, we know that the answer to that is nobody. So thank God that we can be forgiven for these things, and forgiveness is ours for the asking and receiving. But each of us as well, it's important to remember that we are sinners, we've done things wrong, and there needs to be a solution to that. And that's why we need this precious gift of salvation. All right. So I'd like for us to just have a look at the last part of this chapter, John. Now Jesus is telling us to love our enemies and to forgive our enemies to the point of letting them smack us in the face. That seems quite shocking. And it seems that Christians are being overrun by the forces of evil. If we don't fight against what is evil, will it not take over the world? Yeah, it's a good question, isn't it? And you know, what I think Jesus talks about is the individual ethics of each of us who are seeing the kingdom of God being established by him, you know, we are instructed, you know, this is individual responsibility to forgive people who mistreat us. And as much as possible, we must work toward peace. Remember Jesus said, blessed are the peacemakers. But that doesn't mean that the enemies of God are going to get clean away. You know, those who shake their fist in the face of God, well, there will be a cost. And worse, you know, it's people who do worse in the face of God, but that's not our business to handle that God's business. Vengeance belongs to him and he and he alone will do it the right way. And so in the meantime, we have police and illegal systems as a form of protection for the running of society, I know that differs from country to country, and they may not represent particular form of protection in some places. So even that is flawed. But you know, the reality is that God will resolve these things. And that's for him and not us to sort out. So that means that we should not consider Jesus's words as like a new judicial law to be applied in society. Yeah. I think that's right. You know, Jesus was not talking to human governments. He was talking to people who desire to follow him in daily life and were hungry to know how they do that and what being like Jesus actually looked like. Wow, John, as always, I just want to thank you for such an insightful conversation. So how do we wrap up Matthew chapter five today? Yeah, well, our theme today was a surprising spirituality. And God's way, it's often surprising, you know, Jesus in his sermon on the Mount Spoke Instructions, which just don't come naturally to fall in humanity. But they do describe the ethics of the kingdom of God. And I believe these are freeing ethics. That's what Jesus says himself. The Beatitudes describe patterns of behavior, which if we follow them, well, they will lead to blessing qualities of mercy, moral sexual behavior, seeking and giving forgiveness, showing love and humility, even toward our enemies who are trying to kill us. They are virtues, real virtues. They are good and they are right. So we who say we believe in Jesus ought to develop and practice these qualities in our lives more and more. In fact, you know, I'd suggest to anyone who's interested in developing a good spiritual life to read the sermon on the Mount on your own and do so often, perhaps even commit it to memory if you can, as Matthew five, six and seven. Well done, I'm going to take that as our homework for today, friend. Remember Matthew five, six and seven. Thanks for listening, friend. And of course, next time we'll continue with more of Jesus's sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. As we close today's program, let me remind you to download your free study guide of the Gospels you'll be able to go deeper into God's Word and follow along with each day's program. It's a great companion resource of the audio teaching of John Matthews and Esther Susullo. To get your free study guide of the Gospels, visit Mission66.org. That's Mission66.org. It's a great resource. You can also support the ministry of Mission 66 when you visit the site. You'll help continue the program here and around the world. Mission66 is a ministry of Transworld Radio in partnership with Dr. Louise Cial. I'm Rob Dempsey. (upbeat music)