Sermon Tone Analysis

Situating Ourselves

Gospel of Matt.

structure: Introduction, Conclusion, Five Major Discourses/Sermons w/ corresponding narrative material.

The first major discourse is the Sermon on the Mount (life of the disciples of Jesus Christ).

The second is the Sermon on Mission (cost of discipleship/following Jesus Christ).

Instamom

In its March 2017 issue, The Atlantic, an online magazine, published an article titled, “Instamom, The enviable, highly profitable life of Amber Fillerup Clark, perfect mother and social-media influencer.”

Amber is 26 years old, and now lives in Manhattan with her husband and two young children.

She has 1.3 million Instagram followers, 227,000 YouTube fans, and 250,000 monthly blog readers.

She launched her blog, Barefoot Blonde, in 2010.

The article says that she wasn’t intending to make Barefoot Blonde a career.

She created the site while she was volunteering at an orphanage in Fiji.

The initial purpose was to update her family back home in Utah.

But when she returned home, she transitioned the site to posting style inspirations and musings on college life.

Now, even though you may not have heard of her before, she is internet royalty.

The article defines her as a “relatable influencer,” someone whom hundreds of thousands of women trust as a friend and whom companies pay handsomely to name-drop their products.

In 2014 the Barefoot Blonde brand became profitable enough for her husband to quit law school and become a “blog husband.”

Though she wouldn’t say what their annual income is, the agency that represents them said that bloggers at her level can earn between $1M and $6M a year.

What is it that has attracted so many people to follow her? “She has adhered,” the journalist writes, “to a deceptively simple formula:”

Beautiful pictures of herself—she has the golden locks, lithe frame, and wholesome femininity associated with prom queens who date quarterbacks—paired with breezy diary entries that read like texts from a best friend.

One of Amber’s fans, a 29 year-old woman who lives with her husband and infant son in Charleston, SC, said that she looks to Amber to help her become a better version of herself.

On Amber’s recommendation, this woman has bought nail polish, camera gear, sports drinks, healthy snacks, and her husband even bought her a spinning bike because Amber takes spinning and she swore that’s what would work for her too.

Amber Fillerup Clark is squarely situated in the current cultural phenomenon of becoming “instafamous.”

Philip Lorish of New City Commons points out that being instafamous is big business.

The social-media influencer market is projected to grow from $500 million in 2015 to at least $5 billion in 2020.

Here is Mrs. Fillerup Clark the instamom, who is instafamous and instarich because she has found out how to be a relatable influencer on social-media by painting the picture of a desirable life that so many other women want.

I know what’s going on in the minds of some of us in here.

How can I get to be instafamous?

How do I get in on that $5 billion market by 2020?

Who do I need to start taking pictures of and posting?

I don’t even need the instafamous thing to last forever!

If I could just get two to three years of making $1 to $6 million, I’d be good!

What audience can I influence on my way to instafame?

Well there wasn’t any Instagram, Snapchat, or blogs in Jesus’ day, but we find ourselves at a spot in Matthew’s gospel where Jesus’ disciples—the twelve apostles in particular—could become drunk with instafame.

Our text is in the middle of the second major discourse or sermon by Jesus in the gospel of Matthew.

And Matthew has already pointed out in this book the way that Jesus’ fame spread through Jerusalem and the surrounding region as large crowds followed him.

Look at this.

The setup for this second major discourse is the first verse of chapter 10,

The setup for this discourse is a passing on of Jesus’ authority to his apostles.

What we think should naturally follow is that these guys become big shots.

They should become instafamously the big men in Jerusalem.

They have authority over unclean spirits.

They are able, at least for a time, to do what Jesus has been doing.

Their message was Jesus’ message, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” ().

He told them to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons ().

What would you do if God said to you, “I’m giving you my power over creation?”

If he said, “I’m giving you the power that I have to fix what’s broken in the world in such a way that it operates outside of the laws of nature?” “I’m giving you the power to do the miraculous.”

What would you be thinking?

Into this situation, Jesus doesn’t speak to them about being on top and being highly regarded by others.

He doesn’t speak to them about fame or fortune.

He doesn’t speak to them about being on top and having other people’s acclaim.

He speaks to them about suffering, being disregarded and disdained by others.

He says to them, don’t think that you’re going to be celebrated.

Don’t find your satisfaction there.

Instead, celebrate the fact that you are highly valued by your Father in heaven.

Celebrate the fact that your Father loves you deeply.

His message to them is an anti-instafamous message.

If the Sermon on the Mount was about the life of discipleship.

This second one is the Sermon on Mission, and it is about the cost of discipleship.

Here are the three things we’re going to talk about, Duplication, Dread, and Division.

Duplication

Jesus says in vv.

24-25 that a disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.

It is enough that the disciple be like his teacher, and the servant become like his master.

He is saying to his disciples in no uncertain terms, you all are to be like me.

There should be some duplication going on.

Interestingly enough, you can think of examples in life when students surpass their teachers.

They can surpass their teacher in fame and in ability and in accomplishments.

In fact, it is often the case where a teacher will say to a student, “I want you to be better than me.”

“I want you do more than I’ve done.”

“I want you to go further than I’ve gone.”

Jesus says, “No, no, no.

Y’all can’t get past me.

It will be enough if you’re like me!”

The instamom has 1.3 million Instagram followers because people want to be like her.

They’re drawn to the image she portrays of marriage and motherhood.

They aspire to be like her so they pay attention to what she says and how she lives.

We get that.

Whatever we think about instamoms, we understand the aspiration to be like someone we admire.

Kids want jerseys with the name and number of their favorite athlete.

They put posters on their bedroom walls of the people in the public eye that they look up to.

Musicians have other artists whose craft inspires them.

Leaders have other leaders whom they look up to and want to learn from.

In fact, you can’t actually go through life without saying, “I’ve learned from him.

I learned from her.

I watched the way she carried herself in the middle of a difficult situation, and I said, ‘I want to be like that.’”

My point is that duplication and imitation are intricately woven into the fabric of what it means to be human.

So Jesus says, “It’s enough for the student to be like his teacher.”

I’m the teacher and you’re the student.

And those who follow me want to be like me.

Now watch this.

How do you get to be a disciple?

Jesus is not saying, “Here’s the way to get on my good side.

Be like me.

Be like me and you and I will be good to go.”

You get to be a disciple, a student of Jesus, by responding to his message.

The message that has been repeated multiple times in the Gospel of Matthew already, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

This is not simply live life by the motto WWJD.

That’s not the worst thing in the world, but the first and necessary thing is to turn to God by repentance and faith.

Let me tell you why this is necessary.