Sermon Tone Analysis

Upside Down?

Part 1

Matthew 5:1-12   |   Shaun LePage   |   April 30, 2006

 

 

I.

Introduction

A.   On July 16, 1999, John F. Kennedy, Jr., his wife and sister-in-law were killed when their Piper airplane crashed into the waters off Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.

The investigation report found no problems with the airplane.

Flying into the nighttime haze, it appears that young Kennedy, who was not instrument rated, became disoriented during the descent to landing and may have entered the classic “graveyard spiral.”

The “graveyard spiral” happens when conditions make it almost impossible for a pilot to know—without instruments—whether or not he is flying level.

When conditions get hazy, it can become impossible to see the horizon.

You can’t tell where the sky ends and the land begins.

Apparently, Kennedy headed straight into the water while thinking and feeling he was doing just fine.

The National Transportation Safety Board—who investigated the accident—interviewed other pilots who had been in the sky that night.

One pilot reported: “There was nothing to see.

There was no horizon and no light...I turned left toward Martha’s Vineyard... but could see no lights of any kind nor any evidence of the island...

I found that I could not hold altitude by outside reference and had to use my [instruments] to hold altitude….”

Another pilot reported his experience: “In a panic, I thoughtlessly disconnected the autopilot and put the airplane into a …bank, without concentration on my instruments.

Instantly, I got vertigo, lost control of the airplane and …I didn’t have a clue whether I was right side up or upside down… When I awoke from this temporary dream-like stupor and began to concentrate on the instruments, I was able to regain control of the airplane.”

(http:~/~/www.findarticles.com;

July 10, 2000)

B.    The “graveyard spiral” happens in our spiritual lives just as easily.

The horizon represents truth.

When we lose sight of it or just get fuzzy about what is true and right and important, we can easily think up is down and down is up.

When we get in this dream-like stupor, the only sure way to survive it is by trusting the instrument panel God has provided—His reliable, trustworthy, perfect Word.

In those times, God’s Word may seem upside down or backward.

It may seem dead wrong!

But it never is.

C.   Please turn to Matthew 5:1-12—The Beatitudes.

II.

Body—Matthew 5:1-12 (Recite from memory—challenge all to memorize)

A.   Matthew 5:1,2: “*When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and /began /to teach them, saying*…”

1.

Last week, I made a big deal out of the fact that Jesus went up a mountain.

As I said, I think this is both a metaphor for getting a higher perspective—a Kingdom perspective—on righteousness, but also since Matthew’s gospel is the gospel written by a Jew for Jews about the King of the Jews, Matthew wanted us to see Jesus as the “prophet like Moses” who was going to give a Kingdom perspective on the Law.

This was in contrast to the shallow perspective of the Scribes and Pharisees.

2.     Matthew also made a point of telling us a few other things:

a)    Jesus “*sat down*.”

This was common for rabbis of the time—to sit down as they taught.

b)    Jesus’ “*disciples came to Him*.”

To whom was the Sermon on the Mount given?

Disciples.

Clearly Jesus was speaking to believers.

He tells His hearers that they are “*salt and light*” and that God is “*Our Father*.”

Also, in the context of the New Testament, it becomes apparent that the high and holy standards of this sermon cannot be met apart from the grace of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

c)    Jesus “*opened His mouth*.”

This is a way of telling us that what is coming is very important—listen up!

B.    In verses 3-12, we have what are commonly known as the Beatitudes.

1.     “Beatitude” is really a Latin word which means “happy.”

2.     This title was derived from the repetition of the word “Blessed” through these verses.

Jesus used it nine times in these 10 verses.

The word means “fortunate; true happiness”.

It carries the idea of being completely satisfied—content.

It’s really a word of congratulations!

It’s as though Jesus is saying, “Congratulations!

You have a fortune in heaven!”

3.     You’ll see in a minute that there’s a pattern for each of these beatitudes: Blessing is reported to those who possess a certain type of quality, then the “blessing” part is explained.

4.     It’s a good thing, too.

Because you’ll notice that each one of them seems upside down, backward.

If Jesus didn’t list the “blessing” then the first phrase would make no sense at all: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” makes no sense by itself.

But the fact that “theirs is the kingdom of heaven”—a promised reward from the King Himself—completes it.

5.     How can we make sense of this list?

a)    What we have here is a list of qualities, first of all, that define for us what subjects of the Kingdom should look like (i.e., poor in spirit, mournful, gentle, hunger and thirst for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, righteously persecuted).

b)    Then, we have a list of “blessings” that follow each quality (i.e., the kingdom of heaven, comforted, inherit the earth, satisfied, receive mercy, shall see God, shall be called sons of God, the kingdom of heaven, reward in heaven is great).

c)    Here’s the question we need to ask about these qualities: Are these automatic?

In other words, do these describe the qualities of every Christian or are these the qualities Christians are to strive for?

Do these describe maturity?

The question we have to ask about the blessings is: Are these blessings automatically given to all Christians or are these special rewards given to faithful Christians who possess these qualities?

d)    This is a major interpretive issue.

This is what I believe: I do not believe these qualities are automatic.

I do not believe all Christians possess these qualities.

Because this is the case, I believe Jesus is saying that these blessings are special rewards given to faithful Christians who possess these qualities.

(i)   Verse 12 makes it clear that Jesus is speaking of future reward in heaven.

“Great is your reward in heaven,” He said.

(ii) And, as we look at the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, it is clear that real Christians can lose their saltiness and be disobedient and therefore, lose future reward.

(iii)    Biblical scholar, Dr.

Joseph C. Dillow, put it this way: “The idea of rewards is repeatedly emphasized in the Sermon [on the Mount], which is addressed primarily to the disciples (5:1).

The word *misthos *(reward) basically means a ‘payment for work done.’

Jesus is speaking of the inheritance here as a reward for a humble, trusting life.

There is no indication that all Christians have this quality of life.

In fact, it is possible for a Christian to become ‘saltless’ (Mt.

5:13) and be ‘thrown out.’

True Christians can lose their saltiness, their testimony for the Lord.

When they do, they forfeit their reward in heaven.

Furthermore, He specifically says that the disobedient believer who annuls ‘one of the least of these commandments’ will be in the kingdom (Mt.

5:19) but will be ‘least’ in contrast to ‘great’ in that kingdom.”

(/Reign of the Servant Kings/, p.67)

(iv)    This is why all this is important and why I’m spending so much time on it: These qualities described by Jesus in the beatitudes—Matthew 5:3-12—which Jesus said will result in blessing, are not automatic.

These are goals we should strive for.

These are qualities to be developed.

These are descriptions of maturity.

These are what Jesus—the King Himself—exalts and honors and blesses and rewards.

Let’s look at each quality and ask the Holy Spirit to bear this fruit in our hearts and minds.

C.   The Beatitudes:

1.     Matthew 5:3: “*Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven*.”

a)    “Poor in spirit.”

This is the description of those who have a Kingdom understanding of themselves.

Someone who recognizes his complete spiritual poverty before God.

Apart from God, we are spiritually bankrupt.

“Poor in spirit” means humble yourself before God.

(i)   James 4:6 tells us, “…*God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble*.”

(ii) Luke 18:9-14 gives us the picture we need.