Message of Christ’s Kingdom
Matthew 5:21-48
Jim Davis
We live in an age that seeks to condense and simplify
everything from what we eat to what we read. Meals are
prepackaged in ready to cook disposal containers. Just take it
home and stick it in the oven, and when you are finished simply
throw away the mess. We also want information encapsulated in a
nutshell. Books are written much different today than in the
past. Sentences and paragraphs are shorter and to the point.
Literature is packaged for short attention spans and fast
lifestyles.
Jesus may have lived in a faster paced world than we may
imagine. Don’t forget he was standing in the shadows of
the greatest philosophers of the ancient world. It is little
wonder why his teaching was always succinct and to the point. He
always condensed what he taught into short pithy statements that
often left his listeners absolutely stunned with his simplicity
and wisdom. Jesus came speaking short parables enlightening the
minds of his generation and embalming the truth for future
generations. In the very outset of Jesus’ ministry he preached a
sermon on a mountainside. He left his generation realizing no
one had ever spoken God’s word so simply, powerfully and with
such authority.
The religious people of Jesus’ day were accustomed to
making long legal statements to explain how to keep God’s law.
How to keep God’s law became more important than the
reason for keeping the law. It is not much different today.
Churches may place more emphasis on how to do church than the
reason for doing church. Sadly, there is too much religious talk
today. It tends to blind us to the simplicity of God’s word. Too
much time has been spent formulating church doctrines, which
seem to draw us away from the simple teaching of Christ.
Jesus Condensed the Message of
the Bible
Volumes were written by Jews on how to keep the Ten
Commandments. Jewish lawyers were the experts on how to keep the
law. If there was a difficulty understanding a precept, the
lawyers would step in and give legal advice on how to keep the
law. They were very meticulous in designing rules to live by.
Eventually the laws and regulations blinded the world to God and
the simplicity of God’s Word.
Jesus was a master at simplifying and clarifying the
message of the Bible. On one occasion he was asked,
“What is the greatest commandment?” He took the opportunity to
condense the entire Bible into two simple statements with
extreme clarity.
Jesus simplified the entire scope of Old Testament into
four short verses.
Matthew 22:37-40
Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord
your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And
the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All
the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Jesus
summed it up in these short statements.
Jesus summed up the law; its about loving God and loving
ones fellowman. For those who have trouble understanding
these two principles Jesus made it even simpler. To keep these
principles simply treat others as you want to be treated.
Simple, yet mind boggling in application; it’s easy to know how
we want to be treated, but not so easy to reciprocate this
message for others.
Matthew records Jesus’ message of the kingdom in three
short chapters, Matthew 5-7. The remainder of Matthew’s
gospel is about how Jesus’ went about living out the principles
in the Sermon on the Mount. Literally thousands of treatises
have been written plunging the depth of what Jesus taught on
that mountainside. However, the depth of his teaching is found
in its transparency. No one had ever spoken with such profound
clarity. It is not the depth of his teaching that is profound;
it is the intelligibility of what he taught that makes it
powerful. He distilled the message and purpose of the gospel
into one earthshaking sermon.
When we come to the Sermon on the Mount today, we feel as
though weeks should be expended searching the truths reveal.
Jesus shared these truths on a mountainside to the ears of those
who had little trouble understanding what he said. Countless
books have been written to expound the message of Jesus’ sermon,
but amazingly, Jesus did it in one sermon. He didn’t even give
them an outline to take home.
Matthew 5:21-48
21 "You have heard that it was
said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who
murders will be subject to judgment.' 22 But I tell you that
anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to
judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is
answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!'
will be in danger of the fire of hell.
23 "Therefore, if you are
offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your
brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in
front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother;
then come and offer your gift.
25 "Settle matters quickly with
your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are
still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge,
and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be
thrown into prison. 26 I tell you the truth, you will not get
out until you have paid the last penny.
27 "You have heard that it was
said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone
who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery
with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin,
gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one
part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into
hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off
and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your
body than for your whole body to go into hell.
31 "It has been said, 'Anyone
who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'
32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for
marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and
anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
33 "Again, you have heard that
it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but
keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34 But I tell you, Do
not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; 35
or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for
it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your
head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37
Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything
beyond this comes from the evil one.
38 "You have heard that it was
said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' 39 But I tell you,
Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the
right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if someone wants
to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the
one who wants to borrow from you.
43 "You have heard that it was
said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell
you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun
to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the
righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love
you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors
doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you
doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be
perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. NIV
Jesus sums up his message in just one rule saying, “So in
everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for
this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12
NIV) Just one rule; no legal jargon; only one soul searching
precept: “Treat others as you would want to be treated.” Yet, I
know a lifetime of living will never bring this one principle to
perfection in my life.
The apostles picked up on Jesus’ interpretation of God’s
law. By the way the precepts of the law are still valid.
The only difference today is that we are saved through Christ
sacrifice.
Romans 13:8-10
8 Let no debt remain
outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for
he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. 9 The
commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not
steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may
be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as
yourself." 10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore
love is the fulfillment of the law. NIV
Becoming the Message is the Real Challenge
Becoming the message is the real challenge. John
refers to Jesus as the Word that became flesh. He came to
flesh-out the message of God for us. It shouldn’t surprise us
that the first sermon he preached was about how to
flesh-out—live out the message of the his kingdom.
As I read the Sermon on the Mount I feel an emptiness welling up
in me; I realize how difficult it is to live by these
principles. Jesus’ sermon actually creates a big black
hole in me that longs to be filled. How difficult it is to never
be angry—to make relationships right when they go wrong—to hold
my tongue—to always speak the absolute truth—to control my
wondering and wandering eyes—to give those suing me the
advantage—to be as perfect in my love for my enemies as God’s
love is for me—to forgive as I have been forgiven.
There is no way a sane person can read Jesus’ sermon and not
long for the kind of world his message would create.
Anger is becoming the dominant emotion of our country.
In fact it is leading response to the world’s problems. I am
living in the outskirts of Orlando, Florida. Orlando is the
vacation spots of the world. Celebration Station, Disney world,
Sea World, and so much more than I have time to mention are only
minutes away. Surprisingly, Orlando is ranked as one of the
angriest cities in the country.
Do you know why people are angry? People are angry
because they feel they aren’t being treating as they should be
treated. Anger is a reciprocal emotion; we treat others as we
are treated rather than as we would like to be treated, and it
always comes back upon our heads. How often do we use and abuse
others for our own selfish pleasure because we feel used and
abused. We live in cities that need to be salvaged by Jesus’
precepts. Many dying fellowships could be salvaged by this kind
of living.
We feel the emptiness of our world personally.
Jesus reminds me of my spiritual poverty. He doesn’t do this to
send me on a guilt trip, although we are guilty. This is
precisely what brings us face to face with the essential
prerequisites for entering God’s kingdom. He taught this
simple message to create in us an eternal hunger for a better
way of living. We must never forget the gospel message isn’t
just designed to get us to heaven; it is a message designed to
salvage life on planet earth. Humble obedience to this message
will cause us to inherit the earth in a very real sense. This
hunger for a better world brings us to the front gates of the
kingdom of heaven. It seeks to prepare us for entry into the
presence of God.
Matthew 5:3-10
3 "Blessed are the poor in
spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger
and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of
God.
10 Blessed are those who are
persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. NIV
Coming face to face with Jesus’ kingdom message needs to
create this kind of response in every heart. We need to
feel the emptiness only God can fill; we need to mourn over the
emptiness our personal sin creates in our souls. The emptiness
our sin creates in others. It is the only way we will ever find
comfort. We need to hunger for a better way of living; not just
to fill our emptiness, but fill the emptiness of the world.
Jesus’ kingdom message leaves us with a clear
understanding of the only way this kind of living is discovered
and made possible. We must ask for God’s
help. We must trust God to give us what we so desperately need.
We know from experience it is not something that comes
naturally.
Matthew 7:7-12
7 "Ask and it will be given to
you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened
to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds;
and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 "Which of you, if his son asks
for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish,
will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will
your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to
you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. NIV
This is not a prayer to fulfill our selfish wishes.
The context of the prayer revolves around asking God to help us
discover and live according to the Golden Rule. Only God can
direct our steps down this pathway of life. It is not in us to
direct our steps to this kind of living (Jeremiah 10:23). We
must pray for God to give us a change of heart. David’s failure
led him to cry out, “Oh God, create in me a pure heart” (Psalms
51:10). It’s the only way for God’s kingdom to come in my life
and my world. It is the only way to salvage the world.
We must pray for God to rule in our hearts. God is
more than willing to direct the steps of the rebellious to know
him. Listen to Jeremiah words to rebellious Israel.
Jeremiah 24:4-7
4 Then the word of the LORD came
to me: 5 "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Like
these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I
sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. 6 My
eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them
back to this land. I will build them up and not tear them down;
I will plant them and not uproot them. 7 I will give them a
heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people,
and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all
their heart.
God will give you the desires of your heart, but you must
desire what he desires. If you don’t desire it, ask God
to create in you a desire to be the kind of person he designed
you to be—the kind of person He wants you to be. Pray for God’s
kingdom to come more fully in your own heart.
Matthew 6:9-15
9 "This, then, is how you should
pray:
"'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily
bread.
12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our
debtors.
13 And lead us not into
temptation,
but deliver us from the evil
one.'
14 For if you forgive men when
they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive
you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father
will not forgive your sins. NIV
We can rest assured this type of living will bring us face
to face an angry world scorning kingdom living.
But we must remember:
Matthew 5:11-16
11 "Blessed are you when people
insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil
against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great
is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted
the prophets who were before you.
Romans 12:17-21
17 Do not repay anyone evil for
evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace
with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave
room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge;
I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed
him;
if he is thirsty, give him
something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap
burning coals on his head."
21 Do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good. NIV
We must not allow the evil others do blind us to our need
to accept Christ’s mission for our lives.
Matthew 7:3-5
3 "Why do you look at the speck
of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the
plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let
me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a
plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out
of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the
speck from your brother's eye. NIV
God’s Plan for Evangelism
Remember this is God’s plan for saving and salvaging lives
here on earth. Living the message of the kingdom of
Christ was what made everything Christ taught credible. It is
God’s way to evangelize our world. Our lives must have a
purifying influence upon those we meet.
Mattew 5:13-16
13 "You are the salt of the
earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made
salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be
thrown out and trampled by men.
14 "You are the light of the
world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people
light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its
stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the
same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see
your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. NIV
Jesus’ mission was to give us a clear picture of the life
God has given us. There are those who are lost that only
you can bring to Christ. The only way for them to ever see and
believe is for them to experience the message of the kingdom
through your life.
Conclusion:
Jesus concludes his kingdom message saying:
Matthew7:21-29
21 "Not everyone who says to me,
'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who
does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to
me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name,
and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23
Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me,
you evildoers!'
24 "Therefore everyone who hears
these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise
man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the
streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house;
yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put
them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on
sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds
blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great
crash."
28 When Jesus had finished
saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29
because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their
teachers of the law. NIV
Take up our crosses to die with Christ daily.
Matthew 16:24-27
24 Then Jesus said to his
disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to
save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me
will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the
whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in
exchange for his soul? NIV
We must die with Christ to experience the power of the
resurrected life.
Romans 6:1-7
6:1 What shall we say, then?
Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no
means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or
don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ
Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried
with him through baptism into death in order that, just as
Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father,
we too may live a new life.
5 If we have been united with
him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united
with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self
was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done
away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because
anyone who has died has been freed from sin. NIV
