Category Archives: Sermon on the Mount

THE SHINING

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My friend, Jacques (not his real name), hated Christians – that is, until one day he met Jesus. I don’t know how that happened, only what happened next: Jacques and his wife sold everything they owned and gave the money to the poor, keeping just enough to get them to Denver and pay for one semester of seminary. You should have seen how God took care of that amazing couple. When we graduated, Jacques couldn’t be bothered with the ceremony; he had to get to Haiti as fast as he could to work among the poor. Jacques and his wife left Denver the same way they came, took the first plane to Haiti and started helping people. He picked up some gnarly Haitian disease and died not so many months later. Jacques shone like a welder at midnight.

Jesus said:
“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 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. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

Not many of us are called to do what Jacques did. But when we follow Jesus, wherever we are, we are meant to light up the place. Jesus talked about acts as simple as a cup of water for someone who is thirsty. Light shines.
It is important to understand Who does the shining. In Jesus’ day, the light from a lamp was fueled by oil. No oil inside, no light. We are filled and fueled by Jesus’ Holy Spirit. Let Him do the shining.

No Morons

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Jesus said, “Don’t act like a moron.” Really. There’s lots of ways to be a moron, but Jesus was talking about failing to do something amazing when you could have done it, but didn’t use the power. Like the guy who says, “If I hadn’t let up on the gas, my truck really could have jumped that creek…” If that was true, he could have been a hero, the envy of all his buddies. Now he’s a moron.

If you are looking for “moron” in your Bible concordance, you probably won’t find it. But it is there, when Jesus says:

“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. (Matthew 5:13)

When Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth,” He’s talking about living with the Holy Spirit. When you have the Holy Spirit, you have a different kind of power and a different way of approaching life. That difference is supposed to make a difference – a noticeable and attractive difference. Like salt does on a burger. The purpose is not bragging rights, but to cause others to notice how bland life is without that Spirit, to notice and want to change. However, when we “lose our saltiness,” when we live with no discernable difference, Jesus says we act like morons. Literally, the Greek word used is the root for our English word, moron!

It is pointless and stupid to have the Holy Spirit and live as though you don’t. If salt isn’t salty, you throw it on the ground and trample it.

Don’t act like a moron. Live by the Spirit.

Clobbered for Good

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It’s all the rage to be outraged by bullying, in the classroom and on the internet. But we see the essence of bullying played out in boardrooms, churches, truckstops, home owner associations, newsrooms and countless other adult social situations. Bullying is pervasive. At its root, it grows out of the strong pull we humans feel to conform. Non-conformists get ostracized. Others participate in various forms of ostracism (a form of bullying) to make themselves feel accepted. That’s why Bob Dylan got booed at Newport, why you see “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service” and why most churches and clubs have a dress code (even if it is unwritten).

Jesus understood that His followers would be bullied and worse. He knew social rejection had always been the fate of those who lived by the upside-down principles of the kingdom of heaven. That’s why He said:

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:10-12)

No question about it, getting in step with Jesus puts you out of step with most of the rest of the world. Don’t be surprised by what the world does to people who play by different rules. Later on, Jesus explained it further to His followers:

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (John 15:18-19)

Why would anyone knowingly sign up for such treatment? You play football, you are going to get clobbered. But its worth it. Those who play hard are rewarded. So it is with those who play on Jesus’ team. His game plan is for those who have received His Spirit to be noticeably different, to be “salt and light” in the world and to thereby attract others to Him for eternal life. You will get clobbered, but it will be worth it.

Making Peace

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Smith and Wesson shares one thing with Kum Bah Yah. They don’t work – not for making peace. You can keep peace with a S&W, hope for peace by sitting in a circle and singing, but making peace is a much tougher thing to do. Making peace is personally costly; it’s not free. Making peace does not impose my will on you. Making peace erases the tension that separates two people, and creates a bond of harmony and unity in its place. Making peace is not easy or common.
When Carlos Bledsoe shot and killed Andy Long in cold blood, what were the odds that their two fathers would one day become good friends? “Tension” is too weak a word for the natural forces separating those two grieving dads. But today, Melvin Bledsoe and Daris Long are more than friends. They work together to try to save the sons of other men (See: https://losingoursons.com). I don’t know the details of how those two men came together, but somebody made peace.
Jesus said:
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
Not peace keepers, not peace protesters, but peace makers.
When He said they would “be called sons of God,” Jesus meant that they would strongly reflect the character of God. Real peacemaking is something God does; it’s not something we humans are very good at. Peacemaking is something the Holy Spirit accomplishes through those in whom He has come to live.
The world has never seen a greater peaceMaker than God, Who loved you so much, He sent His only Son to accomplish everything necessary to erase the tension that separates you from God. Everything, that is, except for you accepting the peace He offered.

The Rinse Cycle

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Babies lie.  They learn very early that it pays off to deceive.  You’ve seen it – the fake crying, the pretending to be hurt, followed by furtive glances to see who is paying attention.  It’s not long before babies learn to covet.  And steal.

Which, of course, means that before we are out of diapers, we are already breaking the 10 commandments in pretty routine way.  I said “we” because those babies grow up to be us, complete with twisted spaghetti strands of mixed motives, woven through our hearts.  The most prolific writer of the New Testament called himself the worst of all sinners, and said even in his best moments, sin was right there with him, messing everything up.

But Jesus said,

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  (Matthew 5:8)

Not, “the pretty good,” but “the pure.”  How you doin’?  Me?  I’ve got a long way to go before “pure” is even on the horizon.  So what does this mean for us?  How is this teaching supposed to encourage us?

If you have been following these posts about the Sermon on the Mount (They start HERE), you won’t be surprised to know that, again, this teaching points us to the gift Jesus gives to those who trust Him – the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Here’s how He describes the impact of receiving the Spirit:

Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  (John 7:38)

Years ago, a woodsman took me on a hike and showed me how to find a spring.  When he found a likely place, he cleared away the twigs and rotting leaves, digging down into the dirt and mud, until a small trickle of water emerged.  He said, “Now we have to wait and keep cleaning out this pool.”  As the water continued to flow, the small pool he’d dug began to change from dark, thick mud, to  muddy water, eventually looking much clearer.  It became like a fine lens, allowing us to clearly see the pebbles below.  And still we waited.  And waited.  But the time came when we submerged our faces into the pool and drank deeply.  The water was clean and cool.  It was refreshing.  It was pure.

It takes a lifetime, but that is what happens to the heart of the one who surrenders to Jesus.  The Spirit flows through them, gradually transforming them and cleansing them.  The day is coming when our hearts will be pure, the day when we will see God.

Cool New Stuff

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When you update an app, you expect it to work better, right?  Sometimes you don’t notice any difference but sometimes your updated app does cool new stuff.  When you trust Jesus, you get more than an update. You get a whole new operating system – the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit definitely comes with cool new stuff.

Like mercy.  We humans are not naturally wired to extend mercy, but God is.  When He described Who He was and what He was like to Moses, God started out with mercy:

And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…  (Exodus 34:6)

Mercy is the character of God, 101.  Bob Dylan writes songs; God extends mercy.  So, when a person receives God’s Spirit, Who begins to transform how he operates, one cool new result is an increased capacity for mercy – to give it and receive it.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus began by  preaching hope for those who knew they were spiritually bankrupt, for those who mourned their condition and hungered for a soul that worked right (See the previous 4 posts).  He told them they would be comforted and filled, hinting that He would give them the Holy Spirit.  But then Jesus switched gears and began to speak of what happens in a person who is comforted and filled by His Spirit – what the cool new stuff is.  He said:

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  (Matthew 5:7)

That’s cool new stuff 101.  Those who have the Holy Spirit notice a growing capacity for mercy – to give it and receive it.

It’s not that being merciful earns us mercy from God.  Being merciful in a genuine way shows that God’s Spirit is living in us.  In that condition, we are enabled to receive God’s mercy.  This mystery is repeated often in Jesus’  teaching.  The unmerciful are unable to receive God’s mercy.  The unforgiving are unable to receive His forgiveness.  It’s not that they don’t deserve it; nobody deserves mercy and forgiveness.  If we are deserving, it’s not mercy or forgiveness.  It’s that our souls are unable to receive God’s forgiveness and mercy, to really accept them in a settled way, unless they have been brought to spiritual life by His Spirit.  When we receive mercy, we naturally extend it.  And vice versa.

It’s cool new stuff from our new operating system.

Hungry and Thirsty No More

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When you pass a wreck, why do you look?  Why do people gather around a fight?  Why do we think the way we do?  Perhaps you have had times when your inability to think about or do the things you know are right has led you to despair.  Perhaps you have felt as though you were drowning in your own wickedness.  If so, Jesus understands and has good news:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  (Matthew 5:6)

Remember the scene in “Lawrence of Arabia” when they open the canteen and there’s barely a drop left?  Middle of the desert, in the blazing heat?  That’s thirsty.  Actually, two days later is thirsty, but you get the idea.  What’s hungry?  No, strike that.  What is it to hunger?   That’s worse than being hungry.   

Hungering and thirsting for righteousness is the end result of knowing your spiritual poverty and mourning about it, knowing you cannot fix it.  Jesus says that’s the kind of person the Kingdom of Heaven is for.  That’s the kind of person who is ready to listen and ready to cooperate in an attempt to be healed.  That’s the kind of person who feels morally starved and parched.

Jesus said those who would trust Him, would cross from death to life, because He would give His Holy Spirit to live in their dead souls.  They would experience a “newness of life” as they are fully reconciled to God.  In this teaching He says those who hunger and thirst for righteousness would be filled.  He used the word for eating your fill, the word they used to talk about fattening cattle.  Imagine being that full of His Spirit, that full of righteousness.

That’s the promise.

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.  (John 6:35)

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  (John 7:37-38)

Be Meek

Be Meek

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Google is looking for failures.  Well, not exactly; they look for people who have failed and who, through the experience of failing, have developed a certain humility and grace about how they learn and respond.  The NFL is looking for men who don’t know how to play football.  Well, not exactly; they are looking for players with lots of raw talent but who are willing to learn from a coach.  In every type of endeavor there are hotshots and superstars who flame out because they think they have all the answers.  They get replaced by people who are willing to learn and grow.

That’s the principle behind this next saying of Jesus:

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  (Matthew 5:5)

Jesus didn’t say a timid milquetoast; He said the “meek,” which means teachable.  When used to describe a horse, ‘meek’ means gentled and trainable, responsive to the commands of its trainer.  A meek person is not a doormat.  Rather, he or she is responsive, in this case to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Jesus described Himself as meek:

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle (literally, ‘meek’) and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.   (Matthew 11:29)

Meekness, in this teaching, follows spiritual emptiness (poor in spirit), and grief (those who mourn).  Jesus promised to comfort those who mourn their spiritual bankruptcy.  How?  By giving them the Holy Spirit (also called The Comforter in John 14:16) to live in their souls forever. (See: Don’t Take the Fire Escape!) But the Holy Spirit does no good for the person who is not meek, who does not listen and respond.

The promise for the meek, however, is that they will inherit the earth.  This promise, is in the future tense because it will become a reality one day.  It’s ultimate fulfillment will come at the end of the age, when God creates a new, perfect heaven and earth.

But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.  (2 Peter 3:13)

What will a perfect earth be like?  I cannot imagine it.  But you don’t want to miss it.  Be meek.

Don’t Take the Fire Escape!

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You are startled awake by the loud blaring of the fire alarm.  You can already smell the smoke and you hurry from your room on an upper floor of the hotel.  Rushing down to the fire escape, you discover that it is about to be overcome by flames. So you turn around and head back the other direction.  You have to fight your way through a stampede of hotel guests who are trying to reach the fire escape.  “No!” you say, “Turn around; you will die if you keep going that way.”  Most of them don’t believe you.  Some call you an idiot for ignoring the fire escape sign.  Those few who decide to trust you, turn around and follow you in the “wrong” direction.  They live.

Jesus was in a situation like that.  He knew we were thundering toward death.  He urged us to turn around and head the “wrong” way, in order to find eternal life.  That is why so much of what He said seems up-side-down.  Like this:

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  (Matthew 5:4 )

He didn’t say that those who grieve are happy.  He said they would one day be comforted and therefore are blessed.  This statement follows the previous one about realizing our spiritual poverty.  The kind of mourning Jesus was referring to was the desire to be spiritually full, spiritually rich, without being able to change one’s spiritual bankruptcy.

Jesus said people in that condition would be comforted.  He wasn’t talking about someone who would feel sorry for them and say soothing things.  He was talking about a total reversal in their spiritual bank account.  Here’s how I know:  Jesus said,

‘If ye love me, my commands keep, and I will ask the Father, and another Comforter He will give to you, that he may remain with you—to the age; the Spirit of truth, whom the world is not able to receive, because it doth not behold him, nor know him, and ye know him, because he doth remain with you, and shall be in you. ( John 14:15-17 Young’s’ Literal Translation)

I used that old fashioned sounding translation because they gave the literal translation of the word Jesus called the Holy Spirit – Comforter.  It is the same root word He used when He said those who mourn “will be comforted.”  The people who are spiritually bankrupt and who mourn their condition, who are unable to be good enough or spiritual enough to change it, will be comforted.  How?  They will receive the Holy Spirit, Who will “remain” (live)  in their souls forever.  This is eternal life.

Ok, but what’s all this business about “if you love me and keep my commands?”   Those are like the folks in the hotel hallway who turn around and head in the opposite direction because they trusted you.  That’s what happens when you trust and love Jesus.  You turn around, you follow, you live.

Little Word; Big Difference

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JFK will be remembered for saying, “Ask not what your country can do for you…”  FDR is remembered in the words, “… a date that will live in infamy.”   For Ronald Reagan, it was, “…tear down this wall!”   For Bill Clinton: “It depends on what the meaning of the word, is, is.”   Doesn’t quite rise to the same level of dignity and inspiration, but Bill was on to something.  There are times when a tiny word makes a huge difference.  Like the word, “is” in this quote from Jesus:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  (Matthew 5:3)

In the opening words of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus holds out eight promises.  Mourners will be comforted, the merciful will be shown mercy, etc.  But the first and last promises aren’t “will be” promises, they are “is” promises.  Which means, at least in some measure, they matter right now!  

The first promise is for those who are “poor in spirit” (For more about what that means, see: Winning in Last Place).  Those who are spiritually bankrupt and who know it, who come to Jesus with nothing to offer, are promised the kingdom of heaven now.  In the present tense.

Which means, most of what people know about heaven is wrong.

1.   Heaven is not merely that “better place” Aunt Sally went to be after her terrible accident at the car wash.  The kingdom of heaven is available now.

2.   Entrance to heaven is not determined by how good you have been.  The kingdom of heaven is open to those who are “poor in spirit.”

Here’s the not-so-fine print:  By definition, a kingdom has a king.  People in kingdoms have submitted to the king.  In this case, the King is Jesus.  Once you understand that Jesus is Almighty God, that He loved you so much, He lowered Himself to come for you in human form and die to pay for your sin – once you really grasp that reality – it is logical to acknowledge that He is your King.

People who think they can join the kingdom because they have been good, are not “poor in spirit,” and don’t understand that a kingdom only has one king.

However, those who enter the kingdom of heaven now have not yet experienced the full measure of how wonderful it will be one day.  People who surrender to King Jesus, are blessed now in His kingdom, and receive the Holy Spirit, living eternally in their souls – all right now.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.  (John 14:16-17)

But they still live in this darkened, corrupted world where they will have trouble.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  (John 16:33)

The “poor in spirit,” who submit to King Jesus, have the kingdom of heaven “already but not yet.”   The full experience and glory of the Kingdom of Heaven will not be realized until Jesus is universally accepted as the King.  We yearn for that day but cannot begin to fully imagine what it will be like.  We are like children born in refugee camps who have no way to imagine life on a cruise ship.  We have no capacity to imagine the full experience of heaven.  Not yet.

However, right now,  Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.