"QUALIFICATIONS FOR KINGDOM CANDIDATES" PART III

MATTHEW 5:9-12

INTRODUCTION

          Last week I promised to give you the historical setting and context to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is the most profound sermon in all of Christian history. There is no sermon ever preached that is comparable to the Sermon on the Mount. As we go through it you will understand what I mean by the uniqueness, power, and beauty of the Sermon on the Mount.

          When Jesus came to the scene the stakes were high and the anticipation of the Jews for the promised Messiah was at its climax. John the Baptist has come to prepare the way with a call to repentance and denunciation of sin. John has assured the people that he is not the Prophet or the Messiah but there is one coming after him “Whose sandals he was not worthy to untie.” Recall that the Romans are controlling the world at that time. Yes, Palestine at that time belongs to the Jewish people, but like Ghana and Nigeria in the early 1950s, the country has been colonized by the Roman Empire. Wherever the Jews go they see these Roman soldiers, and sometimes they are forced to carry the bags of traveling soldiers. The Jews have to pay taxes to the Romans in exchange for better roads. What is even more resentful to them is that their own countrymen are the tax collectors who work for the Roman government.

          About twenty or more Jewish males cannot converge in a market or public place without Roman soldiers coming to disperse them and sometimes harassing them. Yes, they have the freedom to practice their religion, but they don’t have the freedom to govern themselves and they resented these political restrictions. At the height of this political and social tension, Jesus comes to the scene, and John the Baptist introduces Him as the promised Messiah, the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. So the crowd floods Jesus with the expectation that He is coming to get rid of the Romans and restore the Davidic Kingdom. After all, King David was the one who conquered all the enemies of the Hebrew people and gave them rest. They have read their own interpretations into the biblical prophecies of the coming Messiah. Thus with this historical background Jesus launches His public ministry and He states the qualifications for being a disciple in His Kingdom. So, the Beatitudes set the context for Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. And through this message the Jewish people will learn that Jesus did not come to expel the Romans but to set up the Kingdom of God in the hearts of men and women, boys and girls. They will learn that Jesus’ Kingdom is very different from what they were expecting. So let’s continue where we left last Sunday.

VII. CONCILIATORY IN SPIRIT V. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.”

          In a world characterized by conflict, rivalry, and war, a keeper of the peace is rare, a peacemaker even rarer. Now if God does not intervene there is a cloud of war forming in the horizon and precious lives would be destroyed. If there were need for peacemakers in our world it is today.

          The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that firefighters in Genoa, Texas, were accused of deliberately setting more than forty destructive fires. When caught they stated, “We had nothing to do. We just wanted to get the red lights flashing and the bells clinging.” The job of firefighters is to put out fires, not start them. The job of Christians is to help resolve conflict not start more of it. Does it look like there is war going on in your life? Does your house look like a war zone where bullets are being fired everywhere? Then you need the Prince of Peace in your life. You need the Prince of Peace in your home. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. When He comes into your life, He brings an end to the enmity between you and God producing true peace. And when He comes into your life, then He can make you a peacemaker. Jesus made peace by the blood of His cross. He achieved this by allowing His own peace to be broken. The disciple is to follow the train of His Savior. God is the supreme Peacemaker and this quality marks out disciples as sons and daughters, for the sons and daughters share the characteristics of the Father. To be a lover of peace is good. To be a promoter of peace is better. They shall be called sons of God.

          How good are you at sowing seeds of peace? You may not be called to ward off international conflict, but you will have opportunities to do something more vital; that is to bring inner peace to troubled hearts. Is your heart troubled today? You can experience the peace of God that comes through the forgiveness of sin through the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus modeled peacemaking for us. We see Him cultivating inward harmony through acts of love. He washed the feet of men he knew would betray Him. He had lunch with a corrupt tax collector. He embraced the sinful woman whom society had scorned and rejected. He built bridges by healing hurts. He prevented conflicts by touching the interior. He cultivated harmony by sowing seeds of peace in fertile hearts.

          Do you want to see a miracle? Plant a word of love heart-deep in a person’s life. Nurture it with a smile and a prayer, and watch what happens. Sowing seeds of peace is like sowing beans. You don’t know why it works; you just know it does. Seeds are planted, and top soils of hurt are shoved away. Don’t forget the principle. Never underestimate the power of the seed of peace. The push for power has come to shove. And most of us are either pushing or being pushed. There is a difference between the quest for excellence and the quest for power. The quest for excellence is a mark of maturity, but the quest for power is childish. The Serpent deceived Adam and Eve because of their quest for power. They wanted to be like God. And he continues to deceive many today with the same lie. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. “Be a power broker,” the Serpent lied, “and you will be like God.” “Be a peacemaker,” the King promised, “and you will be a son of God.” Which would you prefer, to be a king of the mountain for a day, or to be a child of God for eternity? There is a side benefit to Sonship. If you are a child of God, then what does the world have to offer? Can you have any greater title than the one you have? Let me ask you this question: A thousand years from now, will it matter what title the world gave you? No, but it will make a whole lot of difference whose child you are. Can you say you are a son or daughter of God when you go around setting fire in people’s home, people’s marriages, people’s businesses, and people’s life? Jesus says that a son or daughter of God is the one who is a peacemaker and such a person is blessed.

VIII. UNSWERVING IN LOYALTY VV. 10-12 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

          What was done to the Savior will be done to the disciple. But even insult, reviling, injury, and persecution can work blessing—not in the persecution itself but in the divine compensations it brings. The tense of the verb conveys the sense. “Blessed are those who have been persecuted. The blessing is in the results that flow from it. Suffering is the authentic hallmark of Christianity. “Even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed,” said Peter (1 Peter 3:14). But not all persecution is blessed. Sometimes Christians bring it on themselves through unwise and unchristian actions. There are three conditions for persecution to result in blessing from the Lord: First, it must be for righteousness sake, not as a result of fanaticism or tactlessness. Second, the evil speaking must have no basis in fact; it must not be something that is the outcome of your sin or failure. Finally, it must be for Christ’s sake—suffering that arises from our consistent loyalty to Him. Let me give you an example from the New Testament. He was a child of the desert. He had a tanned skin, wore the clothing of animal skins. What he owned in life fit in a pouch. His walls were the mountains and his ceiling the stars, but not anymore. His frontier is walled out, his horizon hidden. The stars are memories; the fresh air is all but forgotten. And the stench of the dungeon reminds the child of the desert that he is now a captive of the king. Who is this person?

          In anyone’s book, John the Baptist deserves better treatment than this. After all, isn’t he the forerunner of the Christ? Isn’t he a relative of the Messiah? At the very least, isn’t his the courageous voice of repentance? But most recently that voice, instead of opening the door of renewal, has opened the door to his prison cell.

          John’s problems began when he called the king on the carpet. On the trip to Rome, King Herod succumbed to the enticements of his brother’s wife, Herodias. Deciding Herodias was better off married to him; Herod divorced his wife and brought his sister-in-law home. The gossip columnists were fascinated, but John the Baptist was infuriated. He pounced on Herod like a desert scorpion, denouncing the marriage for what it was, adultery.

          Herod under guilt might have let John get away with it, but not Herodias, the Jezebel of the NT. This steamy seductress wasn’t about to have her social ladder removed. She doesn’t want her social climbing exposed. She persuaded Herod to have John the Baptist thrown into the dungeon. Herod was reluctant to execute that plan but Herodias was persistent. Herod procrastinated but Herodias was insistent. Then Herod gave in to her wish. But that wasn’t enough for the mistress.

          She arranged for her daughter to strip-dance before the king and his generals, who were drinking their hearts out in a stag party. Herod, who was easily duped as he was aroused promised to do anything for the pretty strip dancer. “Anything?” “You bet.” You name it and it would be yours. She had a brief conference with her mother, Herodias, who was waiting in the wings. Then she returned with her request. “I want John the Baptist.” “You want a date with the prophet?” I want his head, replied the dancer. On a nod from her mother, she added, “On a silver platter, if you don’t mind.” The king responded, you want what? Herod then, turned and looked at the faces around him. He wished he could retract his promise. He wished he could eat his word. He knew the request wasn’t fair, but he also knew everyone was looking at him. He had given his word. His word is his bond. He had promised her anything. He could have said no, but he valued the opinion polls more than he valued John’s life. So he concluded, after all what is more important, to save face or save the neck of an eccentric prophet? Therefore, John the Baptist’s head was separated from his shoulders and brought on a silver platter to the stripped-teased dancer.

          John dies because of Herod’s lust. The good man is murdered while the bad smirk. A man of God is killed while a man of lust is winking at his niece. Is this how God rewards His anointed? Is this how God honors His faithful ones? Is this how God crowns His chosen, with a dark dungeon and a shiny blade? The inconsistency was more than John could take. Even before Herod reached his verdict, John was asking his questions.

          “When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask Him, ‘Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?’” (Matt. 11:2-3). Note what motivated John’s question. It was not just the dungeon or even death. It was the problem of unmet expectations; the fact that John was in deep trouble and Jesus was conducting business as usual. Why are many people flocking to false teachers and prophets today? Why do the cults have many followers today? Why is pornography very attractive today? Why is pornography a multi-million dollar industry today? Why would a lady living in a mansion involve herself with a person who lives in a ghetto? They are all because of unmet expectations.

          In his mind John was asking, is this what Messiahs do when trouble comes? Is this what God does when His followers are in a bind? Jesus’ silence was enough to chisel a leak into the dam of John’s belief. Are you the one or have I been following the wrong Lord? Are you the one, or have I been deceived? Have you asked a similar question in your own suffering?

          Such questions are asked anytime the faithful suffer the consequences of the faithless. Anytime a person takes a step in the right direction, only to have her feet knocked out from under her, anytime a person does a good deed but suffers evil results, anytime a person takes a stand, only to end up flat on his face. The questions fall like rain: “If God is so good why do I hurt so badly?” If God is really there, why am I here?” “What did I do to deserve this?” “Did God slip up this time?” “Why are the righteous persecuted?”

          Disappointment demands a change in command. That is why the cults are popular today. Clouds of doubts are created when the warm moist air of our expectations meet the cold air of God’s silence. Before I conclude, I want you to listen to Jesus’ response to John’s inquiry (Matt. 11:4-6). Are you disappointed with Christ? Do you expect all your rewards here? You may learn as John did, that the problem is not much in God’s silence when you suffer unjustly for Christ as it is in your ability to hear what He is saying to you. Ladies and gentlemen, we are not yet home. I wish I had time to expound to you what heaven would be.


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THE DISCIPLES' INFLUENCE IN A TWISTED WORLD

MATTHEW 5:13-16

INTRODUCTION

          Charles Colson and several other Christian leaders once met with President Borja of Ecuador to discuss prison Fellowship International’s ministry in Ecuadorian penitentiaries. They had no sooner been seated in luxurious leather chairs than the President interrupted the conversation with the story of his own imprisonment years before being elected to the presidency.

          He had been involved in the struggle for democracy in Ecuador. The military cracked down, and he was arrested. Without trial, they threw him into a cold dungeon with no light and no window. For three days he endured the solitary fear and darkness that can drive a person mad.

          Just when the situation seemed unbearable, the huge steel door opened, and someone crept into the darkness. Borja heard the person working on something in the opposite corner. Then the figure crept out, closed the door, and disappeared.

          Minutes later the room suddenly blazed with light. Someone, perhaps taking his life into his hands, had connected electricity to the broken light fixture. “From that moment,” explained President Borja, “my imprisonment had meaning because at least I could see.”

          Even more important than the light we see with our eyes is the light that Christ brings to our hearts, giving our lives the understanding and meaning only He can give.

I.      BELIEVERS WHO PENETRATE AND PROVIDE

     FLAVOR TO THE WORLD V. 13

          In light of the counter-cultural perspectives which Jesus teaches in the Beatitudes, it would be easy to assume that Jesus was calling His disciples to a life of isolation and disconnection from the world. Here Jesus proclaims precisely the opposite. The medieval times or the Middle Ages were rightly called the “Dark Ages” when many of the Christians built monasteries and became monks. They concluded that there was too much sin in the world. Therefore, it was better for them to retreat from the world and live separate lives. This has become the standard practice of some contemporary cults in the world. But how wrong they are. Even in His High priestly prayer, Jesus prayed to His Father saying, “I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15).

          In order for the disciples of Christ to impact and influence their world for Christ, Jesus uses two metaphors to describe them. What is a metaphor? A metaphor is a comparison of two different objects by the use of direct assertion. The first metaphor that Jesus uses for those of us who are His genuine disciples is salt. In the biblical times salt served many useful purposes. It was used as a condiment to season food (Job 6:6). It was used to preserve food from being spoilt (Exodus 30:35). Because of its medicinal values, newborn babies were bathed in it and rubbed with it (Ezek. 16:4). Some pacts or covenants were sealed with the gift of salt (Numb. 18:19; 2 Chron. 13:5). Salt symbolized loyalty, commitment, and fidelity.

          Jesus is therefore teaching us that if we are to be His disciples then we are to be the spiritual seasoning and the flavoring element in a pagan world that has lost its way. Not only that but we are also to be life-saving element in a spiritually decaying society. In other words, Christians must permeate society as agents of redemption. We are to arrest corruption and prevent moral decay in a world gone awry. What influence are you having on people in your circle of friends? What impact are you making in your world?

          Salt also has the capacity to create thirst, and has the idea of purity. When you and I live an exemplary Christian life we create a thirst among non-believers for the higher life in Christ. If we are to make impact in our world we must preserve our distinctive character as undefiled disciples of Christ. Jesus is saying that true disciples of His cannot lose their effectiveness. The danger lies in a salt that has lost its flavor. The moral failures of Christians and the politicizing of Christian causes are but two of the many reasons people perceive the church to be insipid and useless. If there are bickering and hostility among those who claim to be the followers of Jesus Christ, then the Christian community has become defiled. If you claim to be a believer and you make no effort to affect the world around you, you are of little value to Jesus Christ. If there is no distinction between the way you live your life and people of the world, if you are too much like the world, you are worthless to Christ. You should not blend with everyone else. Instead you should affect others positively. The positive qualities of your life should rub on others as seasoning brings out the best flavor in food.

          While it is true that persecution is inevitable for faithful disciples of Christ, it is also evident in the Book of Acts that the Christians turned the world upside down for Christ. The positive influence of the Christian community could not be denied wherever they went. Do others recognize you as a Christian? If your coworkers, classmates, and business associates were here could they testify that you are a Christian? It was said of the commander of the astronaut crew of the Columbia spacecraft that he signed his autograph with Proverbs 3:5-6. This was a man who was not ashamed to identify himself as a believer. Are you a secret Christian? Secret Christians do not make any impact in their world. They are like salt that has lost its flavor. It is good for nothing. We live in a world where people are always trying to change the moral standards. We live in a world where people are always pushing the envelope to see how much they can get out with it, but Christians are to be moral and spiritual disinfectant in an immoral and corrupt world. However, believers who fail to arrest corruption in our world become worthless as agents of change and redemption. Christians may make peace with the world and avoid persecution, but we become impotent and useless to fulfill our ordained role. And the sad thing is that the corrupt world with which we have sought compromise will eventually reject us.

II. BELIEVERS WHO SHINE IN A DARK WORLD VV. 14-16

          In verses 13 and 14 the pronoun “You” is emphatic and contrastive. It is also plural. In other words, Jesus was not speaking to a single disciple or a few of the disciples. He was speaking to all His disciples, the then and the now. He was saying, you, “My followers and none others” are the light of the world. The next metaphor that Jesus uses is light. I think that when Jesus said that the disciples are the light of the world, they were more startled than when He declared them to be salt. For all ancient people revered light and saw darkness as dangerous and foreboding. Light and darkness had darkness and mysterious dimensions about them and symbolized good and evil. Light and darkness also symbolized knowledge and ignorance. Light and darkness depict truth and error. Light symbolizes divine revelation and presence, while darkness depicts reprobation and abandonment by God. Obviously the primary purpose of light was, and is, to illuminate. Since Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5), so also are His disciples to reflect that light. If Jesus is the fluorescent light, we are the incandescent light. If Jesus is the lamp, we are the candles of the world. If Jesus is the sun, we are the moon. The purpose of light is to illuminate so that we can see and walk without falling into a ditch.

          Centuries ago in England lanterns were hung in some of the church staples at night. They were also hung in front of homes. When the lantern was missing or had gone out, the night watchman would cry, “Hang out your light, or “Light your lantern.” The lighted lanterns helped to guide those walking at night through London’s fog and darkness. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world.”  Lights are made for dark places. Jesus has made you light so that you will bring others to His Light. But many Christians have hidden their lights under tables. Jesus did not save you to hide your identity from the world. You are a city built on a hill that cannot be hidden. Often the city built on a hill was built with white limestone that gleamed in the sun and could not easily be hidden. If that is the case why is it that only a few Christians are sharing their faith? If that is the case why is it that only a few Christians are witnessing to others about Christ? Today we live in fear of war and terrorism. Many Christians are constantly praying that we will not go to war or terrorists will not attack United States again. While I applaud such prayers, my concern, however, is how many are sharing the good news of Christ? How many are becoming true light to illuminate this present world of darkness? The apostle Paul captures the essence of Jesus’ declaration here on the Sermon on the Mount when he recounts his mission to the Gentiles (Acts 26:17-18). The caution is that in your effort to be an influence on others, make sure you do not call attention to yourself. You should let your light shine before the rest of the world so that others may praise God. You do not go out there to parade your own attributes and say to the world look at me. There are some Christians who draw attention to themselves instead of pointing others to Jesus Christ. And they wonder why the people they invite to church do not stay. They wonder why their impact on others does not last long. Your duty as a believer is to shine so that others may see your good works and glorify God, not you. Do you sing your own praises, or do you sing the praises of God? There is a whole lot of difference between the two. Notice that the good deeds of Christians are to draw attention and praise to God and not the Christian. If done for self-glory, then the deeds do not glorify the heavenly Father. Christians not only do the right things, but they do them in the right spirit for the right purpose.

          We are not called to control secular power structures; neither are we promised that we can Christianize the legislation and values of the world. But we must remain active preservative agents, indeed irritants, in calling the world to heed God’s standards. We dare not form isolated Christian enclaves to which the world pays no attention.

          A Christian girl found it difficult to be true to her Christian principles where she worked. One day she told her pastor about it. “Where do you put lights? In a bright place?” “Why, no,” she said, “in a dark place, to make it light.” Then she saw that the Lord has put her in those difficult surroundings, and she resolved to be faithful and let her light shine. Students let your light shine in school and you will have the opportunity to point other students to Christ. The first people who made impression on my life for Christ were not pastors. They were twin brothers in my school. Their Christian life was vibrant and contagious. One of them was my classmate. He took interest in me and we became close friends. It was through them that I started going to church and was eventually saved. It is only as Christ lives within our hearts and radiates His grace and love through us that we can be the light of the world. The best way for you to evaluate your Christian life is to ask the question, “Am I allowing Christ to radiate His light through me?” Is my life winsome and attractive? Christians who shine like light are conspicuous in our witness and penetrate the darkness.

          Let me ask you a question: “Can you hide a city that is sitting on top of a hill?” Its lights can be seen at a distance. If you live for Christ, you will glow like lights, showing others what Christ is like. One of the ways you hide your light is by being quiet when you should speak for Christ. Many Christians can participate in politics, social chitchats, business transactions, and all kinds of arguments, but when it comes to the most important thing of sharing Christ with others their lips are sealed. They begin to give excuses like Moses, who said to the LORD “I am slow of speech.” Some of you are like that. When it comes to a topic or subject of your interest you emerge as the most eloquent lecturer, but when it comes to sharing your faith all of a sudden you are stricken with a disease of the cleft pallet that you cannot open your mouth. Some too, hide their light by going along with the crowd, whether the crowd is marching straight to hell or not. Some also let sin dim the light that Christ has given to them. If your light is covered with dirt and particles that blur its illumination what do you do? You cleanse them. You do the same thing when sin comes into your life by confessing and asking God for forgiveness. Don’t shut your light off from the rest of the world. Shine for Jesus wherever you may be.

          This reminds me of the children’s chorus. “This little light of mine I will let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.” Let your light shine and don’t hide it under a bushel.