An unexpected sermon

Been a while since I did this but I think it is worth doing. Today I preached again in church and, like the last few times, most of my sermon comes in the form of spider diagrams in my notebook. I think though, that I need to write it up. I was only asked on Thursday to do the talk today, largely because of some personal problems the pastor was having. I thought that God wanted me to talk about a passage in 2 Corinthians (Chapter 5 v 11-21) and I started writing a talk as appropriate. However, on Friday, I felt God saying to me that I needed to write on something different. Here then, is what I came up with in just under 2 days.

Good morning and Happy New Year. Has anyone made any resolutions this year? These days it seems that our lives are full of resolutions. Every other post on Facebook this week seems to have been either someone sharing what they are going to be doing to improve their life to someone moaning about others making resolutions. I have enjoyed seeing lots of posts on December 31^st saying ‘Tomorrow is the start of a blank 365 day diary, fill it how you wish’. What I find most amusing is the fact that it is 2016 and therefore 366 days.

So I had a think about what should Christians do about resolutions? Is it something that we need to worry about? What would we do if we did something? Scripture tells us that our body is a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19) and perhaps we need to fix it. After all, if our church had a leaky roof we would repair it so why don’t we look after our own temple by going to the gym occasionally?

Perhaps we want to delve deeper into scripture. I have started (and as far as I am aware, never finished) many of those ‘Bible in 1 Year’ plans. I have actually started another one, let’s see if my little app, reminding me every day will get me through it.

That’s what I want to do this year, I want to delve more into scripture again. Not to read a certain amount or to read to a plan, to dive into the parts I know well; to see if God has new stuff to teach me in these familiar sections. (Interestingly enough, when preparing for this talk, I found so many things that led me to places I have talked about in previous sermons, I guess that God’s message really is very consistent).

Now, one of my favourite films is a controversial one to mention in church. Some Christians love it and some Christians hate it. It is Monty Python’s Life of Brian. I know some people dislike it but it really is not about Jesus. One of the Pythons made this clear when they admitted that they tried to make a film about Jesus but they couldn’t. Comedy is about flaws and negativity. They looked at Jesus but couldn’t find any flaws to exploit. Anyway, one of the many brilliant scenes is this one

I never showed the clip in church but I just love the two comments; ‘Blessed are the Cheesemakers?’ and ‘Blessed are the Greek? Oh he means Meek, I am glad they are getting something cos they have a hell of a time’. This is my passage, the beatitudes. The beginning of the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:

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 children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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.

I love this passage. Back when my wife and I first got together, we were both in a Bible study group that I led. The Sermon on the Mount was one of the first things that we studied. For ages, I thought that they were just a series of disparate sayings, meant to help show what will happen to different groups. How wrong I was. Most scholars agree that they are more than this; they are in fact a list of desirable qualities that Jesus wants to see in his disciples. There is a precedent for such lists in the Bible. Look at the 10 commandments. Moses spent 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai and came down with a list. Jesus has just spent 40 days and nights in the desert and starts with a list. Moses has a list of things to avoid. Jesus a list of things to earnestly seek. Here, at the start of Jesus teaching we see that he is different. What he wants to teach his disciples (and the passage makes it clear that his disciples are the main audience despite what all the pictures show) is new, refreshing and, as I am about to show, very challenging.

So, we start with the first one. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. What does this mean? It means being humble. Humble yourself before God and realise that all good things and all Grace comes from God. It is part of what the prophet Isaiah was saying in chapter 57 verse 15 of his wonderful book. It means getting rid of all our pride and personal spiritual independence. We really cannot do it on our own. It is like the Apostle James says in chapter 4 verses 7-10 of his book

James 4:7-10New International Version (NIV)

⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.⁸ Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

I love that passage and as hard as it seems, it really is about God’s compassion for all those who are humble and know that they cannot do it on their own.

Blessed are those who mourn. They are going to be comforted. At first this seemed to be an easy one but it isn’t that simple. Jesus here, doesn’t mean those who are grieving a personal loss (although he will, of course comfort those too). Rather, he seems to mean that once one has become humble in spirit we will begin to see the world for the fallen place it is. We will realise that we live in a world that isn’t what it is meant to be. We are meant to live forever in a disease free, evil free open and loving communion with God. We don’t. We live in a world with cancer, and AIDS, and murder, and famine, and rape, and torture and all manners of evil. We need to mourn for this world. We need to focus our attention on what the world has lost. If we do this, we will be comforted. Jesus himself said as much in John’s gospel (14:16). One day, this comfort will be given in the kingdom of heaven that belongs to the poor in spirit.

Blessed are the Greek. Sorry meek. Jesus is making a bold statement here. The world responds well to powerful people. To people who are willing to take what they want. Meek people are very different. Just today I was reading an article (annoying article here) which mentioned this. It was a list of aphorisms that we need to stop using. ‘Crime doesn’t pay’ is a stupid saying when one looks at the ways crime does indeed pay. It mentioned that we need to get rid of the saying blessed are the meek. I disagree. Being humble creates in us a sense of gentleness. This is what Jesus means, we don’t need to be brash and storm everywhere demanding what is our right. We ought instead to be gentle and self-controlled.

Likewise, we are encouraged by Jesus to hunger and thirst for righteousness. God is righteous and we need to strive to be just like him. It means longing for justice. Not justice for ourselves in a selfish way. Instead it means justice for the oppressed and justice for the downtrodden. The poor, the exploited, the persecuted and the lonely. If we do this, if we think about others and genuinely want justice for them then, as Paul says in Philippians 3:7-11 the righteousness of God is wonderful and He will fill us with it.

Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy. What does this mean? It means showing mercy to those whom we could punish in some way. When I preached about the Lord’s Prayer the other week, I noted how society wants us to not forgive others. It wants us to play the game of one-upmanship. Here, right at the start of his teaching, Jesus says no. Be merciful. Show mercy to those less fortunate than yourself. Feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked and shelter the homeless.

Do what Paul says in Ephesians 5:1-2

5 ¹ Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children ² and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

If we do this, then we will get the same back from God. He, who has the ultimate right to judge and to punish, will show us mercy in the end.

Blessed are the pure in heart. This is something mentioned in Psalm 24:3-4 but is a strange one. Moses (Exodus 33:20), John (1:18) and Paul (1 Timothy 6:16) make it abundantly clear that nobody can see God and survive. However, what is this Jesus is suggesting? If we are pure in heart, if all we can focus on is God and what God wants, then we will, one day, see God. That is something worth thinking about.

So we reach the cheesemakers. They are an important group of people but Jesus obviously said peacemakers. They are mentioned in a short section in Isaiah again, chapter 57 verse 18 and 19. It means acting peacefully, being peaceful and spreading peace. Obviously we need to experience and have peace first, we can’t give away what we don’t have after all. Being a peacemaker is about closing gaps between people. One reason why the world is in such a state is there are too many gaps. People hate other people and they won’t come close to them. We need to help close these gaps. In doing so, we bring about peace and can begin to bridge the gap between man and God. If we do this, we become known as God’s sons; a fine title to have.

Blessed are the persecuted. This is the simplest one and one of the most explicit ones. The Bible is clear

2 Timothy 3:12 New International Version (NIV)

¹² In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted

Just this week I was reading about a list of 100 influential Christians on the Archbishop Cranmer blog. Whilst I disagree with the point of the list, the person who was number one on the list is deserving of mention (Top 100 Christians) 

In 21^st century Britain a Christian can be beaten and threatened by his Muslim neighbours simply because he doesn’t want to be a Muslim any more, having found a different faith. This is a dreadful situation but sadly, only a microcosm of what is going on all over the world. It doesn’t seem much of a blessing but we will be lavishly rewarded.

It is easy to see in the beatitudes a simple list of things that we, as Christians, should do. Be merciful, be meek, be kind etc. This might actually be something that the world could accept. Have we found the mythical pot of Gold? A Christian message for the world? Nope. We haven’t. There is so much more to this passage.

I was an avid reader as a child and I still remember a day when I discovered a new author. I was in a wonderful second hand book shop and I picked up a copy of Murder on the Orient Express. I remember reading it and stopping before the final chapter having no clue. As far as I knew, anyone could have done it. Turns out (SPOILER ALERT) that I was right. They all were the murderer. A little while later, I read this excellent book again and, knowing the end, made the book so different. I saw every word from a character, every nuance, every scene in a different light. It was remarkable.

The Bible is the same. It is all about Jesus. He permeates all of it from the beginning of Genesis to the end of Revelation. It honestly is all about Jesus. Whilst all the beatitudes are direct contradictions of what society often wants; there is more to it when you think about Jesus and his place in this passage.

What are the real beatitudes? Why can we be as rich as kings? Because Jesus became spiritually and utterly poor. Why can we be comforted? Because Jesus mourned, because he wept inconsolably and died in the dark. Why are we inheriting the earth? Because Jesus was meek and like a lamb before her shearers was gentle and quiet. Why can we be filled? Because on the cross Jesus thirsted. Why can we be shown mercy? Because Jesus got none from the crowd, none from Pilate and none from his own father. Why will we see God? Because Jesus was pure in heart and single minded enough to set his face like flint and head off to his death in Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). Why can we be children of God? Because he was forsaken and abandoned by his own father.

When we, as Christians, see Jesus become poor in spirit it helps us to realise that we need God’s grace. When we get this grace we are filled with compassion, mercy, and the desire for peace and a hunger for righteousness. We come closer to God and, through prayer we can approach his throne. One day we will see him.

So like all scripture there is so much more to this passage than at first it appears. So that is my resolution this year. To spend time with things that point me to the wonderful work of Jesus. I want to spend more time in scripture, more time thinking about communion and more time in prayer. What a great year it is doing to be.