People are part of the Good News.

They have good relationships.

Matthew 5:21-48

 30 years after Jesus’ death his followers were still mulling over his teachings and miracles. There was still controversy about who he is. 

 So Matthew set out to prove that he’s the promised Messiah. He started with the basics showing that Jesus had the prerequisite genealogy and a miraculous birth. Matthew wasn’t worried about the controversy surrounding Jesus. Even from birth some wanted to worship Jesus and some wanted to murder him. But he had an all-star team of witnesses including John the Baptist, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit attesting to his authenticity. And Matthew’s sampler of his activities – teaching and preaching, calling disciples and healing – were things that could only have been done by the Messiah.

 Conclusion: Jesus is the Messiah, no doubts.

 Therefore, listen to him. His message was the kingdom of heaven is near and good news of the kingdom. That’s the thesis of the Sermon on the Mount. There’s overlap between the kingdom and the Christian church. But the kingdom won’t be fully realized until Jesus returns at the end of time. Still getting the kingdom started is good news.

The last time we were together we looked at the Beatitudes. Taking Jesus’ thesis as the key to interpreting the passage, we saw Jesus intended for people in the kingdom to be part of the good news. Good news because they’re being transformed into people of character: people who hunger and thirst for righteousness. They are meek, pure in heart and peacemakers. They’re also salt and light to the rest of the world. Important to know! Who wants to hook up with a group if everyone in it is a jerk? In Jesus plan, jerks of all stripes are welcome, but then he sets out to un-jerk them.

 Its not surprising that Jesus taught this first and then switched to teaching about relationships. Let’s look at the connection between these two: character and relationships.

 Last week I was digging postholes. As you can imagine I dug more rocks that holes. The augur managed the little rocks, but the big ones stayed put. If the big ones were just a foot or two down, I could grab on to them and drag them out. But if they were way down there and I had to lie on my stomach to reach them, I didn’t have any leverage to pull them out. So I had to put my head on the edge of the whole (like this) to get them out.

 That’s what the beatitudes are about.  Having character gives us the leverage we need for heavy lifting in relationships.

 Matthew 5:21-48. 

  21“You have heard that it was said to an older generation, ‘Do not murder,’ and ‘whoever murders will be subjected to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that anyone who is angry with a brother will be subjected to judgment. And whoever insults a brother will be brought before the council, and whoever says ‘Fool’ will be sent to fiery hell. 23 So then, if you bring your gift to 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 and then come and present your gift. 25 Reach agreement quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison. 26 I tell you the truth, you will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny!

  27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell. 30 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.

  31 “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a legal document.’ 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

  33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation, ‘Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, do not take oaths at all—not by heaven, because it is the throne of God, 35 not by earth, because it is his footstool, and not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. 36 Do not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black. 37 Let your word be ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no.’ More than this is from the evil one.

  38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. But whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well. 40 And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic, give him your coat also. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not reject 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 say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors55 do the same, don’t they? 47 And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? 48 So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

  Relationships are the hardest things we have to tackle in this life. We may be successful at everything else in our lives and yet fail at relationships. The good news of the kingdom is that God gives us the character – and the instructions – we need to succeed in relationships with friends, spouses, parents, children, everyone.

 Jesus is so down to earth. The first issue he addresses is the 6^th Commandment: You shall not murder (Exodus 20:13). At first glance that seems pretty far removed from all of us but what he’s really talking about is being mad at people. Anger and slander put us on the same road as the one taken by murderers. Most victims know their murderer. And get this; according to the Department of Justice more than half of the victims had a romantic or social relationship with their murderers.[1] Before the murder they knew them as angry friends or relatives. Jesus advises us to get off our duffs and make peace with the people who make us angry. He’s saying don’t take any steps down the road toward murder. Get your relationships on the right track. If we do that, church will be a more attractive place and our good news rating will go up considerably.

  Next Jesus advises us to pay any price to avoid the wrong sex partners. Just think of the difference that would make if just the members of Congress and the Senate followed that advice. Think of the heartache that would have been spared in this town over the last 100 years if that advice had been followed. Think how many people would not have to suffer from sexually transmitted diseases. Think how many fewer teen pregnancies and abortions. According to FOX News: 80% of women having abortions are not married.[2] In just this one area of sex, if people adhered to kingdom living, the world would be full of good news.

 Jesus also has some advice for marriage partners. Don’t let anger build until divorce seems like a good option.

 Next Jesus talks about other partnerships we enter into through promises and commitments we make sometimes without giving them much thought. He says it’s just better to say what you mean and mean what you say. Again, relationships in the kingdom are good news because you can trust people to keep their word.

   In verse 38 and following Jesus boots out of the kingdom the idea of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Kingdom people aren’t sticklers for their own rights. They don’t adopt the me-first credo. They give without expecting anything in return, work with people who are down and out and are even cooperative with their enemies.

 Jesus takes it a step further. He tells kingdom people to love their enemies and pray for those who make their lives miserable.  

 That’s something cousin Fergy struggles with. He’s had a hard time forgiving his parents since he was a teen. When he was 15 he asked his mom if he were adopted. She started crying and said, "Yes, you were adopted but it didn't work out and they brought you back."


 At multiple points in any relationship, things get rocky. People constantly do things that make it hard for us to love them. But what people do to us is nothing compared to what we’ve all done to God. Yet he still provides sunshine and rain to his friends and enemies. People in the kingdom should do the same. Give people what they need.

 Some people are easy to love and we should keep on loving them. We should also start loving people who are hard to love – the kingdom way. Love is what makes the news in the church community good news.

 After putting her children to bed, a very bedraggled mother showered and changed out of her sweaty old slacks and t-shirt and started to get ready to go out with her husband.  Just before the baby sitter arrived she heard the children getting more and more rambunctious.  She finished putting on her makeup and stormed into their room, flicked on the light, and put them back to bed with stern warnings. As she left the room, she heard her three-year-old say with a trembling voice, "Who was that?"

 That’s the goal. Someone decides to follow Jesus and enters the kingdom of God. That person begins to take on new character traits that help them heal and improve their relationships so much that people say, “Who’s that?”

 To summarize this section of the Sermon on the Mount dealing with relationships, Jesus said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (48).

 No better advice has ever been given on how to conduct any and all relationships.