The right kind of people are part of the good news.

Matthew 4:23-5:20 

August 2, 2009

An American company outsourced a job to a Japanese company and specified they would accept only three defective parts per 10,000.

The Japanese filled the order and said they were confused by those specifications. “But in order to comply, the three defective parts per 10,000 had been separately manufactured and included in the consignment."

The Sermon on the Mount is about quality control. Scholars aren’t sure how to interpret it but Matthew gave us clues. Verse 4:17 summarizes the sermon in eight words, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” In addition to that summary we have a summary of Jesus entire ministry in Galilee which gives us another clue.  Page 1135.

4:23-25 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

 The key to unlock the Sermon on the Mount is in two statements: 1. Jesus preached the kingdom being near and 2. He was preaching good news of the kingdom. That’s how you understand this sermon.

Matthew 5:1-20. 

Ma5:1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying:

5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

5:4 Blessed are those who mourn,

 for they will be comforted.

5:5 Blessed are the meek,

 for they will inherit the earth.

5:6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

 for they will be filled.

5:7 Blessed are the merciful,

 for they will be shown mercy.

5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

 for they will see God.

5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

 for they will be called sons of God.

5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

5:11 “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.

5:13 “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.

5:14 “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.

5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Last year the University of Georgia sponsored a party called The Hookup. Advertising promised (http://www.thehookup2008.com/who/), “The Hookup is the ultimate college event, showcasing the hottest in entertainment, products, services and brands available to you during this exciting back to school time period!” Their web page said:

Everything you need to know about hooking up is right here! Click below to view the sponsors, exhibitors, bands, and special guests that will be at The Hookup. Let that eye wander and check out the full event schedule, band schedule, and floor-map of sponsor and exhibitor activities and booths!

That’s basically what Matthew was saying about the Sermon on the Mount: Here’s everything you need to know about hooking up with the kingdom. Let your eye wander over the text and check it out.

So what are people going to want to know about? The University of Georgia was pretty smart about that. Yes, The Hookup was action packed. Yes, the entertainment was the hottest bands but they knew that wasn’t enough. They had to answer one very important question: Who’s gonna be there? And they had the answer. If you go, you will be with 20,000 students for games, contests and giveaways. Not parents. Not busloads of geeks. Not opera fans. 20,000 cool students – like you.

Jesus begins by answering the same questions. In his Kingdom we will be with great people. People we’d like to hang out with. Kingdom people.

 We could do a whole series on the Beatitudes. But for today we only have time for an overview. 

 Blessed are the rich for theirs is the ability to buy anything and go anywhere. Only half of that statement is true. They have the ability but they’re not blessed - at least not because of their riches. Blessed are the movers and shakers for they will be powerful. Yes, but not blessed - no matter how Hollywood portrays the rich and famous.

The poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and the persecuted - they are the ones who are blessed. They’re Kingdom people. But why is that good news. Because most of us will never have Hollywood bodies or bank accounts but we can be blessed.

What does that mean? Blessed has a bit of an image problem. It’s associated with do-gooders and people who are too spiritual to be real. Blessed is also more than being happy or lucky. It describes the best existence. Blessed is God’s A-list. Blessed people are with out a doubt the best workers, the best friends, parents, leaders and politicians. Kingdom people are the best neighbors.

What we crave – chances are there’s nothing blessed about it. What we think we really want may be out of reach, but the kingdom is near.

 There’s more good news about people in the Kingdom. They fall into the same category as the prophets. They were esteemed or detested, God’s messengers. No matter what their message was you could trust them to tell the truth.

Of course there are always people who don’t like to hear the truth. They insult, persecute and falsely say all kinds of evil against the prophets . . . and they do the same thing to Kingdom people.

Why is that good news? Because:

1. Kingdom people aren’t going to say something just because it’s convenient, or they know it’s what you want to hear or because it’s politically correct or because what they have to say is self-serving.  You can trust Kingdom people.

2. God has a great reward for people who are true to him and speak his words in love. So Kingdom people are going to be rejoicing and not trying to get back at their detractors.

Kingdom people are also the salt of the earth.  That’s good news because some people leave a bad taste in your mouth.  Salt makes things better. Kingdom people make the government better and the schools and the businesses. Salt preserves. Kingdom people are good for families and all kind of institutions. D.A. Carson writes.

The point is that, if Jesus’ disciples are to act as a preservative in the world by conforming to kingdom norms, if they are “called to be a moral disinfectant in a world where moral standards are low, constantly changing, or non-existent ... they can discharge this function only if they themselves retain their virtue”

Reading on we find more good news about the Kingdom and its people. They’re the light of the world so people will praise our Father in heaven.

D.A. Carson: In the OT as in the NT, light most frequently symbolizes purity as opposed to filth, truth or knowledge as opposed to error or ignorance, and divine revelation and presence as opposed to reprobation and abandonment by God.

In a world where kids plant razor blades on a school playground, where state senators act like four-year-olds and teachers give alcohol to minors, we need more light.  

The Late U.S. Senator form New York Daniel Patrick Moynihan published an essay in The American Spectator.[1] Defining Deviancy Down.  In it he wrote: Society has been redefining deviancy to exempt much conduct previously stigmatized and accepting as normal behavior that considered abnormal by earlier standards. 

As that happens things just keep getting darker and darker. The world needs light. Kingdom people are it. They are working to redefine behavior back up to godly standards and in doing so they bring the Kingdom nearer.  

Verses 17 to 20 clear up any lingering confusion about the roll of Judaism and the Old Testament. The Old Testament points to Jesus and he is the authority on interpreting it. His teaching is in harmony with the Old Testament and his teaching must be obeyed. Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Old Testament and now his followers must follow his him - totally. It’s not complicated.

But how is this good news?

For one thing, insufferable religious people like the Pharisees are not near to the Kingdom. That’s not what Kingdom people are aiming towards. Legalism and a strict adherence to specific moral code are not Kingdom ideals. Morality is demanded but in the context of a faith lived out in loving obedience to God.

Quality control in the Kingdom begins in each individual’s heart. Quality isn’t a transplant. It’s an exercise program. Our goal is to be a member of God’s A-team: to be blessed, to be salt and light, to be like Jesus.

One quality control expert said, “Not having a common understanding of quality puts more pain into an organization than anything else I have ever known.[2]” Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount to provide a common understanding of the Kingdom