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Part 5
by Samuel E. Ward
The Beatitudes
Matthew 5:3-12
February 23, 2014
To view the PowerPoint slide presentation of this sermon, go to http://www.slideshare.net/samward1/with-eternitys-values-in-view-5
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Matthew 5:1-12 (NIV2011) 1 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.
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.
Introduction
A few years ago a controversial book challenged church leaders to think like marketers instead of pastors when carrying out their ministry. The author, with a background in marketing, believed the church should use the same tools secular companies use to identify the needs and interests of their customers.
The character traits in the Sermon on the Mount, however, might cause us to question such an approach. At first glance, they do not seem very marketable. It is unlikely that mourning, meekness, and hunger are high on anyone's list of "felt needs!" On the other hand, while Jesus was no Madison Avenue marketer, He clearly motivated those who heard His message. He promised that each of these characteristics would bring a corresponding blessing in the kingdom of God.
The connection between present character and future blessing in the Sermon on the Mount underscores a basic difference between Christ's value system and ours. We tend to be interested in immediate gratification. Jesus emphasizes that true happiness is found in ultimate gratification. We would be content with whatever pleases us in the here and now. Christ has provided something that will satisfy us for all eternity. The lifestyle described in the Sermon on the Mount is lived in the present, but its ultimate rewards are reserved for the future.
From "Today in the Word: Devotional Illustrations"
We have examined the first three blessings of the Beatitudes,
I. "Blessed Are Those Who Are Poor in Spirit," Mat 5:3
II. "Blessed Are Those Who Mourn," Mat 5:4
III. "Blessed Are the Meek," Mat 5:5
Now we address the third.
IV. "Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness," Mat 5:6
According to medical experts, the human body can survive without water about a week depending on other factors such as climate, general health, age, etc. As far as food is concerned, the human body can survive 30-40 days if it can maintain hydration. As with water, other factors could affect length of survival.[1]
To survive death after life requires overcoming a severe deficiency of personal righteousness. In fact, it is another's righteousness that we must claim. It is Christ's righteousness. We cannot produce on our own. Those who have tasted of the righteousness of Christ can develop a deep hunger and thirst for it—creating a constant craving to have it, experience, observe, and desire it.
People who have a true hunger and thirst for it will do anything to promote it, cultivate it, and even suffer for it. It is little wonder, then, that Jesus said in the Beatitudes . . .
Let's consider several points about this condition:
A. How Do We Develop this Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness?—
. . . by coming to the realization that seeking the treasures and pleasures of earth do not truly satisfy our deepest longings. Indeed, we opposed any notion of a God who would stand in the way of our pursuit of these things. We may have squelched the thought of a spiritual pursuit of God because God would have condemned some of the means we employed to obtain our hearts craving for the treasure and pleasures of earth.
We are beginning to see the fruit of snubbing God and His Word. What was once wrong has become right, truth is irrelevant, and power and wealth are the gods of this age. This worldly viewpoint has only produced wickedness on a massive scale and at a global level.
1. Such was the condition of Israel in the days of Amos the prophet. Read Amos 8 and note . . .
a. The injustice found among God's people in Amos 8:1-6.
Amos 8:1-6 (NIV2011) 1 This is what the Sovereign LORD showed me: a basket of ripe fruit. 2 "What do you see, Amos?" he asked. "A basket of ripe fruit," I answered. Then the LORD said to me, "The time is ripe for my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. 3 "In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "the songs in the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies—flung everywhere! Silence!" 4 Hear this, you who trample the needy and do away with the poor of the land, 5 saying, "When will the New Moon be over that we may sell grain, and the Sabbath be ended that we may market wheat?"— skimping on the measure, boosting the price and cheating with dishonest scales, 6 buying the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the sweepings with the wheat.
Instead of spiritually taking part in worshiping and celebrating the Lord's goodness, they couldn't wait for services to be over so they "could get on with the rest of their lives." "Time is money." "The Chiefs are playing!"
b. The anger directed against God's people in Amos 8:7-10
Amos 8:7-10 (NIV2011) 7 The LORD has sworn by himself, the Pride of Jacob: "I will never forget anything they have done. 8 "Will not the land tremble for this, and all who live in it mourn? The whole land will rise like the Nile; it will be stirred up and then sink like the river of Egypt. 9 "In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight. 10 I will turn your religious festivals into mourning and all your singing into weeping. I will make all of you wear sackcloth and shave your heads. I will make that time like mourning for an only son and the end of it like a bitter day.
c. The spiritual famine to be visited upon God's people in Amos 8:11-14
Amos 8:11-14 (NIV2011) 11 "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. 12 People will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it. 13 "In that day "the lovely young women and strong young men will faint because of thirst. 14 Those who swear by the sin of Samaria— who say, 'As surely as your god lives, Dan,' or, 'As surely as the god of Beersheba lives'— they will fall, never to rise again."
What would it be like to feel totally abandoned by God—to have lost everything and not know how to cope? What would be like to feel that a part of your judgment for not seeking the Lord is that you would not be able to find Him? And the reason for God hiding from you was that you were not seeking the right things from Him.
2. Such has been the condition of the world since ancient times and continues today. Read Romans 1:28-32
Ignoring God comes with a price. Since it is a willful ignorance, God, after a period of great patience, will allow man to experience the consequences of their disregard and irreverence.
Romans 1:28-32 (NIV2011) 28 . . . as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. 32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
And is this not where we find ourselves today? We are surrounded by those who are God-haters and therefore hate those who love God. Once we prayed that our nation and society would wake up and see the destructiveness of their unrighteousness. Now we hope for a new kingdom with a new king, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are hungry and thirsty for the righteousness that only He can bring.
B. To Whom Does the Blessing Come?
Matthew 5:6 (NIV2011) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Note these examples of those who had such a hunger and thirst:
Psalm 42:1-2 (NIV2011) 1 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
--one of the sons of Korah
Psalm 63:1 (NIV2011) You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
--David
B. What Do the Hungry and Thirsty for Righteousness Do Until They Are Fully Satisfied.
1. They should eagerly look forward to the kingdom of righteousness.
2 Peter 3:13 (NIV2011) 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
Galatians 5:5 (NIV2011) For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.
2. They should continue to train in the practice of righteousness.
2 Peter 3:14 (NIV2011)14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
3. They should be willing to suffer for righteousness—for we shall forever enjoy it.
Revelation 7:13-17 (NIV2011) 13 Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?" 14 I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 'Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,' nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; 'he will lead them to springs of living water.' 'And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'"
From all that we observe around us, it appears that the desire for righteousness is an "acquired taste." This is true according to Philippians 3:8b-9. Paul said that . . .
Philippians 3:7-9 (NIV2011) 8b . . . for [Christ Jesus'] sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
May you develop a deep hunger and thirst for righteousness. It begins by claiming Christ's as your own and grows from there as you learn to love and seek the things Christ loves. In the kingdom to come, you will receive your fill of all that is good and holy. Praise God!
