Sermon on the Mount: A Post-it Note, Not a Recipe
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 sons 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.
Question for you: What’s the difference between this____ and this____. Well, it is pretty easy to see that the one is a post-it note and the other is a recipe card. The post-it note is something you stick on the refrigerator door or on the bulletin board at your office to remind you of something important. The recipe card is a list of detailed instructions for you to follow in order to make certain you do it right, whether it’s baking cookies or making applesauce cake.
The section of God’s Word that we have for our study this evening is part of the famous “Sermon On The Mount”. This particular section is also called “the Beatitudes”. That title comes from the Latin word “beatus” or “blessed” which is the word that begins each verse of this section.
Now, I began by asking you if you knew the difference between a post-it note and a recipe card, because, you see, some people consider “the Beatitudes” to be a recipe card…a list of detailed instructions given to us by the Lord Jesus which we are to follow if we want to get it right…if we want to experience the blessings that He mentions in each verse, including eternal life in heaven.
But if we study this section of the Bible carefully, we see that “the Beatitudes” are not intended by Jesus to be a recipe card, but a post-it note...a reminder of something very important.
Let’s see what Jesus wants to remind us of in His Sermon On The Mount, and in particular these Beatitudes in verses 7-12 under the theme:
“The Sermon On The Mount…
A Reminder Not A Recipe!”
We’ll see that Jesus wants to remind you and me that we are:
1] Blessed because we are merciful
2] Blessed because we are pure in heart
3] Blessed because we are peacemakers
4] Blessed because we are persecuted
1.
One of the first things that we have to keep in mind if we want to understand this section of God’s Word properly is Jesus’ audience. Who is He speaking to when He speaks these “beatitudes”? Well even though this illustration shows a small crowd gathered around Jesus, and even though the common perception is that Jesus was speaking to this huge group of people who had followed Him up to the mountain, chapter 5 begins with these words, “Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on a mountain side and sat down. His disciples came to Him , and He began to teach them.”
What actually happened was that Jesus saw that there was, indeed, a large crowd following Him and He went up to this mountain, or more precisely a hillside, in order to speak rather privately to His disciples to teach them. So Jesus’ audience is His disciples, the twelve that we are told in the Gospel of Mark Jesus appointed to “be with Him and that He might send out to preach.”
With that understanding, then, of who Jesus is addressing with these words, we look at what Jesus says in verse 7. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Those words were a reminder to these disciples, not a recipe. Jesus was not telling them that if you want to be shown the mercy of God, then you have to follow this step…be merciful yourselves. Show kindness and patience and love toward your fellow man and God will reward you by being gracious and merciful to you.
Since when does God show His mercy to us contingent upon the fact that we are merciful to others? The Bible tells us just the opposite. It says that God shows us His mercy simply because He is God. King David prayed in Psalm 51 “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions.” The prophet in Lamentations 3:22 says “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed.”
No, it’s not any action on our part that moves God to be merciful to us and forgive us our many sins. It is not because of any attitude that we have displayed that God felt compelled to send His Son Jesus to the cross to rescue us from the damnation that we deserve. It is purely because of God’s love for you and me, His creatures, that He shows us mercy and forgives us for Jesus’ sake.
What Jesus tells His disciples here, then, is not a recipe for securing the mercy of God. It’s a post-it note, a reminder that these disciples were truly blessed, because they, as followers of Jesus, were by example of Jesus merciful to others.
You see, Jesus would soon be sending these men out to preach the Gospel. And you can bet that there would be plenty of people out there who would tell them what fools they were being for being Christians and being merciful and compassionate. “It’s a dog eat dog world out there” they would be told. “It’s every man for himself!” “Never give a sucker an even break!” “Unless you approach life with a hard-nose, take care of #1 first attitude, you’ll be behind the 8 ball all your life!”
But Jesus said to them, don’t fall for that. You, as followers of Christ, are blessed…because as Christians you have been taught to be merciful and compassionate rather than hard core and inconsiderate. You are blessed, because your attitude of mercy and compassion will result in others being merciful and compassionate with you.
Did you ever get the feeling that by being a Christian in this dog-eat-dog world, you’re always on the short end of the stick? That by being merciful to those who have wronged you, as Jesus asks of you, by being compassionate to those who are less fortunate, as Jesus asks of you, you will go through life with a big “L” in the middle of your forehead?
Here Jesus gives you a post-it note, not a recipe card, to remind you of something that’s very important. He wants to remind you that by being a follower of Christ, by displaying an attitude of mercy and compassion in this world, it is you who are blessed. Because that Christ-like mercy and compassion that you show others when dealing with them will result in others being merciful and compassionate with you. Yes, blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
2.
Secondly, Jesus told His disciples in His sermon on the mount, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
How easy it would be to interpret that to mean: If you keep your nose clean, follow the golden rule, think pure thoughts, and generally be Mr. Nice Guy, you have the recipe for being in heaven with God some day.
But the Sermon on the Mount is a post-it note, not a recipe card! Scripture makes it pretty clear that your thoughts and deeds can be as pure as the driven snow, but that isn’t going to get you one step closer to God. Isaiah 64:6 says, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” God is not impressed with civic righteousness and saintly attitudes. He is not moved to open up the gates of heaven because you have sent $10 to the Jerry Lewis Telethon on Labor Day for the past 15 years, or because you wouldn’t say “heck” or “darn” even if your life depended on, or because you never bought a copy of Playboy or Hustler. Cleaning up your act is not a step in the recipe to guarantee you a place with God in heaven.
Your place in heaven is guaranteed because by the blood of your Savior Jesus Christ, your heart has been made pure. You will live eternally, because Jesus has cleansed your sinful heart and washed away each spot and stain with His holy, precious blood shed on the cross. You will some day see God, because Jesus has made you pure in heart.
That’s the important thing that Jesus wanted to remind His disciples of before He sent them out into the world. And that’s the very important thing that Jesus wants to remind you and me of. Again, when there are times in your life…and there will be those times…when you look around you and see the prosperity, the material wealth, the “fantastic” lives of others and begin to feel like, as a Christian, you’re the guy walking around with the “L” on your forehead, remember what Jesus said: you, whose hearts have been made pure by the blood of Christ, whose sins have been washed away through faith in His cross, are the ones who are blessed…because some day you will see God!
3.
Next Jesus tells His disciples, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Jesus uses the word , which is the Greek that is translated here as “peacemakers”, He doesn’t use the word , which is “peaceful”. You see, Jesus is not talking about someone who is just peace-loving, quiet…a Wimpy type character whose most aggressive act is to say “I will gladly pay you tomorrow for a hamburger today.” He is talking about those who bring about peace.
Again, keep in mind what Jesus says here in the Beatitudes is a post-it note, not a recipe. He is not saying that if you win the Nobel Peace Prize by settling the dispute between the Israelis and the Palestinians or even just settle a local argument between the Hatfields and the McCoys you will automatically be part of God’s family. Remember, Scripture says, “you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” It’s not a recipe!
It was a reminder to His disciples that when they would go out and preach the Gospel and by doing so make peace between God and man through that beautiful message of reconciliation, bringing peace to consciences that are riddled with guilt and hearts that are filled with fear and despair, people would know them as the children of God.
Do you ever get the feeling that as a Christian you are considered kind of a Wimpy, a non-descript person whose don’t-get-into-any-trouble kind of life is considered by most to be “B-O-O-R-I-N-G” and who hasn’t got much going for him? While the people who are really looked up to and whose life is worth something are the Nobel Peace Prize winners, the people who make headlines, the activists and the controversial?
Jesus says, here’s a post-it note to stick on your refrigerator and look at every time you feel that way. It says: You, who share the message of Christ crucified with your family, your friends, your co-workers…who bring peace to consciences that are tormented and souls that are terrified of death…you, who bring Jesus and His message of forgiveness to others are the ones who are blessed, because you may not be called “great” or “important” or “valuable” by the world, but you will be called the children of God…those who do the will of your Father in heaven…a name that makes the angels rejoice in heaven!
4.
And finally Jesus says this to His disciples: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
A recipe? No! Jesus was not telling them that if they hung in there under persecution God would reward them with a place in heaven. Eternal life in heaven is not like the Survivor show where the one who holds out the longest wins a million dollars. The Apostle Paul reminds us that “it is by grace you have been saved through faith and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God.” This is not a step to follow to earn a place in heaven.
It’s a post-it note. Jesus knew that when He sent them out to preach the Gospel, they would be persecuted. And He knew that they would have a tendency to develop a “poor me” attitude as a result. It was then that He wanted them to remember that if they were being persecuted for righteousness sake, it meant that they were being persecuted for being followers of Jesus, persecuted for their faith and it would remind them that they had no reason to develop a “poor me” attitude, because it meant that, as followers of Christ, the kingdom of heaven was theirs!
Now, you will probably never be persecuted for being a Christian like the disciples were. I don’t think any of you have to look forward to being sawn in half or crucified upside down or thrown to the lions. But will you be persecuted for righteousness sake? If you tell the guys in the dorm you’re going to church on Sunday so you can’t go out drinking on Saturday night, you will. If you let co-workers know that you don’t appreciate the misuse of God’s name by the water cooler at the office, you will. If you let it be known that you are a virgin and intend to stay that way until you are married, you will. If you tell your professor that you prefer to believe in creationism instead of the Big Bang theory, you will. If you refuse to rent your apartment to the gay or lesbian couple that wants to move in, you will.
What Jesus is telling you is: instead of developing a woe-is-me attitude when that happens, remember you are the one who is blessed, because when you are persecuted for your faith in Jesus, you are reminded that even though a lot of other things are not yours, yours is the kingdom of heaven!
CONCLUSION
“Blessed are the merciful, Blessed are the pure in heart,
Blessed are the peacemakers, Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteounsess .”
Is that a recipe for us to follow to insure the blessings of God, including the blessing of heaven? No, it’s a post-it note meant by God to remind you of something very important. And that is,
1] Because as a Christian you display an attitude of mercy and compassion to others, reflecting the mercy that God has shown you in Christ,
2] Because your heart has been made pure by being washed in the blood of Jesus,
3] Because you bring peace to troubled consciences and fearful hearts through your sharing of the Gospel of forgiveness in Christ,
4] Because your being persecuted for your faith in Jesus reminds you that through Him yours is the kingdom of heaven….YOU ARE TRULY BLESSED!
Created on 2005-09-02 21:16:55
Updated on 2008-06-28 21:42:03
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