Articles - New Hope Lutheran Church

The Sermon on the Mount Series, Sermon 1

The Sixth Sunday After Trinity
Matthew 5:1-3 July 7, 2002

Last year during the Trinity season—I preached a series of sermons on the five Books of Moses—the beginning of the Old Testament. This year I wanted to do something similar in the New Testament—a focus on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Several series of events have distracted me from getting started with this important work—and this week—we finally begin.

As we reflect upon the lessons of today—we find that it is a very fitting week for such a beginning. Our Old Testament lesson is the presentation of the Law on Mount Sinai. Our New Testament Epistle lesson speaks of walking in the newness of life. And, in our Gospel lesson—we find ourselves examining part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

We begin with a look at the background and purpose of Jesus’ teaching:

Jesus completed His selection of the 12—and has them with Him on the mountain—the mountain is unnamed—and there are many mountains in the area. The 12 are the ones that Jesus chose to take His Word—the Gospel—to the people.

As a comparison—in the Old Testament—God spoke the Word of the Law to Moses—And Moses was sent to take the Law to God’s people—God’s chosen nation—Israel

TEXT: 1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.

In our “Sermon on the Mount” setting—a crowd has gathered early in the day and ascends the mountain to hear Jesus’ teachings. Jesus has gathered His chosen 12 near to Him—and now He will teach them how to apply the love of the Gospel to the teachings of the Law.

First we must understand that Jesus does not come to destroy the Old Testament Law—but to destroy the man-made rules established over time that have built a system of legalism that were not as God intended

NKJ Matthew 5:17 " Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

So God gave the Law on Mount Sinai—and Jesus will now disclose the spiritual importance of that Law. We remember that when God came to speak the Law to Moses—He came upon the mountain in a cloud—thunder clapped—lightning flashed—trumpets blared. The people were warned to keep their distance—if they approached the mountain too closely—they would die.

NKJ Exodus 19:16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. 19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. 20 Then the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 21 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the LORD, and many of them perish.

When Jesus is ready to teach His disciples on the mountain—He speaks with a gentle voice—invites them to approach—does not prohibit the masses of people from drawing near and listening. God began on Mount Sinai by declaring that He is the God who delivered them from Egypt—and that He is a jealous God.

NKJ Exodus 20:1 And God spoke all these words, saying: 2 " I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 " You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 " You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

Jesus begins in the soft voice of a teacher—and presents His disciples with the beatitudes. So Mount Sinai gives the rigors of the Law—and Jesus speaks the comfort of the Gospel. Jesus is teaching His disciples how to properly apply the teachings of the Old Testament. He is correcting centuries of false man-made teachings that have crept into Jewish worship. Jesus is preparing the 12 to be sent out to preach—and it would be wise of all of us to listen to the lesson

When Luther read the words of the opening verse in Matthew chapter 5—he found 3 things that every preacher should do. First he should take his place— Second he must say something— Third he must know when to stop

We can examine briefly the example Jesus’ provides. He brings His disciples together on a mountain top—which is where the Gospel message should be preached from—the mountaintop—out in the open—not in some dark and obscure corner. The lesson here—of course—is the place to preach—Jesus preaches before His disciples—just as He was sent to do—and the others who came were welcome

TEXT: 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them,

Jesus being God the Son—spoke God’s Word—preachers today also are to speak God’s Word. It is the Word that has power—as we have said many times:

NKJ Isaiah 55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

TEXT: saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

And now Jesus begins with the beatitudes—a list of declarations by our Lord. Read this carefully—it says poor in spirit—the spiritually poor—it has nothing to do with worldly wealth. Jesus’ entire sermon is written to address spiritual things—not temporal. Jesus is addressing the misunderstanding of the Jews—who taught that if a person has wealth on this earth—it is because God blessed them. Hence if a person does not have wealth—it must be because God hasn’t blessed them

This is just one of many misconceptions Jesus is dealing with in this sermon. Some teach that Jesus was saying that you must give up all earthly possessions to have a right relationship with God. That’s not true—look at the Biblical example of David—a King—a very wealthy man—money—possessions—power—truly a wealthy man—and this is what he prays:

NKJ Psalm 39:12 "Hear my prayer, O LORD, And give ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am a stranger with You, A sojourner, as all my fathers were.

King David—humbles himself before God—and prays as a stranger—a temporary visitor. David knows how to distinguish between his position of being King—and being a servant standing before God in prayer. There is no sin in his possessions and riches here on earth—because they are part of his position on earth.

All of us cannot be beggars in this life—some of us must govern—some must manufacture things—we must have a variety of jobs and positions. Yet no one must forget who they really are—God’s children—visitors to this earth—with our focus on God—and not on the things of this world.

We stand before God bringing absolutely nothing in total dependence on His mercy and grace. This is the condition and attitude of true repentance. The disciples had achieved this by forsaking all to follow Him—that is the condition we must strive for. Paul sums this up for us in his letter to the Corinthians

NKJ 2 Corinthians 6:10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

NKJ 2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

Our possessions on this earth are meaningless—the condition of our heart is what matters—our heart is right with God and our financial condition on earth is unimportant—or our heart is with the things of this earth—and God is not important to us.

So when Jesus says "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven, He means blessed are all who forsake the things of this world for the sake of inheriting salvation and all the things of heaven.

We end this discussion with Paul’s words to brother Timothy:

NKJ 1 Timothy 4:8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.