Study in Matthew’s Gospel

1. Study in Matthew’s Gospel Presentation 10

2. Sermon On The Mount The Poor In Spirit Chap 5 v1-12 Presentation 10

3. Introduction You are walking through a room in a gallery of modern art. All of the paintings seem to be by the same artist - his stamp is on them all. Perhaps they all have black backgrounds with red and blue squares in them. There is a sameness about the work. But then you notice one painting, which stands out from all the rest. There is a rich variety of colour, an attractiveness about its composition and a subtlety in its brushwork. On closer inspection you discover it is indeed by a different artist for you are looking at one of Rembrandt’s finest works. It clashes with and stands out from all the other paintings in the room. Presentation 10

4. Introduction In ‘The Sermon on the Mount’, Jesus is painting a picture. It is immediately apparent that it hangs uncomfortably in the gallery of this worlds values, attitudes and fashions. It’s clearly different! What is Jesus doing? Who is he portraying? What is his purpose? This picture is more than a self portrait, for these verses describe the family values and likeness that he looks for in the lives of all who follow him. He is describing life under his rule. The ‘life’ depicted here can only be reproduced in the those who have recognised Jesus’ authority and submitted to it. Presentation 10

5. Introduction The purpose of this sermon is to produce neither guilt nor despair. But it holds before us a blueprint of the character thatGod intends to reproduce in the lives of his people. The character of Christ. This is to be the royal lifestyle and pattern of behaviour of all who enter God’s kingdom. It is a life which will clearly contradict the values of the world of which we are a part. It further reminds us that we are involved in a struggle to expel the old kingdom values from our hearts in order that that God’s new picture will be seen more clearly in us. This picture therefore, a challenge to God’s people to engage in a constant spring clean so that throw out all that does not belong to God’s new creation. Presentation 10

6. Introduction This sermon further reminds us that many people today are frustrated with life. They are sick of the sham and superficiality that they see around them. Many cringe at the selfishness that fuels the C21st rat race. They are angered by the indifference to social justice and human welfare that abounds. But when they look at the church, at us what is the picture they see? Do they see the emergence of God’s new society or merely the world's standards and values dressed in religious garb. Who wants to join a church that is no different from the world? Christians need to pay particular attention to what Jesus says in this sermon! Presentation 10

7. Introduction Some complain that this teaching, though attractive, is impractical. They say, ‘It sounds great but is impossible to achieve!' Tolstoy, the Russian novelist, for much of his life looked wistfully at this teaching. He recognised the profound impact which it could have upon society but when he looked into his own heart he would sink in despair. Others think this teaching is easy to follow, ‘I live my life by the Sermon on the Mount’, they say, ‘you don’t have to be a Christian to do that’. The most charitable thing one can say about those holding this view is that they must never have read the sermon! Presentation 10

8. Introduction Therefore, this sermon can be approached either with foolish optimism - ‘I can easily live like that’, or with foolish despair, ‘This is impossible for any human being’. The key to a successful approach is recognising that Jesus is describing the conduct of those who have been born again of God’s Spirit. He is not saying, ‘attain these high standards and you will be given the privileged status of children of God’. But rather, ‘If by God’s grace you have been born anew into his family then evidence of his presence should be seen as you live this kind of life’. Notice that v1 tells us that this teaching was given to Jesus disciples, who had already been set apart as citizen’s of heaven. This is discipleship not evangelism! Presentation 10

9. The Purpose Of The Beatitudes In approaching the beatitudes, the first section of the sermon, we need to be clear that the portrait painted is of the normal Christian life. This is not a description of a super, saintly elite or a spiritual aristocracy far removed from the realm of the ‘ordinary Christian’. Such distinctions do not exist in Jesus’ teaching. All these qualities should be found in the follower of Jesus. He is not describing different groups of disciples, the meek ones, the merciful ones and so on. We cannot say, ‘I might not be a meek man but I am a peacemaker’. Every Christian is meant to display every characteristic listed! In one sense they are inter-related. You can’t have one without the other. Presentation 10

10. The Purpose Of The Beatitudes It is also important to stress the spiritual character of the beatitudes. They cannot be naturally produced. You may meet people who say, ‘I have a friend who is not a Christian but I can see the beatitudes more clearly in their lives than in the lives of many Christians.’ We must distinguish between the temperament we are born with and Christian character which is the product of the new birth. One is natural the other the work of God’s grace. We see someone who is not quick tempered and say, ‘what a nice meek person’. But the explanation of their behaviour could be purely biological. There is such a thing as a compliant personality. If this is the case they are unlikely to be passionately concerned with the rights of others or angry at social injustice. Presentation 10

11. The Purpose Of The Beatitudes Now the beatitudes are also designed to show that true happiness is the unique product of Christian character. There are two types of happiness. The first is a superficial happiness and is produced by the circumstances around us. If a man is free from annoyance and gets all he wants, if his dreams begin to come true - he says he is happy. I spoke with a young man about the difference Jesus could make in his life and he looked at me pityingly and said, ‘I don’t need Christ, I am happy with my life the way it is.’ But if that young man’s circumstances change, be sure that he will stop being happy. Presentation 10

12. The Purpose Of The Beatitudes The ‘happiness’ Jesus speaks of would have understood by his original hearers for the book of Psalms opens with a beatitude, ‘Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked...’ And Psalm 32 begins with two beatitudes: ‘Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him’. What is this blessing? Very simply it is enjoying God as he intends us to enjoy him. Happiness is related to godliness not circumstances. The beatitudes do not focus upon what we do but upon what God showers upon members of his kingdom. Jesus is saying that it is the Christian who is the truly happy man. Presentation 10

13. The Poor In Spirit The first beatitude says, ‘blessed are the poor in spirit’. This is the first step on the stairway to happiness. There is no entry into the kingdom of God or progress in his kingdom without it. What is ‘poverty of spirit’. It has been mistaken for both a financial and depressive condition. Some Christians have given away all their possessions on the basis of this beatitude! If Jesus meant that the really happy man was one who was materially poor, then it would be wrong to help the destitute and starving. We could smile at those scavenging in the rubbish dumps for food and say, ‘What a blessing it must be for you to be so poor’. Presentation 10

14. The Poor In Spirit Others have mistaken the expression poor in spirit to be the poor spirited person. The man with a bad self-image, the morbid introvert, the defragmenting personality, the mentally puzzled and the man with no get up and go! Again the message of the church to the despairing and hopeless would then be quite simply, ‘How fortunate you are to find yourself in this condition.’ And so we need to ask what then did Jesus mean by the term, poor in spirit? Presentation 10

15. The Poor In Spirit In places in the O.T. ‘the poor’ is used as a technical term for a particular group of people. In Ps. 34v6 the Psalmist describes himself as a ‘poor man’ who called upon the Lord, who was heard and was saved. In Ps. 40v17the writer describes himself as ‘poor and needy’ and asks the Lord to deliver him. These statements indicate that to be ‘poor’ is to be ‘weak and helpless’, to ‘lack the resources to defend or save oneself’. And so in Ps. 69v32-33 the poor and needy are those who ‘seek God’ as the only source of help. They are spiritually bankrupt, they have no resources to save themselves and so cast themselves upon the Lord to save them. Presentation 10

16. The Poor In Spirit But what does Jesus mean by ‘poor in spirit’?Heis clearly not speaking about a lack of material wealth. Material poverty can lead to poverty of spirit but it can equally harden the heart of man against God and stiffen his pride. In speaking of the ‘poor in spirit’ Jesus is talking of the person, who sees his woeful spiritual condition, who is aware if the great debt of his sin, who knows himself to be a spiritual bankrupt and totally dispossessed before God with nothing to offer him. His spiritual pockets are empty and he can find nothing at all to advance his spiritual condition. All he can do is cry to God for mercy. Presentation 10

17. The Poor In Spirit This is what theologians describe as ‘evangelical poverty’ and it is summed up so well in Toplady’sfamous hymn. Nothing in my hand I bring Simply to Thy cross I cling Naked come to thee for dress; Helpless look to Thee for grace; Foul; I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Saviour or I die. Presentation 10

18. The Poor In Spirit It describes the spirit of the prodigal who left his father as a proud and self assured young man. His material and spiritual bankruptcy brought him to his senses. In humility of spirit, he returned to his father with empty hands, no longer was he full of himself he threw himself upon his father’s mercy. God continues to bring men to their spiritual senses, as they recognise that they are spiritual bankrupts before him. Only when we recognise our hands are empty, that we have no legitimate claim on God’s favour, can poverty of spirit be born in our hearts. Presentation 10

19. The Poor In Spirit Now this beatitude is despised by the world. The world’s beatitude is, ‘Blessed are the self-reliant’. We are told to believe in ourselves, to be self-confident in our abilities but this is the very antithesis of poverty of spirit. Wise parents encourage their children as they get older to live lives that are increasingly independent of them but this advice to independence of spirit is sheer folly in the spiritual life. No matter how mature we are as Christians we should never be beyond the stage of childlike dependency, where we are constantly running to God for help. We daily put our hand in his and say, ‘We need your grace and mercy’. Presentation 10

20. The Poor In Spirit Within Christian circles there is often a failure to let this beatitude impact upon our lives as it ought. We are told that it is too passive, too colourless, to make an impression upon C21st secularism. And so we promote campaigns that pin their hope on the ability of men rather than upon the ability of God. This is not new. The prophet Zechariah’ message to Israel was, ‘Not by might nor by power but by my spirit says the Lord’ Zech.4v6. We seem hesitant in the church today, to play down the ability of men and to play up the grace and mercy of God. God is pushed into the background from where he is expected to applaud the achievements of men on centre stage. Presentation 10

21. Conclusion Failure to possess this poverty of spirit can lead to spiritual ruin. Jesus warned the Laodiceanchurch : “You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing‘ But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked”Rev. 3v17. There are many around the church today eager to teach us how to be filled with the Spirit but who will teach the importance of being spiritually emptied. Emptied of self-confidence, self-reliance, self-importance, self-righteousness? We are often too full of ourselves to know God’s blessing. The man who is ‘poor in spirit’ is the man who is truly persuaded of his own spiritual bankruptcy. To become rich and possess the kingdom we must first lose all - including our self-centredness by becoming poor in spirit. Presentation 10