“Jesus Alone Is the Source of True Joy and Gladness”
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our
Lord [Amen.]
“Blest are you who suffer hate,
All because of Me.
Rejoice and be glad, yours is the kingdom;
Shine for all to see.”
(Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.
982:5)
Gospel
Reading................................................................ St.
Matthew 5:1-12 (esp. 11-12)
11“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all
kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for
your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were
before you.”
Prologue: It’s not my desire or intent to be overly academic
this [evening/morning]. However, in order for us to get the most out of
this familiar Scripture passage, it’s necessary to understand a very basic
and important truth. There are two words in the New Testament Greek
language that are frequently translated with our one English word “blessed.”
One of them communicates deep-seated and full happiness. The other one
communicates compliment or praise. In fact, we get our English word
“eulogy” from the second one … you know, the nice things some pastors and
other people say about a person who has died. They “eulogize” that person …
they publicize his or her praiseworthy qualities.
The one that Jesus used in today’s text, however, communicates
deep-seated and complete happiness. In other words, He instructed His
disciples then and us today that substantive and enduring happiness flows
forth from Christ-like character and behavior. Realizing from the very
outset that, due to our sinfully rebellious nature, such Christ-like
character and behavior are beyond our own ability to achieve, we then
further realize that the deep-seated and absolute happiness our Savior
desires for us is found in the fact that …
“Jesus Alone Is the Source of True Joy and Gladness.”
As we read, study, and review these statements that have become
known as “beatitudes”, we’re blown away by how “They enshrine profound truth
in brief form.” (Donald Guthrie in Jesus the Messiah: An Illustrated Life of
Christ. Copyright © 1972 by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, MI.
Page 83.) Regarding that, it’s essential for us to notice that each one has
two parts: “In the first we are told who are called the blessed; in the
second, wherein their blessedness consists and why they are called blessed.”
(Johann Ylvisaker in The Gospels: A Synoptic Presentation of the Text in
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John with explanatory notes. Copyright © 1932
Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, MN. Page 252.) In fact, that
profound truth finds its foundation in Immanuel Himself. In so doing, the
first four “blesseds” give us …
I. A Perfect Description of Christ-like Character. (1-6)
1Seeing the crowds, [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when he sat down,
his disciples came to him. 2And he opened his mouth and taught them,
saying: 3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. 4Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6Blessed are those
who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Humility and satisfaction are things that we don’t generally think
of as hanging together. Our sinful human nature fights against humility.
Self-centered pride and self-serving arrogance rule the day. Satisfaction
comes only when we’re on top of the heap, ahead of the pack, and in charge
of the game ... certainly not the other way around. But God’s game plan is
different as Jesus taught with His words and lived with His life. His
message and example showed that the poor in spirit possess the kingdom of
heaven.
Few people like to be poor. Most people want to be rich. There’s
ease, comfort, and power in being rich ... not in being poor. And yet Jesus
taught that the poor in spirit possess the most-glorious mansions ever, the
kingdom of heaven! What did He mean by this? He meant that spiritual
poverty, that is, repentant recognition that we’re spiritually blind, dead,
and enemies of God, is necessary for eternal glory. Sometime after His
Sermon on the Mount Jesus stated that “the poor have good news preached to
them.” (St Matt 11:5 ESV) and He added the gracious invitation, “Come to me,
all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (St Matt 11:28
ESV)
King David confessed this reality when he lamented and intensely
pleaded: “But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and
my deliverer; O Lord , do not delay!” (Ps 70:5 ESV)
Jesus Christ Himself is the heart and soul of the good news of
salvation, the rest for sin-sick weary souls, our help and deliverer, the
one about Whom the Apostle Paul wrote, “For you know the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so
that you by his poverty might become rich.” (2 Cor 8:9 ESV) Because of that
Jesus assures us that those who mourn shall be comforted.
Sadness and sorrow are realities of our sinful situation.
Personal illnesses and injuries, damaged and broken relationships, loss of
job and financial stability, death itself, and many other life-realities
make us mourn and grieve. Many often wrongly seek comfort with worldly
things like work, sex, alcohol and other chemicals, tobacco products and
other drugs, forbidden relationships, and the like. The base of all
lamenting is spiritual affliction and brokenheartedness. The only certain
solution is Jesus Christ, Whom God sent “to comfort all who mourn; to grant
to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of
ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise
instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.” (Isa 61:2-3 ESV)
Jesus Himself, Who is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, said,
“You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.” (St John 16:20
ESV) That joy is found only in Him Whose life, suffering, death, and
resurrection gained forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life … for
us, and Whom the Holy Spirit revealed to the senior citizen Simeon that “he
would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.” (St Luke 2:26
ESV) He is the one Who gave us the greatest example of gentleness about
which He declared that the gentle shall inherit the earth.
In today’s world people lust after and worship strength, might,
and power. Many live by the motto that says, “Attack and defeat the other
person before he attacks and defeats you!” God gives us a much different
motto in the words of King David, “Trust in the Lord … . Delight yourself
in the Lord … . Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him … . Be still
before the Lord and wait patiently for him … . Refrain from anger, and
forsake wrath! But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves
in abundant peace.” (Ps 37:3-5, 7-8, 11 ESV)
Because our Savior was gentle He was led as a lamb to the
slaughter of Calvary’s cross on which He was crucified for our sins and from
which He arose in triumphant victory over sin, Satan, and death itself. The
heavenly Father then gave Him “All authority in heaven and on earth … .” (St
Matt 28:18 ESV) that He now exercises for our welfare and through us for the
welfare of all people knowing that those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness shall be satisfied.
Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Are you eagerly anticipating
the end of this Divine Service so you can hopefully beat the people of our
community to the best eating places and get the finest table, food, and
drink? Tasty food and refreshing drink certainly satisfy our temporal
mortal bodies. The much more important satisfaction, however, is that of
our eternal immortal souls. Jesus Christ, with Whose death and resurrection
our Baptism connects us, is the ultimate righteousness Who satisfies our
spiritual hunger and thirst with His Holy Word, His gracious Absolution, and
His Holy Supper. Those are what truly fulfill our hunger and thirst for
righteousness; empower us to think, say, and do what pleases Him; and enable
us to endure suffering for His sake.
In addition to that perfect description of Christ-like character
today’s Gospel Reading also gives us …
II. A Perfect Description of Christ-like Behavior. (7-10)
7“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8Blessed are the
pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9Blessed are the peacemakers, for
they shall be called sons of God. 10Blessed are those who are persecuted
for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Knowing, believing, and confessing by the power of the Holy Spirit
that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior is certainly necessary to receive
eternal life with Him in heaven. The Apostle Paul emphasized that when he
wrote, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not
your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one
may boast.” (Eph 2:8-10 ESV) However, he continued, “For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph 2:10 ESV)
Immediately following the Beatitudes Jesus Himself said, “… let
your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and
give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (St Matt 5:16 ESV) Those good
works consist especially of mercy, pureness, peacemaking, and enduring
persecution all of which reveal, make known, and manifest to us who Jesus is
by His works.
Mercy is the deep-seated compassion that motivates us to help
others who are in either physical or spiritual need … or both. It’s that
quality of Christianity whereby we assist the victims of wars, natural
disasters, poverty, prejudice, social ills, hatred, jealousy, strife,
discord, and the like with our prayers, money, material goods, and selfless
service. It’s the motivation that we read about Jesus, “Therefore he had to
be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a
merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make
propitiation for the sins of the people.” (Heb 2:17 ESV) It’s what Jesus
encouraged when He told the self-righteous Pharisees, “Go and learn what
this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the
righteous, but sinners.’” (St Matt 9:13 ESV)
The Apostle Paul taught it in the greetings of his letters to
Timothy and Titus, “Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ
Jesus our Lord.” (1 Tim 1:2; 2 Tim 1:2; Titus 1:4 ESV) This good work of
mercy describes Jesus as well as others about whom it could be said that the
pure in heart shall see God.
“Stuff vs. fluff,” “substance vs. form,” and “internals vs.
externals” are all ways of contrasting Christians, who have pure motivation,
versus hypocrites who have polluted motivation. Hypocrites are motivated by
outward appearances much like the Pharisee who prayed to himself, “God, I
thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or
even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all
that I get.” (St Luke 18:11-12 ESV) Or those about whom Jesus warned,
“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like
greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and
the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a pretense
make long prayers.” (St Mark 12:38-40 ESV)
Instead, Jesus calls us to be pure-hearted as He Himself is
pure-hearted, focusing only on Him, being filled with Him, and promising to
all who are that “They will see his face … .” (Rev 22:4 ESV) In fact, they
will live with Him forever in His heavenly mansions of glory. In the
temporal meantime, their lives on this earth will be marked by unity with
God through faith in Jesus about whom it’s true that the peacemakers shall
be called sons of God.
The words we say and how we say them as well as what we portray
with our attitudes and actions serve to either unify or disrupt
relationships. God-pleasing words, attitudes, and actions mold healthy
relationships. God-displeasing words, attitudes, and actions tear apart
relationships. Peacemakers speak words, portray attitudes, and live their
lives in God-pleasing ways that promote, build up, and solidify
relationships. They follow the example of Jesus Christ, Who is the “…
Prince of Peace.” (Isa 9:6 ESV)
The Old Testament prophet Zechariah wrote about Him that “… he
shall speak peace to the nations … .” (Zech 9:10 ESV)
The Apostle Paul explained that Jesus “himself is our peace, who
has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of
hostility by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he
might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace,
and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby
killing the hostility.” (Eph 2:14-16 ESV)
You see, our Savior’s self-sacrifice in our place has restored the
sin-broken relationship between us and God. The Holy Spirit now empowers us
to restore sin-broken relationships with one another as well by “… bearing
with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each
other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” (Col 3:13
ESV) As we do so, we are peace-loving children of peace who bask in and
reflect to one another the holy “… peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, [and] will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
(Phil 4:7 ESV) So, the grand result is that all who are persecuted for the
sake of righteousness possess the kingdom of heaven.
No matter what the reason no one enjoys being persecuted. And yet
all Christians, who bear the earthly cross of being persecuted for the sake
of righteousness, today possess the glorious kingdom of heaven that we will
one day fully realize. St. Paul wrote that “… we are children of God, and
if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided
we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Rom
8:16-17 ESV) In addition, we are “… a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, a people for his own possession, that [we] may proclaim the
excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous
light.” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV)
In conclusion, therefore, today’s Introit declared: “Blessèd is
the man [whose] delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he
meditates day and night.” (Ps 1:1-2 ESV) In light of that we begged God in
today’s Collect to “Grant strength and protection to support us in all
dangers and carry us through all temptations … .” After all, as Micah
rhetorically asked in today’s Old Testament Reading, “… what does the Lord
require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly
with your God?” (Micah 6:8 ESV) Considering that as a suitable summary of
the Beatitudes, we realize and confess that …
“Jesus Alone Is the Source of True Joy and Gladness.”
After all, as Saint Paul reminded us in today’s Epistle Reading,
“[God Himself] is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our
wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” (1 Cor 1:30
ESV) So it is that the Beatitudes are …
I. A Perfect Description of Christ-like Character. (1-6)
and
II. A Perfect Description of Christ-like Behavior. (7-10)
In divine response to such, let’s now and always, as today’s
Gradual insisted, “Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord
endures forever.” (Ps 117:1-2a ESV)
God grant it all for the sake of Jesus Christ, His humble Son, our
holy Savior. [Amen.]
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
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