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Matthew 5-7 – The Sermon on the Kingdom
What is the best news you’ve ever heard? On a national scale, when V-E Day and V-J Day were announced jubilation erupted, and yet people only had to wait 4 or 5 years from the beginning of the war to the end. On a more personal note, was the clean bill of health of a loved one, or after years of “trying” to finally be pregnant? Again, while awesome news, probably the time between the beginning and end of the ordeal was either a few months to several years.
I don’t think any of us can imagine being a Jew between the 5th century BC and the 1st century AD, just waiting. After hundreds of years of silence, possibly as many as 500 years, the silence is broken. The one topic everyone had been waiting for is finally broached – the Messiah. At first, the topic of the Messiah is spoken of in a larger sense than the Person Himself. The Messiah is God’s King, and after 500 years of silence, and 1000 years after the beginning of their historical kingdom, once again people of God can dream that the kingdom of God is at hand. Preaching on the kingdom meant preaching the king.
Breaking the divine silence and speaking first is a strange, enigmatic prophet named John who eats ceremonially clean bugs and honey and wears a garment made from camel hair, along with a leather belt. This eccentric preacher commands the masses, whether friend or foe with the same ominous yet optimistic message, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” (Mt.3:2).
Along with preaching that the kingdom of heaven has come near, John preaches what repentance entails: a confession of sin and a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mk.1:4-5). His preaching demands personal change; whether comfortable or uncomfortable, wanted or unwanted. The needed change is divinely charged. Preaching the gospel of the kingdom will lead to John being murdered for his message.
Not waiting another 500 years because the time has come, another prophet immediately continues the ministry, and proclaims the same message: “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” (4:17) and “preaching the good news of the kingdom” (Mt.4:23). His name is Jesus. He is the king John spoke about. He too preaches the gospel of the kingdom and will be murdered for His message.
What is so dangerous about this message of God’s kingdom? Nothing – Nothing on a national level – Nothing on a governmental level – Nothing on a political level – Nothing on an economical level. Kings could still stay kings and tax. Subjects must still stay subjected and pay their taxes. There is no coming revolution, no uprising of the masses and oppressed. This heavenly kingdom was not of this world although it would change the world. So why was and is it thought so dangerous? Because it is personal. And we always get threatened when things get personal. When we think the preacher is talking about us is when the preacher has stopped preaching and started meddling. I heard of one preacher who went from preaching and started meddling which resulted in someone in the congregation standing up in the middle of his sermon and started yelling his own sermon to the preacher.
Both John and Jesus preach, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” What is the idea or purpose behind “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand?” Is it a plea? “Please repent, so you can enter the kingdom of heaven.” Is it a warning, “You better repent because the kingdom of heaven is coming!”
The answer is, both. After studying the coming kingdom from an O.T. purview in Ps.2, it can definitely be considered a warning for all those who refuse to “repent,” or surrender. Couple this with the Baptist’s words to the Pharisees: You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance;….He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Therefore the preemptive cry has two purposes: To invite and to warn. We see these two purposes in the beginning and the end of the Sermon on the Mount:
Invitation – Matthew 5:3 (HCSB) “The poor in spirit are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Warning – Matthew 7:21 (HCSB) “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord! ’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus preaches the gospel of the kingdom. America began with one of the most famous documents within history, the Declaration of Independence. It is both an affirmation of rights and a rant against the king. The Sermon on the Mount is about another nation, the Kingdom of Heaven. In it Jesus, the king, rants against false righteousness, and puts forth the kingdom’s manifesto. It is a Declaration of Dependence, of spiritual dependence.
Within this sermon I will make positive comparisons between being a citizen of kingdom of God and an American citizen. Please do not think I am preaching that America is God’s kingdom today, or that they are equal in quality in any form or fashion. No, that is not the point of my comparisons. The point is to compare that which is common and understood to that which is less concrete and more abstract. Another point is that as great as America is, (or was in the opinion of many), the kingdom of God is greater. My comparisons will be much along the lines of Jesus’ parables. The kingdom of heaven is like….
What do we learn about the kingdom from the Sermon on the Mount? What is the gospel of the kingdom?
- It Is a Kingdom of God (5:3; 6:13)
- It is a Kingdom of Poverty (5:3)
- It Is a Kingdom of Value (5:3,12)
- It is a Kingdom of the Persecuted (5:10)
- It Is a Kingdom of Righteousness (5:10, 20)
- It Is a Kingdom of Obedience (5:19; 7:21-23)
- It is a Kingdom that was Coming (6:10)
- It is a Kingdom of Higher Priorities (6:33)
It Is a Kingdom of God (5:3; 6:13)
Here in America, the official motto is, “In God We Trust” adopted in 1956. I like it better than “E pluribus unum” because it is easier to pronounce. In 1954, the Pledge of Allegiance officially became modified to now include, “One Nation Under God.” Once again there has been controversy over whether America is a “Christian Nation” when President Obama said,
“One of the great strengths of the United States is we have a very large Christian population — we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.”
The Kingdom of Heaven, or as it is called elsewhere the Kingdom of God, is a “Christian Nation” and is “One Nation Under God” because as Christians “In God We Trust.”
1 Peter 2:9 (HCSB) But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
It Is a Kingdom of Poverty (5:3)
When this country was new and even before this country was its own separate nation, people came for freedom. Some gave up everything, whether much or little, to “breathe free.” They came for religious and political freedom. They came because they were persecuted. This is why at the base of the Statue of Liberty is this engraved poem:
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
The kingdom of God is a greater nation than America. It too is filled with people longing to be free. And it begins in poverty. The attitude of “poor in spirit” means abject poverty, and is the same attitude found in “repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.” I personally think it is a lot harder to repent than simply being sorry (2 Cor.7:10).
One of the exceptional aspects of being an American is that we are not tied together by race, or even history. What binds us together is the “American Idea.” The point is that anyone who shares that ideal can be an American. The kingdom of God is greater than the nation of America. But what they share in common is this; we are not tied together by race or history, but by an idea. According to the gospel of the kingdom, we can only become rich by becoming poor. We are nothing without our God. Jesus is our liberty.
It Is a Kingdom of Value (5:3,12)
People came to America because America was valued. Traveling afar, I noticed that being an American is considered a blessing around the world. While being an American allows for many rewards such as financial advancement, and while being an American is a reward itself throughout the world; there is no greater reward than being in the Kingdom of Heaven. Can you think of any other nation you would rather be a citizen of than America? The only answer is a citizen of the nation of God. There is nothing on earth greater than heaven.
When I say it is a kingdom of value, do not think I mean that being in the kingdom brings “The American Dream” of a house and two-car garage. “The Health and Wealth Gospel” is another gospel. The “Name It and Claim It” theology is popular on television but not the gospel of the Kingdom.
The gospel of the Kingdom brings no medals, honorary titles, hierarchal ranks, or financial rewards. Ultimately there is the reward of eternity, but in verse 3 the reward is quite different. Being in the kingdom doesn’t bring rewards; the kingdom itself is the reward. What this means is that the ultimate reward is fellowship with God.
In verse 12, being in the kingdom brings rewards from God, but not the kind treasure hunters or glory hounds are looking for. I am intrigued by the present tense, “your reward is great in heaven” not “your reward will be great in heaven.”
People often have heard that if you miss heaven you have missed everything. That is true, but if you miss heaven on earth, you missed everything too. Receiving the kingdom of Heaven on earth is a great blessing and a great reward.
It Is a Kingdom for the Persecuted (5:10)
America became America partly because of religious persecution. America became a refuge against persecution. Pilgrims fled on the Mayflower for freedom. The Puritans fled Europe because of persecution, only to persecute those in America considered impure.
It seems religion is synonymous with war as war is synonymous with nations. Some nations are warred against for profit or land. Some are attacked out of allegiance to another country or out of personal vengeance by their leaders. Some wars are for nothing more than transient glory, while some are fought in self-defense.
If you are a member of the kingdom of God, you will be attacked, but the enemy gains nothing. They attack because we are what they are not – righteous. This historical fact makes me ask why. As Jesus mentions, the prophets of old were attacked as will be His own disciples. Why do the unrighteous among us insult, persecute, and falsely say every kind of evil thing they can (5:11)? Matthew 5:11 says it is because of Jesus, but what does that mean?
I have read that alcoholics who deny to themselves and everyone else that they are addicts hate recovering addicts. Why? Fear. It is the same reason the unrighteous, and even Christians who are not acting righteous, respond so negatively. They feel threatened. They see what they are not, and cannot handle the visual reality. They see what we are, and our very existence condemns them.
It Is a Kingdom of Righteousness (5:10,20)
Whether America is a “Christian Nation” or not, one thing is clear. If we ever were, we are drifting further away anything resembling Christ and His standards. A nation that kills 1.2 million through abortion; a nation that is beginning to sanction homosexual marriage; makes it difficult to claim it is Christian. Thankfully what the nation is, is not what the Christian must be.
The Kingdom of God has always been, and always will be righteous, whether those claiming to be in the kingdom are. The “Visible Church” or “Visible Kingdom” is not the same as the “Spiritual Remnant” that has not bended its knee to Baal.
What is righteousness? According to the Sermon on the Mount, it is obviously something that can be seen and defined. Later Jesus warns against practicing our righteousness to be seen (6:1), which means it can be seen.
The form in which something is written often defines for us what is meant. The first and last Beatitude form an inclusio or bracket.
Matthew 5:3 (HCSB) “The poor in spirit are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Matthew 5:10 (HCSB) Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Every Beatitude in between from the 2nd to the 7th promise a future reward: will be comforted, will inherit the earth, will be filled, will be shown mercy, will see God. The 1st and 8th are present tense: the kingdom of God is theirs. This forms the inclusio and helps us better understand and define. What is righteousness? Is the outward and inward expression of being poor in spirit.
In the theme verse of this manifesto, Jesus says,
Matthew 5:20 (HCSB) For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
By using the inclusio method to define righteousness, we can now understand the difference between the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, and the surpassing righteousness of the kingdom of heaven. The difference is that it begins by being poor in spirit. In chapters 5-7 we see many manifestations of this righteousness. Just in chapter 5 we see the contrast between “You have heard” and “But I say to you.”
Jewish tradition through Oral Law built hedges around the Law of Moses to protect both it and the people from breaking it. This was called the Mishna and resulted in more law. The Pharisees were the misguided protectors and enforcers of the Law. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus contrasts “You have heard” with “But I say to you.” Forgotten by the protectors is that God had already built within the Law His own hedge. That hedge is the loving heart. Anger to Murder (5:21-26), Lust to Adultery (5:27-30), Hardheartedness to Divorce (5:31-32), Deception to Oath Breaking (5:33-37); Vengeance to Returning Evil (5:38-42). All of these are forms of Hate (5:43-48) and all arise from the heart. God built His hedge around the Law – Love and be like God (5:48). This is true righteousness.
It Is a Kingdom of Obedience (5:19; 6:10; 7:21-24)
America is a nation of laws. We are ruled by our constitution that, according to many, is constantly being attacked, redefined, or ignored. Fact is, this is nothing new and has been happening since the inception of the United States.
In many ways, the Bible is God’s constitution. A kingdom cannot exist without a king and a king who rules cannot exist without rules. Salvation by grace has never meant salvation without rules, commands, laws, and obedience. Faith does not mean obedience is not required. Free grace does not mean free to not obey or disobey.
Christianity today makes “free in Christ” mean we are free to worship God however we want. Ask about authority, and the shout back is “free in Christ, free in Christ.” Jesus closed out His sermon by saying, “Depart from Me, you lawbreakers.”
Christianity today makes God man-centered where He is only concerned with us being happy instead of us glorifying Him. Instead of making God into an idol to be placated, modern man has done worse. God is our puppet and we pull the strings.
According to Jesus, every command of God is important. This was true under the Old Covenant and is true under the New Covenant. While love is behind every command, love is not the only command. The reason why love is not the only command is because people do not know how to love unless instructed by God.
It is a Kingdom that was Coming (6:10)
Nations come and go, this is a historical reality. America is a nation that undoubtedly has shaped, I believe for good, the world. If America had never come, then I believe either or both Nazism and Communism would rule the world. A nation that comes upon the scene of the world can change the world for good or bad. I am thankful that America came.
Both John and Jesus preached that the kingdom of heaven was near. This too is a historical reality. There is within this sermon both a present and earthly future and eternal or heavenly future aspect of the kingdom:
- Present – 5:3,10 – “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
- Matt.12:28 – If I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
- Earthly Future – 6:20 – “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth.”
- Acts 2:32-36
- Heavenly Future – 7:21-23 – “Not everyone who Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven….”
Some may balk at this, but I believe it is scriptural. Some have used language such as “already, not yet” to describe how the kingdom can come in stages. Such language is paradoxical and true, but not as easy to grasp as I hope the following illustration will be. When a woman is pregnant, is she going to be a mother, or is she already a mother? The answer is both.
The subject of the kingdom of heaven is unnecessarily complicated. Part of the reason it is confusing is because of the failure to spiritualize the prophecies. Another reason for the confusion is isolating individual scriptures away from the total revelation.
“Any conception of the Kingdom of God which rests in large part upon a certain interpretation of a single text or passage of the Bible must be regarded with deep suspicion. In this category are the systems built around such passages as, `The kingdom of God is within you’ (Luke 17:21), or “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven’ (Matt.16:19), or the parable of the leaven (Matt.13:33), or the ethical precepts of the Sermon on the Mount (Matt.5-7), or the 20th chapter of the Book of Revelation. The doctrine of the Kingdom should be determined by an inductive examination of all the Biblical material on the subject, and it should not have to stand or fall by the inclusion or exclusion of isolated passages where interpretation may be in serious dispute.” (Alva J. McClain, via J. Sidlow Baxter, The Strategic Grasp of the Bible, p.232.)
Alva J. McClain from The Greatness of the Kingdom
1) The National – of Jewish
2) The Millennial – or futuristic
3) The Celestial – or reign of God in heaven
4) The Ecclesiastical – which identifies it with the church, either organized or spiritual or both
5) The Spiritual – or inner reign of God over yielded human hearts
6) The Moral – or ethical
7) The Social – or Liberalist adaptation of it
8) The Modern-type Eschatological – as a kingdom either phantasmal or supra-historical
As is obvious, there are many different views points on the meaning of the “kingdom.” In my opinion, there is not just one specific definition but rather the term kingdom is used to refer to the power and rule of God through Jesus. Our brethren sometimes have said, “the kingdom is the church and the church is the kingdom.” That is sometimes true, but not always (Mt.7:21). One difference is that the term church emphasizes the people; while kingdom emphasizes the leader.
It Is a Kingdom of Higher Priorities (6:33)
There has always been, and I hope always will be, individuals who prize the nation above themselves. This is what makes heroes. Men and woman have prioritized the greater good over their individual well-being. Blood and limbs, physical, emotional and mental well-being, all have been sacrificed for our nation.
If America is considered worthy of sacrifice, if the ideals of being an American and the privileges of citizenship, are deemed valuable, then what about the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God within our lives must have higher priority than jobs, food, clothing, shelter, life, people, personal safety, and anything else on earth, including ourselves. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. What does it mean to seek first God and His kingdom?
- Seek first the Kingdom of God and not Self (5:3; 6:13)
- Seek first to be Poor of Spirit (5:3)
- Seek first the Kingdom because it is Valuable (5:3,12)
- Seek first even if Persecuted (5:10)
- Seek first True Righteousness and not Man-centered Righteousness (5:10, 20)
- Seek first to Obey all God’s Commands (5:19; 7:21-23)
- Seek first the kingdom that has come and will come (6:10)
- That’s Seeking first the Kingdom of God (6:33)
Being a citizen of the kingdom of God is the best news ever.
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