Journey With Jesus: The Daily Trek of Discipleship
The Foundation of Following Jesus
Matthew 5:1-10
Introduction
Mark 1:16-17 “Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’”
The call of Jesus remains the same for us today: Follow Me. This summer we are going on a Journey with Jesus and we will look at various teachings about the Daily Trek of Discipleship. The word disciple occurs in the New Testament 269 times, Christian only 3 times. A disciple is “a learner or pupil who accepts the teaching of Christ, not only in belief but also in lifestyle.” (Sanders). The journey with Jesus is not one that is completed in a day or a week, it is a life-long walk. There is no such thing as short-term discipleship. If you feel you have not done well on your journey, there is good news - you can begin again today!
We are going to begin our journey with Jesus as he began his best-known sermon, the Sermon on the Mount.
We commonly call them the Beatitudes. “Jesus set forth the characteristics of the ideal subjects of His
kingdom - qualities that were present in perfection in the life and character of the one who announced them.” (Sanders). Jesus begins with eight qualities that we would never expect to lead to happiness - blessedness.
The Greek word translated as “blessed” doesn’t have a precise English equivalent. Swindoll suggests “an inward contentment or abiding joy unaffected by outward circumstances.” Bruner translates as “Blessings on…” meaning “I am with you; I am on your side.”
This is the beginning place of the journey with Jesus, and this teaching requires faith - trust that He knows us better than we know ourselves.
1. Eight Qualities of Jesus’ Disciples
Four Qualities of Our Spiritual Life
Spiritual Inadequacy
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The word for ‘poor’ here means one who has nothing at all, is bankrupt, no resources. On our own, we do not have anything to offer to the Lord. We may not even realize how fully we depend upon God for our spiritual life - for all our life. “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven” - the first and last beatitude - wrapping this teaching in the promises of serving Him now in his kingdom and forever in the fullness of the kingdom to come. Bruner: “The Son of God simply blesses broken people. The Beatitudes must first be heard as grace, or they will not be heard correctly.”
The first Beatitude is a key to unlocking the others - it is the starting place.
Spiritual Contrition
Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
A mourning over sin and failure, the slowness of our growth in likeness to Christ - our spiritual bankruptcy. Two mistakes a disciple may make: Believing Christians must never be happy and laughing. Believing Christians must always be happy & laughing. No one attains full maturity without the experience of sorrow. The blessing is found in the comfort God gives.
Spiritual Humility
Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Meek means “not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance, gentle, humble, considerate.” (Swindoll). The fictional Chief Inspector Armand Gamache uses four statements as guidelines for his life: I’m sorry. I was wrong. I don’t know. I need help." The world teaches us to be aggressive, stand up for our rights - The meek have an inheritance. The worldly have no future. Meekness aligns our will with God’s rather than seeking our own path. Under pressure, we can speak and act in ways that are not our best selves.
Spiritual Aspiration
Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
A passionate craving after righteousness - a right relationship with God.
Psalm 42:1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.
Four Pursuits of the Disciple of Jesus
Be Merciful / Compassionate
Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
Mercy is the ability to enter into another’s situation and be sympathetic toward his plight or problem. Swindoll: “…those whose hearts are moved for those in need, having a desire to step in and assist in relieving their pain.” Mercy encourages the one who has fallen to begin again. (Sanders)
Be Pure
Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
The emphasis here is on inward purity. The word pure here means unadulterated, sincere, and without hypocrisy.
The pure in heart will see God - as they live out the Jesus-Life they will see God at work in their own life and in the
lives of others. They will see God.
Be Peaceful
Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
It is not peace-lovers or peacekeepers who qualify for this beatitude, but peacemakers … reconcilers. Swindoll: “Those who make peace relieve tensions and don’t feed fuel to fires of controversy. A peacemaker seeks resolutions to arguments and debates. A peacemaker works hard to keep offenses from festering into fractured relationships.”
Be Loyal
Matthew 5:10-11 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Suffering is an authentic hallmark of Christianity. It must be for Christ’s sake - suffering that arises from our consistent loyalty to Him. Great is your reward in heaven.
2. How Can the Beatitudes Function to Guide Daily Walk?
Intentionally Apply. Swindoll suggests: Apply one beatitude each day. Small steps, tiny bites. These statements are not our natural way of looking at things. It will take some focused effort to put them into practice.
Compare them to what you see around you. Swindoll: Pay closer attention to the contrast between the world’s system and Christ’s teaching. Compare culture to the Beatitudes.
Familiarize yourself with them so that you recognize your need for them in the flow of life. Henri Nouwen, writes that ‘every one of the eight Beatitudes that Jesus proclaimed in the Sermon on the Mount are for all people and for all times,’ but some will strike us more than others depending on our circumstances.
Take note of times when they will direct you to a different path than you might normally take. It is important for us to keep in mind that a spirit of gentleness and self-control is especially needed when there are things happening that can make us irritable, fearful, or self-seeking.
Seek to be people who bring healing instead of wounding.
The “blessedness” Jesus promises is for everyone. Randy Harris, Living Jesus: The people on the mountain that day were occupied by a foreign country. Many of them were poor. They were the marginalized people of society. And Jesus wanted them to know from the very beginning that God loved them, and they were blessed by God because the rest of the world told them that they were throw away people…
Consider what Jesus is offering - a rewriting of the chapters of your life. Rewritten Chapters.
-The chapter where I lost everything, and Jesus gave me all that mattered. (“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.)
-The Chapter when I lost a loved one, and Jesus came near to my broken heart. (Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.)
-The Chapter when I felt run over and beat up, and Jesus gave me hope. (Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.)
See the Beatitudes as a Promise. N. T. Wright says, “Jesus is not suggesting that these are simply timeless truths about the way the world is. If he was saying that, he was wrong. Mourners often go uncomforted, and those who long for justice frequently take that longing to the grave. Jesus is saying that with his work these things start to come true. This is an announcement … an announcement of wonderful news.”
Conclusion
1. The Daily Trek of Discipleship is an ongoing effort to keep these eight principles in place in our lives.
2. Bruner: I think they are the most significant words ever spoken; their simplicity is deceptive. There is gold under this ground.”
3. This is a journey with Jesus - it is His teaching we follow day in and day out.
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Discussion Questions
1. What clues do you see in the text that Jesus was talking to people who may have struggled to find happiness? Which of the Beatitudes is the hardest one for you to embrace for your own life? Which is the hardest to understand?
2. Do you see a process or order to the beatitudes? How do the first four empower the last four?
3. Do you believe that most people in the world would scoff at these Beatitudes? Why or why not?
4. Being a peacemaker in various contexts is challenging. What are some ways I can be a peacemaker in my home life? At work? In my community? In the Church? In the wider world?
5. Brazilian fiction author Paulo Coelho writes, “Every human being has the right to search for happiness, and by 'happiness' is meant something that makes other people feel content.” Do you see a similar thought in the Beatitudes anywhere?
6. In the section of Matthew 5 immediately following the Beatitudes is the familiar admonition that we are salt and light in this world (vs. 13-16). How would living by the Beatitudes empower us to be salt and light? Can you think of some examples?
7. Following the section on salt and light Jesus says, in part, “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished (vs. 18)”. How might that be an encouragement to the crowd gathered to hear him? And us?
8. Anything else in this text you’d like to talk about or share?
Resources
Bruner, Frederick Dale. Matthew: A Commentary, Volume 1: The Christbook, Matthew 1-12. Revised and Expanded. Eerdmans, 2004.
Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual Discipleship. Moody Press, 1994.
Swindoll, Charles R. Swindoll’s Living Insights: Matthew 1-15. Tyndale, 2020.
Wright, N. T. For Everyone Study Guides: Matthew.
