UPSIDE DOWN KINGDOM Week 5: BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING

I love symmetry! And the Gospel of Matthew is constructed in such a way to demonstrate a beautiful symmetry a LOT.

Most of these fall under the Moses/Jesus parallelWhich includes Mosaic Law and Sermon on the MountThe Penteteuch and the 5 major teachings of Jesus

Perhaps that's what draws Matthew to Jesus. Jesus draws parallels as well. And he structures these Beatitudes in a fascinating way. Make a quick study and you'll see that the next 3 Beatitudes in Matthew 5 directly parallel the first 3. Watch this:

• If you are poor in spirit, you'll be merciful to others.

• If you truly mourn over the sin in your life, you'll strive to be pure in heart.

• If you live in Meekness, putting yourself under the control of the Spirit, that will bring gentleness in your interaction with others, and consequently you'll be a peacemaker.

This shouldn't be surprising. Last Sunday I shared with you the metaphor of a tree, where the first 3 Beatitudes form the root system from which our lives grow. And the 4th Beatitude, which is the desire to do what is right, serves as the spiritual growth in one's life. Now what is produced - the fruit that the next 3 Beatitudes are - are of the same nature as the roots themselves, right? You plant a lemon tree, you're not gonna get olives. The fruit reflects what has been planted, so the parallel is very real.

This morning I want to talk about those three characteristics that are produced when we hunger and thirst to walk in God's ways; and these three characteristics are the next 3 Beatitudes. Let’s examine these more closely.