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Revisiting Matthew 5:4 - “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
In the wake of a tragic mass shooting in our city, we gathered both to mourn and also to remember where our ultimate comfort is found. We paused our current series to reflect and hear again from Matthew 5:4 during our service of lament, mourning, and prayer. If you’d like to listen to the service in its entirety, email info@veritasdayton.org.
As people pursuing whole-person righteousness, we seek to rid ourselves of all murderous thoughts, intentions, and speech, and to live peaceably with all.
“To have a ‘righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and pharisees,’ disciples must face the issue of the inner person. Not committing the physical act of murder is good and right, of course, but it is not the true litmus test of piety and alignment with God’s nature, will, and coming kingdom; examining one’s attitudes and speech are just as important as refraining from homicidal violence.” ~ Jonathan Pennington
RESOURCES: ESV Study Bible; The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary by Jonathan Pennington
Jesus came to transform us into people of whole-person righteousness.
"Christian righteousness far surpasses pharisaic righteousness in kind rather than degree. It is not so much, shall we say, that Christians succeed in keeping some 240 commandments when the best Pharisees may only have scored 230. No. Christian righteousness is greater than pharisaic righteousness because it is deeper, being a righteousness of the heart." ~ John Stott
RESOURCES: ESV Study Bible; The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary by Jonathan Pennington; The Message of the Sermon on the Mount by John Stott; The Whole in Our Holiness (sermon) by Ligon Duncan
We are God’s kingdom people in Christ, representing him for all the world to see.
"The images of salt and light, complete with their warnings and exhortations, are like a pushing of the young birds out of the nest to fly." ~ Jonathan Pennington
RESOURCES: ESV Study Bible; The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary by Jonathan Pennington; The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer;
Flourishing are the ones persecuted on account of righteousness because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
RESOURCES: ESV Study Bible; The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary by Jonathan Pennington; The Sermon on the Mount: Restoring Christ’s Message to the Modern Church by Charles Quarles; The Message of the Sermon on the Mount by John R. W. Stott
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
RESOURCES: ESV Study Bible; The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary by Jonathan Pennington; The Sermon on the Mount: Restoring Christ’s Message to the Modern Church by Charles Quarles; A Harmony of the Gospels by John Calvin
Flourishing are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness because they will be satisfied
RESOURCES: ESV Study Bible; The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary by Jonathan Pennington; Christian Counter Culture: The Message of the Sermon on the Mount by John Stott; Sermon on the Mount by Sinclair Ferguson
Flourishing are the meek because they will inherit the earth.
RESOURCES: ESV Study Bible; The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing: A Theological Commentary by Jonathan Pennington; The Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5-7 (Expositional Commentary) by James Montgomery Boice; Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller; Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church by N.T. Wright