“Blessed Are the Merciful, for They Shall Receive Mercy”
Matthew 5:7-8
I. Mercy consists of treating people better than they deserve because we have all been treated better than we deserve. Matthew 5:7.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
A. How do you know if you’re merciful? - Show it to those who are weaker and poorer.
- Look out for those who weep and mourn.
- Forgive others and always look to restore broken relationships.
- Choose to think the best of other people whenever possible.
- Have a care for the souls of all men.
B. Two Great Acts of Mercy
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 ESV
The first and greatest act of mercy was when God reconciled us to Himself through Jesus. The second greatest act of mercy has to be when a Christian shares the message of God’s reconciliation with another person.
C. How did Jesus show compassion and mercy?
He taught the Samaritan woman about the living water of the gospel, and He testified to her, “I who speak to you am He [the Messiah].” (See John 4:3–39)
One of the most poignant examples of compassion in the Bible is when Jesus showed compassion at the grave of Lazarus. When Jesus saw Lazarus' friends weeping, He wept alongside them (John 11:33-35). Over and over, Jesus felt compassion for people - healing them and comforting them.
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. Matthew 25:35-36
Allow simple acts of mercy to be a part of your everyday life.
II. Pure in Heart; Matthew 5:8
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”
The sixth beatitude echoes Psalm 24:3-5.
“Clean hands and pure hearts” in Psalm 24:3-5 denotes integrity, singleness of devotion, and undivided loyalty.
Integrity goes well beyond avoiding deceit and bad behavior. The root of integrity is wholeness, meaning that our actions are not choices we put on or take off as may seem convenient, but stem from the whole of our being. Purity of heart arises not from perfection of our will, but from reception of God’s grace.
It is hard to argue against personal integrity in the workplace, yet in a fallen world it is often the butt of jokes. Like mercy and meekness, it can be seen as weakness, but it is the person of integrity who will “see God.”
The impure have no desire to see God, but those who are part of Christ's kingdom are blessed because they see reality, including the reality of God.
In the ancient Greek, the phrase pure of heart has the idea of straightness, honesty, and clarity.
It is not ‘Blessed are the pure in language, or the pure in action,’ much less ‘Blessed are the pure in ceremonies’, but ‘Blessed are the pure in heart.’
For they shall see God: In this, the pure of heart receive the most wonderful reward. They shall enjoy greater intimacy with God than they could have imagined. The sins of covetousness, oppression, lust, and chosen deception have a definite blinding effect upon a person; and the one pure of heart is freer from these pollutions.
The heart-pure person can see God in nature.The heart-pure person can see God in Scripture.The heart-pure person can see God in their church family.
Ultimately, this intimate relationship with God must become our greatest motivation for purity, greater than a fear of getting caught or a fear of consequences.
