Author: mary

Matthew 5:7 tells us, “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” In this world today, it seems as though there is little room for mercy. People are constantly judging others and their situations or have little tolerance for anyone who has failed at achieving others’ expectations or standards for living. As we discussed yesterday, it is impossible to meet someone else’s expectations if it is based on their own experiences or feelings. According to merriam-webster.com, the word mercy means: “compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power.” This is exactly what God did when he sent his son to die on the cross for our sins. He had compassion on us (the offenders), and sent his son to die a terrible death on a cross to take the place of us.

God wants us to follow his example of mercy in our dealings with others. Many of us have someone who has done wrong against us. We tend to hold a grudge against them and treat them the opposite of how God treated us, with no mercy and compassion. When we live in this way, we show how ungrateful we are for His mercy and love poured out in our own lives. We should long to show others mercy because of the mercy that was given to us. This part of the Beatitudes says that those who show mercy will also be given mercy. Give mercy to others because God did that for you and he will continue to show you mercy when you wrong him.

Matthew 5:6 says, “God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice (or righteousness), for they will be satisfied.” The word righteous in the dictionary (merriam-webster dictionary) means, “acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin.” There is freedom that can be found in living righteously. When you live according to the Word and God’s desires, you will find freedom, joy, hope. You will be able to focus on what God wants instead of your own feelings and desires. God will bless you when you are striving to live a righteous life.

However, the world will try to convince you to live according to your own standards or desires. You may have heard sayings such as, “You do you,” or “Do what makes you happy.” The problem with this philosophy is that it is based on temporary feelings and happiness. If every person’s definition of righteousness is based on their own experiences and feelings (or that of others), then every person’s definition of righteousness will be different. Each will have his own moral compass. This can be a problem when trying to live a righteous life or even trying to examine the way others live.

The Bible is the only place that provides consistent, authentic examples of how to live. It is not based on the temporary, but the eternal. God will not bless those who are always changing how they live based on themselves, but those who base their lives on God and His Word will find eternal joy, reward in Him, and hope of what’s to come.

Humility was next in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said in Matthew 5:5, “God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.” There is no place in the kingdom of God for the proud and arrogant. This verse says that only the humble will inherit the earth. There is great reward for the humble. Look at the example of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31. Lazarus, a poor humble beggar, sat at the gate while the rich man (who is unnamed) never gave him the time of day. When they both died, Lazarus inherited eternity, while the rich man went to hell. Even in torture, the rich man asked for God to send Lazarus to provide relief. He was too proud to see Lazarus as anything but a poor beggar.

The word humility means to place others before yourself. It means to view yourself as less significant. When Jesus washed the feet of his disciples at the Lord’s Supper, he was displaying an act of humility. This was something that servants did when someone entered. It was not custom for someone who was considered a king. However, Jesus was a king who showed his patrons how to live. He served because he wanted his followers to serve. That is exactly what they did after he died. They served for the rest of their lives. They showed others the way of Christ because Christ showed them the way.

The second beatitude in the Sermon on the Mount is “God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” There is so much hope tied up in that statement from Jesus Christ. He knew that after he was gone there would be great mourning. Those who loved and followed him would mourn his death and long for his presence. Generations to come would mourn their loved ones. He knew his followers would mourn their own sins, the sins of others, and the brokenness in their lives. When he said bless those who mourn, he was saying this because he would be the one to see their pain and heartbreak.

He sees our pain and heartbreak still today. He knows what we go through and longs to see us turn to him with every tear. He grieves when we go to others before we go to him. He delights when his followers choose him first and allow themselves to be comforted by his grace, mercy, and love. Psalm 30:5b says, “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.” Jesus could say this to his disciples because he knew what would come in the morning! Sorrow only lasts for a season; his joy and goodness are never-ending! He knew that his followers would rejoice again.

There is hope for you too, dear Christian. There is joy after the sorrow and weeping. There is hope after the storm. There is rebuilding and restoration in Jesus Christ.

During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said in Matthew 5:3, “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” It is interesting that Jesus opened with these thoughts. He told his disciple that blessed are the poor. THis is definitely opposite from what we see in the world. Society will try to tell you that the rich are blessed and the poor are in dire need. The rich have everything they need. The more you have, the more blessed you are. These are lies that the world tells and so many believe. However, Jesus said the opposite.

So why would he call the poor blessed? The key is in the second part of that verse: they realize their need for him. Think about this for a moment. The poor have very little, and what they do have, they depend on. The rich have much and depend on little. Those who are poor depend on someone else for survival, just as the Christian depends on Jesus Christ. It is all about the attitude of heart and motivation.

Spend some time in prayer and thanks today for what God has done for you and what He has given you. Ask him for humility; may you always understand your need and desperation for the Savior.