Blessed are you (part 2)

Remember that the crowd that is listening to Jesus’ sermon is accustomed to religion as taught by their religious leaders. From what we read in the New Testament it doesn’t seem like the religious leaders of Jesus’ time were big on mercy.

The Pharisees majored on minors. They had rules for every minute area of life, while at the same time they forgot about the important things. It is usually the case that legalists are sticklers for details, but blind to great principles. This crowd thought nothing of condemning an innocent man, yet they were afraid to enter Pilate’s judgment hall lest they be defiled (John 18:28).
- Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 85.

There is nothing wrong with paying attention to details, details are important. However, we must never lose our sense of priorities in spiritual matters. We must all resist the tendency to allow our zeal for God’s law to keep us from developing a well-rounded, true Christian character.

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
- Matthew 23:23-24 NKJV

Jesus addresses several of the issues He has with the religious leaders of His time in Matthew 23:1-36. Remember that with this sermon Jesus is setting the main tenets of His teachings, the core of His message, and the contrast with the expectations is sharp.

Let us turn our focus to the sermon on the mount picking up where we left off on my last post on this series. (Blessed are You)

Blessed are the Merciful

Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
- Matthew 5:7 NKJV

Even in our modern day, the merciful are not taken to be the wisest, oftentimes they are not the richest; yet Jesus pronounces them blessed. Paul encourages the followers of God to be merciful in his letter to the Colossians.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
- Colossians 3:12 NKJV

Ready to be made more uncomfortable?

14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
- James 2:14-17 NKJV

But this message is not one of only duty and guilt. This is not meant to make you be merciful out of fear and a sense of fear. Your mercy towards others should be an expression of your love for God. Also, remember that Jesus said the merciful are blessed!

Blessed is he who considers the poor;
The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.
2 The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive,
And he will be blessed on the earth;
You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.
3 The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness;
You will sustain him on his sickbed.
- Psalm 41:1-3 NKJV

What do you think of this statement from Matthew Henry?

One of the purest and most refined delights in this world, is that of doing good.
- Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994), 1629.

The Bible compares helping the poor to lending to the Lord.

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord,
And He will pay back what he has given.
- Proverbs 19:17 NKJV
The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.
- Proverbs 11:25 NKJV

However, if we are merciful simply as an investment hoping to receive something better in return, we are doing the right thing for the wrong reason and may soon stop if we feel we are not receiving a good return for our investment. So what do we do? I would say continue to help, whether you feel like it or not, do it because it is the right thing to do. Also, realize that we can’t force ourselves to care, our natural tendency is to be selfish our ability to love is a gift from God.

We love Him because He first loved us.
- 1 John 4:19 NKJV

Exodus 33:18 Moses asks God to show him His glory and God replies that He would make all His goodness pass before him and that He would proclaim the name of the LORD before Him. I believe that the fulfillment of this promise of fully realized in Exodus 34:6.

5 Now the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
- Exodus 34:5-7 NKJV (bold mine)

When we show mercy to others, we are partnering with God. It is not about how much the other person deserves it, or what benefit we will receive from helping them, rather it is about us showing our love for God by extending mercy to those around us who are in need.

The merciful are “partakers of the divine nature,” and in them the compassionate love of God finds expression. All whose hearts are in sympathy with the heart of Infinite Love will seek to reclaim and not to condemn. Christ dwelling in the soul is a spring that never runs dry. Where He abides, there will be an overflowing of beneficence.
-Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing p. 22.

Blessed are the Pure in Heart

Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
- Matthew 5:8 NKJV

It makes sense that Jesus cares about the purity of our hearts since it was understood to be the source of everything else we do in life.

Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
- Proverbs 4:23 NKJV

God cares about our hearts, not our outward appearance.

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. Forthe Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
- 1 Samuel 16:7 NKJV

In our secular world it is normal to see people concerned about their reputation, their appearance, their public image. D.L. Moody used to say D.L. “If I take care of my character, my reputation will take care of itself.” (Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 85.)

Paul, writing to Timothy, clarifies the purpose of the commandment.

Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,
- 1 Timothy 1:5 NKJV

The religious leaders of Jesus’ time were so rigorous in regard to ceremonial purity that their regulations were excessively oppressive. Their minds were so occupied with rules and restrictions and the fear of outward defilement, that they did not perceive the stain that selfishness and malice impart to the soul.

As we grow and mature in our walk with Jesus, we experience a growing distaste for those things that defile the soul. Certain jokes stop being funny. Old sources of entertainment stop entertaining. It is not that someone approaches you with a list of what to avoid, but rather you begin to notice you no longer enjoy substances, activities, and environments you previously sought out.

The purity that Jesus describes here goes beyond the well-known sins, and extends to hidden motives and purposes of the heart, a pure heart is one that is free from pride and self-seeking, a humble and childlike heart.

The pure in heart live as in the visible presence of God during the time He apportions them in this world. And they will also see Him face to face in the future, immortal state, as did Adam when he walked and talked with God in Eden. “Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face.” 1 Corinthians 13:12.
- Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing p.27.

Peacemakers

Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
- Matthew 5:9 NKJV

Isaiah 9:6 describes several titles for Jesus and one of them is Prince of Peace. Sin has broken the peace that existed in a perfect world created by a perfect God, and we await the second coming of Jesus we do our best to live in harmony with others.

Those who work for shālôm (wholeness and harmony rather than strife and discord in all aspects of life) and who reconcile others to God and each other will “be called sons of God.” Others will identify them as God’s true ambassadors, as those who are being conformed to his likeness.
- Craig Blomberg, Matthew, vol. 22, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 100.

Jesus’ followers are sent into the world with a message of peace. This message of peace goes beyond spoken words and extends itself even to our silent influence and how our way of living and our interactions reveal the love of God to those around us. When we encourage others to turn from sin and to accept Jesus into their hearts we are being peacemakers. Our spirit of peace is evidence of our connection with heaven. Think of it as a perfume or cologne. The lives of those who follow Jesus have a special fragrance, our character has a certain quality that reveals to those around us that we belong to God.

Persecuted?

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.- Matthew 5:10-12 NKJV

As we have noticed, the characteristics that Jesus labels as blessed do not match what the secular world values or holds in high regard. Just like the world was hostile to Jesus, hostility will arise against Jesus’ followers, but Jesus considers even persecuted people as blessed. But it is important to highlight the reason for their persecution. The blessing exists for those who are persecuted for righteous living and not because of sin or tactlessness.

But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. “And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.”
- 1 Peter 3:14 NKJV
14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters.
- 1 Peter 4:14-15 NKJV

When Jesus tells those who are suffering persecution, He is not talking about feelings, we cannot command our feelings, rather He is describing what our attitude should be. (see James 1:2) When we suffer we must resist the temptation of thinking that we are the only ones who are suffering. Jesus points out that the prophets that came before them also suffered. Modern-day followers of Christ also have the example of the early Christians and all the martyrs who have suffered for Jesus all over this globe, through the ages even down to today.

In a world where many fight for supremacy, with the worldview of survival of the fittest, Jesus calls His followers to live with inverted values, where instead of seeking supremacy at the cost of all who surround us, we are to actively help those who are struggling around us.