Kingdom of Heaven Economy: Merciful

Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

Intro

Progression into virtues

Poor in spirit, mournful, meek > hungry and thirsty for righteousness > merciful, pure in heart, peacemaker

What is Mercy?

Grace vs Mercy

Both are undeserved

Grace

getting a gift we don’t deserve

receiving love based on the giver’s good nature when love is undeserved

Mercy

not getting what we do deserve

receiving love when punishment makes sense

“The feeling of compassion also leads to action. The poor in spirit are merciful. We offer help to others, whether they have a claim on us or not. Mercy is a gift to mankind, yet a demand from God.” -Daniel M. Doriani, The Sermon on the Mount: The Character of a Disciple (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2006), 30.

God’s Mercy Toward Us

Jesus’ payment for sin is the perfect picture of grace and mercy. He graciously gives us life while mercifully withholding his judgement.

Ephesians 2:4-10 “4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

God’s mercy for us is increased, not decreased, because of sin

“The sins of those who belong to God open the floodgates of his heart of compassion for us. The dam breaks. It is not our loveliness that wins his love. It is our unloveliness.” - Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly

Hosea 11:7-9 “7 My people are bent on turning away from me, and though they call out to the Most High, he shall not raise them up at all. 8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. 9 I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.”

Earthly fathers are just a shadow of God as Father. The best parts of earthly fathers show us a small piece of God’s nature and the worst parts of earthly fathers show us even more about God’s holiness. An earthly father would hate a disease in his child, certainly not his child. The child’s disease would drive his father to desperation, unveiling his love for his child.

“For what Jesus actually was saying was that we are to show mercy because we have received mercy and are confident that we will continue to receive it. Conversely, if we do not show mercy to others, we show that we either understand little of that mercy by which we have been saved or else have never actually received it.” - James Montgomery Boice, The Sermon on the Mount: An Expositional Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2002), 46.

Our Response to Mercy

Receiving mercy causes humility and thankfulness

Luke 18:9-14 “9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Receiving mercy causes mercy

Matthew 18:21-35 “21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Time is the best test for our perspective on receiving mercy. The servant quickly forgot the mercy he had received (ultimately showing his heart) which caused the king to revoke his mercy. God does not revoke his mercy but our actions will show if we have truly experienced it.