Blessed are the Merciful
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Blessed are the Merciful
Blessed are the Merciful
Jesus Christ came into the world and was the most merciful human being that ever lived.
Jesus Christ came into the world and never did anything to harm anybody. Never.
Jesus Christ came into the world, He reached out to the sick and He healed them.
And He reached out to the crippled and He gave them legs to walk.
And He reached to the eyes of the blind and they saw and to the ears of the deaf and they heard and to the mouths of the mute and they spoke.
And He found the sinners and the tax collectors and He drew them into the circle of His love and He redeemed them and He set them on their feet.
He picked up the sorrowing, He wept with them, and He took the lonely and He made them feel like they were loved.
And He took little children and He gathered them into His arms and He loved them.
Never was there a human being who ever lived in the face of the earth who exhibited mercy like Jesus did
But Mercy given doesn’t mean mercy returned.
He was the most merciful human being that ever lived and they screamed for His blood and they slammed Him to a cross and they nailed Him there.
So when Jesus instructed His hearers that day with this idea of mercy I can imagine that maybe their eyes rolled back a little, or the hair on their arms stood up a little bit
The hearers who were there to hear this message from Jesus lived in a society of two merciless systems of authority.
The Roman system and the Judaistic system, and both came together to kill Jesus.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
These first four Beatitudes were entirely inner principles for those who will follow Christ.
They deal entirely with an inner attitude.
Each step leads to the next and presupposes the one that has gone before
They deal entirely with what you see of yourself before God.
So, in the first 4 beatitudes we see an attitude or posture that we’re to have towards God as citizens of His Kingdom
In the first 4 beatitudes we see an attitude or posture that we’re to have towards God as citizens of His Kingdom
Poor in Spirit = A humbled dependence on God based on our condition; Without God we are nothing; complete and utter spiritual bankruptcy before God.
Mournful = It’s our sinful condition that has alienated us from Him and we should grieve over that fact; the corruption of our fallen nature, and the reign of sin and death in the world
Meek = Based on the first two, our attitude is to be one of meekness; we don’t rely on our strength and power, we rely on God working through us.
Which means that we’re to be humble and gentle towards others, allowing our spiritual poverty to condition our behavior to them as well as to God.
Which means that we’re to be humble and gentle towards others, allowing our spiritual poverty to condition our behavior to them as well as to God.
Thirst for Hunger & Righteousness = When we can finally humble ourselves and recognize God’s mercy and grace in our lives, we can begin to hunger for a conformity to God’s will in our life.
For what is the use of confessing and lamenting our sin, of acknowledging the truth about ourselves to both God and men, if we leave it there?
Confession of sin must lead to hunger for righteousness.
In the second half of the beatitudes (the last four) we seem to turn even more from our inner attitude to God to our attitude to our fellow human beings.
Certainly the ‘merciful’ show mercy to men, and ‘peacemakers’ seek to reconcile men to each other, and those who are ‘persecuted’ are persecuted by men.
It seems likely then that the sincerity we show by being ‘pure in heart’ also concerns our attitude and relation to our fellow human beings
But what is mercy?
It’s often confused with grace but what is the difference between the two
Well the simple definition that we can use to understand both is this:
Grace is receiving what we do not deserve or what we haven’t earned
Mercy is not receiving what we do deserve
So what is Jesus saying to us about mercy here?
AS we have done with these others, we need to see what this beatitude is not, is and the result
What mercy is not:
Sometimes it helps get something clear if we can see it over against its opposite.
And again I want us to go to Scripture to help us define these attributes that Jesus is teaching us - His followers
So I have tried to find where mercy is contrasted with its opposite.
Matthew gives us a very helpful illustration.
Look at
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
In this illustration, the opposite of mercy is sacrifice.
Verse 13: "I desire mercy and not sacrifice."
This is a quote from where God accuses the people that their love is like the dew on the grass.
It is there for a brief time in the morning and then is gone,
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
And all that is left is the empty form of burnt offerings.
The point is that God wants his people to be alive in their hearts.
He wants them to have feelings of affection toward him and mercy toward each other.
He does not want people who just do their religious duties out of obligation or merely formal way.
Here in Jesus saw sinners as sick and miserable people in need of a physician, even though they were the rich money makers of the day, the tax collectors.
They were sick. He had medicine.
But all that the Pharisees saw was a ceremonial problem with becoming contaminated by eating with sinners.
Their life seemed to be a mechanical system of rules.
Something huge was at stake here.
They were enslaved to their traditions when eternal sickness was about to be healed.
The opposite of mercy for them was a bondage to tradition or obligation
Religious formalism
So what does the opposite of mercy look like for us?
When we give out of guilt - whether it be of our time, money, resources
When we follow the law because it’s required not because we desire to - man’s or God’s
When we fail to show compassion to those who deserve it or don’t
When we’re so caught up in ourselves, in our goodness, and we respond out of duty and not that heart we are not being merciful we’re being religious and that’s always a dangerous thing
That is the opposite of the kind of mercy that Christ has in mind here
So what does Jesus mean when he says : Blessed are the merciful?
What mercy is :
What is mercy? How does it differ from grace?
The two terms are frequently used in the same breath
With one you have the other
But there is a distinction between the two,
Grace is a loving response towards others without strings attached
it appears that grace is a loving response when love is undeserved, and mercy is a loving response prompted by the misery and helplessness of the one on whom the love is to be showered. Grace answers to the undeserving; mercy answers to the miserable.
Illustration: Jesus grace towards us
Mercy is a loving response prompted by the misery and helplessness of the one on whom the love is to be shown.
Illustration: God’s mercy towards us -deserving wrath and adopted as sons and daughters
Grace answers to the undeserving; mercy answers to the miserable.
Jesus says in this beatitude that we are to be merciful.
We are to be compassionate and gentle, especially toward the miserable and helpless.
If we are not merciful, we will not be shown mercy.
Again, let’s go to Scripture to see an example of this kind of mercy
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
Luke 10:
We can see what Jesus means by being merciful by looking at this parable that he gave the Pharisees and Scribes
This parable is often overlooked not because we don’t think that it’s not relevant but maybe because we feel like we don’t identify with the principle behind it
Honestly, how many of us would pass by someone who is legitimately in need of medical attention?
But how many of us are willing to go out of our way to help our enemy.
The person who has bad-mouthed us, stabbed us in the back, cursed us or used us?
That’s whose in this account
The Jews hated the Samaritans because they were half-Jewish/half-pagan people who had no regard for the Jews or their customs and beliefs
And the feeling was mutual
And Jesus used this teaching illustration because it would impact the Pharisees and Scribes where He knew it would affect them most - the heart
By using this illustration, He’s giving them an opportunity to repent of their hard-heartedness and to become merciful towards others
And this parable illustrates for us 4 ways how we can be merciful from this example of how the Samaritan responds
See the Distress (pain, suffering, problem ) - vs.33a
The Samaritan saw the condition of the Jewish man on the side of the road
He didn’t ignore him (pretend to look away)
He had his eyes open and saw the hurting that was near him
He didn’t take joy in seeing the man in distress
He had compassion on him
While this may seem like a basic step, it’s a necessary step
How about you ?
How many of us don’t see those hurting around us because we’re not looking for them
How do you respond to those who have done you wrong, when you see that they are in trouble?
We tend to get so wrapped up in what we’re doing or what we have going on that we block out those around us who are hurting and in need
Maybe not from a crime or injury but maybe hurting emotionally, struggling spiritually or devastated financially?
Could you identify someone you came into contact this week that was hurting and in need of compassion?
Do you take joy/delight in their misery?
Could it be we need God to open our eyes to those who need to be shown mercy in our lives
2. Respond Internally with Compassion - vs. 33b
The Samaritan didn’t blame the man for being assaulted(serves him right)
He didn’t take joy in seeing the man in distress
He had compassion on him
How about you ?
How do you respond to those who have done you wrong, when you see that they are in trouble?
Maybe not from a crime or injury but maybe hurting emotionally, struggling spiritually or devastated financially?
Do you take joy/delight in their misery?
Or do you have a compassion and desire to help those who are hurting and in need?
3. Respond Externally with Compassion and Effort - vs. 34
Notice what this Samaritan did
He bandaged the Jewish man up, treated him medically and transported him to an inn where he could be restored and healed
He didn’t just say to the man “ I’ll pray for you.”
He didn’t empathize with the man’s situation
He used his time, resources, and sacrificed on behalf of a man who historically hated him.
We have a tendency to look at others and their situations and offer to pray for them or “feel” really bad about their situation
But few people take the time and effort to actually do something about it
If it’s someone close to us, it’s not a problem but for those who we disagree with or even have a dislike for we don’t naturally find it within ourselves to actually do something
But as a follower of Christ, we’ve been commanded that whatever we do in word or in deed, we do it as unto the Lord Jesus Christ
And we follow in His example of sacrificial giving.
And we begin with the gospel
But we also follow through by giving of what we’ve been given.
4. Responds Blindly
Again this Samaritan and Jewish man would have been enemies
But regardless of nationally and religion the Samaritan responded with compassion
In this society that we live in prejudice and hate are still a very real thing
And not just over issues of skin color and nationality but over the differences in income levels and just about anything else we want to discriminate against
But for the believer in Christ there is only one race - the human race
Paul said it best in
Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Isn't it remarkable that this parable makes the same point as ?
There Jesus said, "Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.'"
Here he says, "Go and show mercy like the Samaritan, not like the priest and the Levite."
The priest and the Levite stand for the same thing in the parable that the word "sacrifice" stands for in , namely, empty religious formalism.
Jesus made up this story.
Why did he choose to illustrate the opposite of mercy with a priest and a Levite?
Because it’s a warning to all of us that there are far too many people who are caught up in the mechanics or tradition of religious activity with no eye to see people in distress, with no heart to respond with compassion, and no effort to bring the relief of the gospel?
The Result:
Well, those who show mercy find it.
Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy.
The Result
The same truth is echoed in the next chapter: ‘If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you.’
Now, this is not because we can earn mercy by mercy or forgiveness by forgiveness, but because we cannot receive the mercy and forgiveness of God unless we repent, and we cannot claim to have repented of our sins if we are unmerciful towards the sins of others.
Nothing moves us to forgive like the wonderful knowledge that we have ourselves been forgiven.
Nothing proves more clearly that we have been forgiven than our own readiness to forgive.
To forgive and to be forgiven, to show mercy and to receive mercy: these belong together.
Or, interpreted in the context of the beatitudes, it is ‘the poor in spirit, mournful, meek’ individual who are also ‘the merciful’. because they are aware of their own condition and acknowledge to others that we/ they are sinners;
And to be merciful is to have compassion on others, for they are sinners too
CONCLUSION:
When God asks for a record of your mercy at the judgment day, he will not be asking for a punched time card.
You won't say, "Here it is. Eight hours of mercy. Now where's my wage?"
Instead, God will be asking for your medical history
He will want to see you EKG readout to see what condition your heart is in.
And if you’ve been living by these attributes that Jesus has prescribed then you’ll have nothing to be ashamed of when you hand Him your charts
And when he sees the evidence of your faith and his healing, he will complete your healing and welcome you into the kingdom forever.
Therefore, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."