The Merciful and the Pure in Heart

· So for the last two Sundays, we’ve been looking at Jesus’ most famous, and perhaps least understood and obeyed teaching…the Sermon on the Mount.

· Jesus had indicated that things were changing. And it is in the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus begins to clarify what this new way of thinking looks like…what this new way of relating to God and life and sin is going to be.

· So he gathers first his newly appointed disciples. And remember that these guys were just like you and me. They weren’t religious superstars, they were ordinary men with flaws and warts and misconceptions. But they had a desire to follow Jesus. You’re like one of these guys. So imagine yourself taking a spot on the side of the hill. You get comfortable and Jesus starts the lesson. This teaching was first and foremost to his disciples, and by extension, all those who would follow through all the years that have since passed.

· But it’s also a beacon of hope to those who are not already followers that a life with purpose and meaning and authenticity can be theirs if they give their lives to Christ and become connected with this extended family of brothers and sisters in faith.

· This way of living is not possible on their own…but it is possible through the power of Jesus…and it is lived out in the community of believers.

· We talked about the first 4 of these in the last two Sundays.

o Blessed are the poor in spirit

o Blessed are those who mourn

o Blessed are the meek

o Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.

· These are all related to each other. They are not random thoughts…they are connected thoughts. And they are describing a life that looks different….because it IS different.

o To begin with, we are to be poor in spirit, acknowledging our complete and utter spiritual bankruptcy before God. Next we are to mourn over the cause of it, our sin, the corruption of our fallen nature and the power of sin and death in the world. Third, we are to be meek, humble and gentle toward others, allowing our spiritual poverty to guide our behavior to them as well as to God. And then we are to hunger and thirst for righteousness. What’s the use of confessing and mourning our sin, of acknowledging the truth about ourselves to both God and others, if we leave it there?

· These are called beatitudes because the meaning of beatitude is “blessed” and that’s the word that Jesus begins all of these statements with. But the blessing is first and foremost an internal blessing because this is about a state of being. These are about the character that should mark Christ-followers. And as we live in this way, we reap internal blessings as well as future blessing. So, we need to have an attitude that says, this is who I want to be. So I want you to see these as BE(Attitudes).

· This morning, we will begin looking at the remaining BE(Attitudes) in verses 7-12. The first 4 were more of our attitude towards God…these are directed towards others.

SERMON ON THE MOUNT…. BE(Attitudes)

· So, with that said, let’s jump into the BE(Attitudes)

· Vs 7 - “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

o Mercy is compassion for people in need.

o Jesus doesn’t necessarily categorize who His disciples are supposed to show mercy to…but the general sense is not what we would expect. It is most likely that Jesus is telling His disciples to be merciful to those who have wronged us.

o Well that’s not going to go over very well….The world, at least when it’s true to its nature, is UNmerciful…and sadly the church can be too because…well…we’ve been influenced by the world.

o The world, and Christians in our carnal, sinful nature, would rather not be merciful towards those who have wronged us. In fact, rather than mercy, most would prefer revenge. And too many see forgiveness as something for the weak.

o But Jesus states an important fact….those who SHOW mercy find ???? (mercy). And as sinners saved by grace this is incredibly important.

o Matthew 6:14 – For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

o To forgive and to be forgiven…..to show mercy and to receive mercy….these are like links in a chain that belong together and cannot be unlinked.

o Matthew 18:21-35 Unmerciful Servant

o In terms of today's buying power, this was probably equivalent to over $10 million. In the economy of the day, someone would generally have to work 20 years to earn one talent. By contrast, the debt that was owed to him was probably about 3 months of income.

o Verse 35 seems cruel and hard to reconcile with a God of love. But isn’t it just as hard to imagine that someone could be forgiven such an enormous debt and then demand payment for such a small one from someone else? The point of this parable is that 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 toward the sins of others.

o Nothing proves more clearly that we have been forgiven than our own readiness to forgive.

o Put this in context of the previous BE(Attitudes)….it is the “meek” who are also the “merciful”. Because to be meek is to acknowledge to God and others that we are sinners; to be merciful is to have compassion on others, because they are sinners too.

· Vs 8 - Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

o The popular interpretation of this BE(Attitude) is to think of this as INWARD purity verses OUTWARD purity. And that is certainly biblical and appropriate.

o But in context with the other BE(Attitudes), “purity of heart” seems to refer in some sense to our relationships. The primary reference is to sincerity, before God and before others. The pure in heart live transparently, authentically before others…no deceit, no manipulation, no misdirection. Their heart, their motives, their thoughts are pure without ulterior motives.

o Just like the last BE (Attitude) implies that our willingness to forgive is a clear indicator of our having been forgiven, this one demonstrates that our desire to deal honestly and live openly before others is a clear demonstration of how Jesus lived and how he has declared his intentions to us.

o 1 Peter 2:21-23 - To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

o Isn’t this pretty much the essence of these BE(Attitudes)? Jesus is our example of living without deceit, and our lives should reflect the same. How many people in the world say they are tired of all the nonsense….tired of being lied to…tired of not being able to trust anyone? Even among ourselves as Christians, too many times we wonder what the other person REALLY means. What do they REALLY want?

o That kind of life is incredibly discouraging and tiring. But when God’s people live like he teaches, we become a community where people can experience the kind of life that they truly want and get a taste of the perfect life that is still to come.

o 1 John 1:5-7 - 5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

o What does that mean then about seeing God? This kind of life indicates our connection in faith to him. And to see God here means to be his friends and to dwell with him in his kingdom. Living honestly, transparently, and with mercy towards others indicates the genuine change that has taken place in our own hearts….and we truly are the children of God.

o Is there any greater blessing?