Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Today, we once again find ourselves back in Matthew Chapter 5 as we continue on in our study of Jesus all encompassing, one of a kind, sermon on the mount.

Over the last 4 weeks now, we have been soaking ourselves in a series entitled “The Be-Attitudes of Blessing 9 Character Traits for Christian Application.”

Last week was actually a transition verse, as we finished looking at the first 4 beatitudes that deal with us personally and our attitudes toward God.

This week, we will be transitioning to looking at our attitudes towards others.

Over the next 5 weeks, we will finish out our study of the beatitudes by focusing on how we ought to be acting and treating our fellow man.

As I’ve stated every Sunday, these are attitudes that ought to be found in every born again believer.

These attitudes are what sets us apart from the rest of the world but let me be clear about one thing, not a single one of these attitudes come naturally to the man/woman who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.

Only when one has been born again and has become a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit from on high, will he/she be able to exude the attitudes set forth by the Savior here, for the natural man cares nothing of the things of God!

Today we are going to be looking at Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 7 and then we will flip over to Luke Chapter 10 a little later and look at a parable of our Lord to help us gain a greater understanding of mercy.

I love what John Phillips said about this beatitude...

Justice was the heart and soul of the law; mercy is the heart and soul of the gospel.

He who shows no mercy destroys the bridge over which he himself must pass.

— John Phillips

The title for today’s message is Mastering the Model of Mercy: Mercy Given is Mercy Gained and if you have your Bible’s turned to Matthew Chapter 5, I’d ask you to stand with me as we read Verses 1-12 for context.

Matthew 5 Verse 1, if you have it would you say, Amen.

The Meaning of Mercy

The first thing I want us to understand and look at this morning is what exactly is the meaning of “Merciful?”

Jesus says here, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”

But what exactly does the Bible mean here when it uses the word “merciful?”

To begin, it is the Greek word (eleēmōn) and is only found 2 places in all of the New Testament.

It’s found here and then again in...

Hebrews 2:17 when speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ it says...

17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

But what is mercy?

What does the word mercy really mean?

Being merciful towards someone means to have compassion on them, to have pity on them and it speaks not just of the thought but it is to be accompanied with action.

One writer said it like this...

Merciful means “full of mercy.”

Just as a graceful person is one full of grace, the merciful person is the one who is full of the fountain of mercy, who is full of God.

Mercy moves the merciful to bestow mercy.

The merciful man is the man who is full of love, and who loves with the love of God.

He is the man in whose life the cross has done a transforming work to conform him to Jesus Christ; that which is not a natural characteristic of his life becomes the character and pattern of his life.

But just as the Lord tells his people to be holy because he is holy, he also calls for his people to reflect his mercy.

— Precept Austin

In that same place it went on to say this about the word merciful...

Merciful refers to one who is actively compassionate or one who is benevolently merciful involving thought and action.

It reflects being concerned about people in their need.

The idea is that they possess a compassionate heart leading one to acts of mercy, the purpose of which is to relieve the suffering and misery of the object of that compassion.

Mercy is not simply feeling compassion but exists when something is done to alleviate distress.

— Precept Austin

The great theologian William Barclay stated that the Hebrew word (hesed) for "merciful" carries the idea of "the ability to get right inside the other person's skin until we can see things with his eyes, think things with his mind, and feel things with his feelings."

Australian New Testament Scholar Leon Morris said, "These are people who show by their habitual merciful deeds that they have responded to God's love and are living by His grace.

They will receive mercy on the last day."

The most important point we need to take away from the meaning behind the beatitude before us today, is that being merciful is yes, having and showing compassion and pity towards others but it’s more than that!

It’s seeing the needs of those who are less fortunate than ourselves and doing something about it!

It’s easy to look at someone and say, “oh, I feel so sorry for this person or that person and I’ll be praying for them.”

But being merciful is seeing that same person and feeling compassion and pity for them insomuch that it causes us to do something about it!

It causes us not to just be mindful of their situation but to move to make their situation better!

That’s what it truly means to be merciful!

Adrian Rogers said, “mercy is compassion in action!”

I love what Pastor, Author and Teacher Ray Pritchard said about mercy.

He said, “mercy includes three elements…

1. ”I see the need”—that’s recognition.

2. “I am moved by the need”—that’s motivation.

3. “I move to meet the need”—that’s action.”

If we are to be found merciful in the eyes of a merciful God this morning, these three things must be said of us…I see the need, I am moved by the need, and then I move to meet the need!

And now knowing the true meaning behind mercy and being merciful, I want you to ask yourself, “Am I merciful?”

Do I exude the quality of mercy?

Am I acting on mercy or do I just see the need and wait for someone else to do something about it?

Listen friend, Paul told the Galatians in Chapter 6 Verse 2...

This is where we got the name for our St Jude Benefit Auction from for those who may not have known that.

We named it “Bearing the Burden” because this is what Christ has commanded us to do!

And notice what it says after that in that verse…and so fulfil the law of Christ!

It’s not enough to see the burden but as born again believers, we are to also help bear the burden!

Compassion in Action!

You may have compassion but is your compassion being put into action?

That’s the question of the day!

And now that we understand The Meaning of Mercy, I want to move on The Model of Mercy and look at a parable our Lord gives in the Book of Luke to help us bring this point to light even more.

The Model of Mercy — (Luke 10:25-37)

Verse 30

Jerusalem — 2490 above sea level

Jericho — 846 ft below sea level — it’s the lowest city on earth

I’m sure you all have heard Jerusalem referred to at some point as the holy city.

So we have the holy city of Jerusalem and then we have Jericho and if you will remember this is where Rahab lived in the Old Testament in the Book of Joshua.

Jericho was a heathen city.

And so we have here in the story Jesus is telling, a man traveling from the holy city to the hellish city.

He’s going down and he’s traveling away from God. He’s going in the wrong direction as so many among us are today.

And what you need to see this morning in this little story is that every thing Jesus speaks about is highly symbolic.

Here’s a man and he’s traveling in the wrong direction and then Jesus tells us here that he fell among thieves and these thieves, they stripped of his raiment and wounded him and departed, leaving him half dead!

Dear friend, this is a picture of the devil and the hounds of hell and what they will do to a man who does not know the Lord Jesus Christ!

Listen friend, they lure men in and entice them and then, when they get them right where they want them at their lowest point, they rob them of their dignity and their honor, they wound and warp their minds and tell them they will never be good enough or that there is no way back from where they are or they simply convict them that everything that this world has to offer is better than anything God can offer or that God is just a fairy tale and then after wounding and warping their minds, when they’ve done all the damage they can do and feel it’s good enough, they leave them there, lost and undone, with what seems like no hope in sight!

They leave them half dead!

Then, look what Jesus says happens next.

Verse 31

Here was this man laying on the side of the road, naked and bruised and half beaten to death and the Bible says this priest comes along.

And instead of helping this poor soul, Jesus said this priest passed by on the other side!

Can you imagine!

A man of the cloth, a man who is supposed to be an extension of the body of Christ and he looks at this poor soul and says I’m too good to help that guy.

Or he’s filthy and I’m clean and I don’t want to get dirty, so he passes by on the other side!

This is what I like to call pious righteousness!

I believe this priest is a representation of religion.

So many people now days have religion.

You ask them if they’re a Christian and they say, “oh yeah I go to church at so and so.”

Dear friend, I didn’t ask if you go to church I asked if you were a Christian!

Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal manner?

Do you talk with him and walk with him?

Do you bask in the presence of the Lord and enjoy it?

You see friend, you can have all the religion you want and die and go straight to hell!

Religion won’t save you.