Merciful
Matthew 5:7 (NASB)
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
The Greek word for mercy that is used here also implies a type of empathy. A merciful person cares for others, and can even identify with them. They reach out to those in need.
Jesus has already shown all of us incredible mercy. If we want mercy, we need to be merciful. We need to be proactive; we need to take the initiative. Don’t wait for someone else to make the first move. Be merciful. Be gracious. Be forgiving.
Matthew 6:14-15 (NASB)
14 “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
Pure in Heart
Matthew 5:8 (NASB)
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
For many years, it has been the longing of my heart to see God. I know that I will see Him when I die, unless the rapture comes first. Jesus said that the way to do this is to be pure in heart. All evil thoughts, jealousies, hatred, lust, and greed have no place in a pure heart. Pure gold has no impurities. A pure heart only has goodness and godliness.
1 John 3:2-3 (NASB)
2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Philippians 4:8 (NASB)
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
A pure heart meditates on godly things, pure things. This is where we should live, dwell, spend our time and energy.
Peacemakers
Matthew 5:9 (NASB)
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
In this world, we see wars and fighting everywhere. One political group says the other group is hateful, so we need to hate them. The other side says the same thing. Groups of criminals and street gangs do all kinds of horrible things, because they think that is what will make them happy. If you tell people that we need to find a way to get along and live in peace, often you will find yourself being mocked as simple-minded and naïve.
The problem is that people who don’t have peace in themselves can’t live a peaceful life with anyone else. Peace comes from not having any worries. People will always, sooner or later, let you down, whether they want to or not. Only God will never let us down, because He is all-powerful and has a truly pure heart.
1 Peter 5:6-7 (NASB)
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,
7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
Jesus said that the peacemakers will be called sons of God. It doesn’t matter what others might say or do. If God calls us His sons and daughters, that is the greatest gift we can have.
Persecuted
Matthew 5:10-12 (NASB)
10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Jesus said that those who have been “persecuted for the sake of righteousness” would have the kingdom of heaven. All of the 12 disciples, except for one, were killed because of their faith in Jesus. They were all persecuted – stonings, beatings, imprisonment, losing their friends, losing family, and more. It really doesn’t make sense why other people should get offended when someone wants to live a righteous life, but it happens. Maybe, it’s because that person feels guilty for their own sin.
Notice that Jesus says that they were persecuted for righteousness. If we do bad things, or say things just to offend people, that is not righteousness; it’s just the opposite. He did say that some people would insult, persecute, and lie about Christians, because of Jesus. When that happens, we should rejoice and feel blessed, because our “reward in heaven is great”, because that is how every prophet was treated.
Matthew 10:41 (NASB)
41 “He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.
Be Blessed
Receiving God’s blessings is both easy and the hardest thing we will ever do. He tells us what to do, but trials and temptations can get in the way. Trusting Him and relying on Jesus will get us closer and closer to Him, becoming more and more like Him every day. There is only one answer. There is only one truth. There is only one way.
It’s All About Jesus!
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