Mercy Me Matt 5:7
The Christian gospel places all its primary emphasis on being rather than doing. A Christian is something before he does anything and we have to be a Christian before we can act as a Christian. Being is more important than doing. Attitude is more significant then action. This is the essential teaching of the Beatitudes. So often that is misplaced, and people think that the New Testament exhorts us to do, to try to be Christian in this and that respect and to try to live as Christians here and there. Not at all, we are Christians and our actions are the outcome of that. We are not meant to control our Christianity our Christianity is rather meant to control us. My Christianity controls me. God’s spirit controls me at the very center of my life, controls the very spring of my being the very source of my every activity. The Christian faith is not something on the surface of a man’s life, it is not merely a kind of coating or veneer. No, it is something that has been happening in the very center of his personality. It controls all his thoughts, all his outlook, all his imagination and as a result of his actions as well all his activities. Therefore, we are the result of this new nature which we receive from God through the Holy Spirit. The whole of our life as an expression and a proclamation of what we really are. (Lloyd-Jones). John Wesley met the governor of Georgia who was in the process of flogging one of his servants for drinking his wine. Wesley pleaded with the governor to pardon this man this one time, to which the governor responded, “It is no use to ask, cause you know I never forgive”. Wesley replied, “Well then sir, I hope you never sin.” It is only those who have never sinned or will never sin who can afford to say I never forgive. It is only the one who needs no mercy who can afford to show no mercy. (Lawson). Undoubtably we all need mercy and need to express mercy. This is the affirmation of this beatitude.
Placement of Mercy Blessed are
Righteousness on the inside produces right behavior on the outside. (Mark 7:20-23; 23:25-28) At this beatitude there seems to be a turning point that when a man has truly seen himself and especially when he has seen himself in this relationship to God there are some further consequences which will inevitable be manifested when one truly is a Christian. (Lloyd Jones) The first four describe the initial exercises of heart in one who has been awakened by the Holy Spirit. In the preceding verse, the soul is seen hungering and thirsting after Christ, and then filled by Him. Here we are shown the first effects and evidences of this filling. Having obtained mercy of the Lord, the saved sinner now exercises mercy. (Pink) The first three beatitude show how a man my stand in his relationship as a sinner to God - spiritually bankrupt, sorry for sin, meekly humble and . . . the fourth beatitude contains the promise of God‘s provision of righteousness for the man who so comes to God. . . the remaining beatitudes will reveal the transformed character of the one who now has been touched by Christ Spirit and is being progressively remade in Christ image. (Boice) The positioning of this Beatitude, concerning mercy, in the list is not done randomly, but specifically and strategically. There is a progression from one beatitude to the next. There is a logical sequence to them. The one who shows merciful has first seen their poverty of spirit, who has mourned over their own seen, who has become meek and gentle before God and who hungers and thirsts for righteousness. The first four beatitudes govern our relationship with God. The last four govern my relationship with others as well as myself. They are like the 10 commandments the first four deal with my relationship to God the last six deal with my relationships with others. The order is significant I must be right with my relationship with God before I can be right with others. I can never be merciful to others, until I have become right with God having received his mercy. The first four beatitudes define my relationship to God and the last four express how I demonstrate that relationship to others (Lawson). Mercy comes from a heart that has first felt its spiritual bankruptcy. The heart has come to grieve its sin and has learned to wait meekly for the timing of the Lord, and to cry out in hunger for the work of God’s mercy to satisfy us with the righteousness we need. (Piper) Those who in poverty of spirit acknowledge their need of mercy begin to show mercy to others; those who mourn over their sin begin to wash their hearts clean with tears of penitence; the meek spontaneously make peace; and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are willing to be persecuted for righteousness sake. (MacArthur) So the Beatitudes seem to be divided into two specific and progressive sections: The first four, poor in spirit, heartbroken (mourn), humble (meek), and hungry, are related to the attitude of the one who is outside the kingdom. They are the traits or characteristics of one who is entering a relationship with Christ. The remaining four: pity (mercy), purity, peacefulness, persecution describe the actions exhibited by someone who has entered into a relationship with Jesus. These are the evidential traits of a believer.
Perimeters of Mercy the merciful
Defined: The Greek word eleemon –means merciful, to have mercy, or rescue the misguided. Anything you do that benefits someone in need is an act of mercy.It comes from ele’eō, which means to have mercy on. It means to care for the afflicted. It means to give help to the wretched. It means to rescue the miserable It does not mean simply to feel sympathetic. It does not mean simply to feel compassionate. It refers to the ability to literally get inside someone else’s skin until you think their thoughts, feel their emotions, understand their pain. It is more than a passing wave of pity. It is an empathizing; it is a deliberate act of feeling their suffering and seeking to relieve it. (Mac Arthur)
Described: Mercy is genuine compassion with pure and unselfish heart. It is a gracious disposition toward my fellow creatures and fellow Christians. It is that kindness and benevolence that feels the miseries of others. It is a spirit that regards with compassion the sufferings of the afflicted. It is that grace that causes one to deal leniently with an offender and to scorn the taking of revenge. (Pink) It is the forgiving spirit; it is the non-retaliating spirit; it is the spirit that gives up all attempt at self-vindication and would not return an injury for an injury, but rather good in the place of evil and love in the place of hatred. That is mercifulness. Mercy being received by the forgiven soul, that soul comes to appreciate the beauty of mercy, and yearns to exercise toward other offenders similar grace to that which is exercised towards one’s self (Dr. A. T. Pierson). It is sorrow at the suffering of a fellow-creature, rational or irrational, and, along with that sorrow, an earnest desire, if possible, to relieve it. It does not ask the question, “Is the sufferer of my nation, sect, party, or Church; does the man deserve relief?” It simply asks the question, “Does he suffer? (Cumming). "The merciful" man sympathizes with persons in affliction, and desires to relieve them. He looks with an eye of pity, upon those who are bowed down under their trouble and upon those who, though unconscious of their state, are really in a pitiable condition- (Simeon) Mercy is showing tenderheartedness to the miserable in their misery. Mercy is giving comfort to the hurting, love to the rejected, companionship to the lonely (Lawson) Mercy really means a sense of pity plus a desire to relieve the suffering, it is pity plus the action. So, to have a merciful spirit means the spirit that is displayed when you suddenly find yourself in the position of having in your power someone who has transgressed against you. Now the way to know whether you’re merciful is to consider how you feel towards that person. Are you going to say, “Well now I’m going to exert my rights at this point, I’m going to be legal. This person has transgressed against me, very well here comes my opportunity.” That is the very antithesis of being merciful. This person is in your power; is there within you a vindicate spirit , or is there a spirit of pity and sorrow. . . a spirit of kindness to your enemies in distress. It is the actions of the Good Samaritan. Those how passed by the poor man who had fallen among robbers may have felt compassion and pity, yet they did nothing about it. But the Samaritan was merciful; “the one who showed mercy” He was sorry for the victim, goes across the road, dresses his wounds, takes the man with him and makes provision for him. (Luke 10:25-37) That is being merciful. (Jones). Product of Mercy for they shall receive mercy
Only the merciful will receive mercy (MacArthur) Because we have experienced this mercy from God we are in turn to show mercy to others (Eph 2:4-7). Although it seems so, receiving mercy from God doesn’t depend upon our showing mercy to others. . . it is the other way around. . . 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 we have never actually received it (Boice). Christ did not mean a man to be merciful for the sake of obtaining mercy, but as a necessary result he would obtain it. Mercy is the reward of mercy. (S. A. Brooke.) Followers of Jesus Must be men of Mercy; for they have found Mercy, and Mercy has found them. (Spurgeon)
Reflection- others will experience God's mercy
The more I ponder God’s sovereign mercy to me, the more I shall think of the unquenchable fire from which I have been delivered through the sufferings of the Lord Jesus. The more conscious I am of my indebtedness to Divine grace, the more mercifully I shall act toward those who wrong, injure, and hate me. It was mercy in Abraham, after he had been wronged by his nephew, that caused him to pursue and secure the deliverance of Lot (Gen 14:1-16). It was mercy on the part of Joseph, after his brethren had so grievously mistreated him, that caused him to freely forgive them (Gen 50:15-21). It was mercy in Moses, after Miriam had rebelled against him and the Lord had smitten her with leprosy, that caused him to cry, “Heal her now, O God, I beseech Thee” (Num 12:13). Be ye merciful, as your Father also is merciful’ (Luke 6:36). It was mercy that caused David to spare the life of his enemy Saul when that wicked king was in his hands (1 Sam 24:1-22; 26:1-25). (Pink) Mercy stands both in the front and rear of the text. In the beginning of the text it stands as a duty. In the end of the text it stands as a reward. The Hebrew word for ‘godly ’signifies ‘merciful’: the more godly, the more merciful, it is a melting disposition whereby we lay to heart the miseries of others and are ready on all occasions to be instrumental for their good If I weep for that body from which the soul is departed, how should I weep for that soul from which God is departed? (Augustine). We must be merciful to the offences of others. Be ready to show mercy to them which have injured you. Thus, Stephen the martyr, ‘He kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge’ (Acts 7:60). When he prayed for himself he stood, but when he came to pray for his enemies, he kneeled down, to show his earnestness in prayer and how greatly he desired that God would forgive them (Bernard). This is a rare kind of mercy. ‘It is a man’s glory to pass over a transgression’ (Prov 19:11). Mercy in forgiving injuries, as it is the touchstone, so the crown of Christianity. Bishop Cranmer was of a merciful disposition. If any who had wronged him came to desire a courtesy from him, he would do all that lay in his power for him, insomuch that it grew to a proverb: Do Cranmer an injury and he will be your friend as long as he lives. To overcome evil with good’, and answer malice with mercy is truly heroic and renders religion glorious in the eyes of all It is the greatest disgrace to a Christian to be unmerciful. (Watson) When one receives gracious and merciful bounty from the King, they in turn know to show mercy to others. Showing mercy to others includes both the forgiveness of the sinner and compassion for the suffering and the needy. the act of showing mercy comes from the genuine spiritual experience. People who know more of God’s mercy will be merciful. (Ross) It is not that God requires us to be merciful in order that we might be entitled to His mercy, for that would overthrow the whole scheme of Divine grace! But having been the recipient of His wondrous mercy, I cannot help but now act mercifully toward others. (Pink)
Reception – You will encounter mercy. What temporal mercies have you received! Every time you draw your breath you suck in mercy. Every bit of bread you eat, the hand of mercy carves it to you. You never drink but in a golden cup of mercy. What spiritual mercies has God enriched some of you with! Pardoning, adopting, saving mercy! The picture of God’s mercy can never be drawn to the full. You cannot take the breadth of his mercy, for it is infinite, nor the height of it, for it ‘reaches above the clouds’, nor the length of it, for it is ‘from everlasting to everlasting’ (Ps 103:17). The works of mercy are the glory of the Godhead. Be ye merciful, as your Father also is merciful’ (Lk 6:36). God’s mercy is a tender mercy, a pure mercy, a rich mercy. Mercy shall follow and overtake the merciful man. He shall be rewarded in this life and in the life to come (Watson) As we have received mercy from God so we must show mercy to others. There is a cycle in the beatitude. We receive mercy from God when we come into the kingdom, and it is to the extent that we demonstrate mercy, that we continue to receive mercy. if we withhold mercy from others, God will withhold mercy from us. If we are liberal with mercy toward others God will lavish his mercy on us. (Lawson) Whatever mercy a man shows to another, God will take care to show the same to him. (Clarke) Nowhere do we imitate God more than in showing mercy. In nothing does God delight more than in the exercise of mercy, (Ex 34:6; Ezek 33:11; 1 Tim 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). To us, guilty sinners; to us, wretched, dying, and exposed to eternal woe, he has shown his mercy by giving his Son to die for us; by expressing his willingness to pardon and save us; and by sending his Spirit to renew and sanctify our hearts. Each day of our life, each hour, and each moment, we partake of his undeserved mercy. All the blessings we enjoy are proofs of his mercy. If we, then, show mercy to the poor, the wretched, the guilty, it shows that we are like God. (Barnes).
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