True Happiness Through Mercy (Matthew 5:7)

Christianity is neither religion nor philosophy, but it is a relationship and practice. Through Jesus Christ, we have intimate relationship with God which was broken because of the sin; and it is a reaching out to the world practicing love and mercy. When a body of water doesn’t flow out, it becomes a stagnant pond, likewise without practicing love and mercy in order to reach out others makes Christianity a boast of stagnant. The prophet Micah says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8). We all need to understand that without practicing justice and mercy, it is not possible to have deep relationship with God. Therefore our Lord Jesus Christ condemned the religious leaders during his time saying, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others” (Matthew 23:23). Mercy is a concern to the people in need. James asked, “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” (James 2:15-16). It is also an act of love. John asked, “But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?” (John 3:17). In other words, mercy is bridge built by God to men to come to HIM and reach out the world.

WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN? (vs. 7)

“Blessed are the merciful ...” (vs.7). The Greek word ‘eleemon’ (έλεήμων) is used for merciful. The word ‘eleemon’ means not only simply to be pity, but an ability to feel exactly how a person feels, who is in affliction and to help to eliminate the pain. We need to understand that Jesus spoke of not only an emotional wave of pity; he spoke of the ability to get right inside the person until we can see with their eyes, thinks with their mind and feel with their feelings. The Greek word ‘eleemon’ conveys the literal idea of empathy. The root word ‘pathy’ derived from the Greek term ‘pathos’ (πάθος) meaning ‘suffering or feeling’. The prefix ‘em -’ derived from the Greek word ‘en -’ meaning ‘within or in’. Empathy literally means to put youself in the shoes of another.

It is used for our Lord Jesus Christ to describe HIS high priestly service to mankind. Hebrews 2:17-18 says, “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”  Queen Victoria was a close friend of Principal of St. Andrews, John Tulloch. Prince Albert died and Victoria was left alone. At the same time, Principal John Tulloch also died and Mrs Tulloch was left alone. Without pre-announcement, Queen Victoria visited to Mrs. Tulloch while she was resting on a couch in her room. Mrs Tulloch struggled to rise quickly from the couch and to welcome the queen. Queen stepped forward saying, “My dear, don’t rise.” “I am not coming to you today as the queen to her subject,” she added, “but as a woman who has lost her husband.” Likewise God did through and in Jesus Christ. He suffered and died in our place; and paid the debt of our sin that we could receive the mercy from God. The Lord came to us as a man who suffered and tempted alike us. When Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful,” He spoke of the ability to experience or suffer exactly the one who experiences or suffers.

HOW DOES IT COME IN OUR LIFE?

In the Septuagint (The Greek version of Old Testament), the Greek word ‘eleemon’ is used to translate the Hebrew word ‘chesed’ (חֶסֶד). It is one of most common word used in the OT to describe the character of God. It is usually translated as mercy (Ps. 51:1), loving-kindness or steadfast love (Ps. 17:7; Is. 63:7; Jer. 9:24; Lam. 3:22). Mercy is the gift of spirit comes with the new birth and we should grow into it.   

First, we should practice the forgiveness. Forgiveness is distinct from the mercy, but it flows out of mercy. Paul writes to Titus, “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:4-7). God saved us according to His own mercy. Paul write to the Church in the city of Ephesus, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:4-7). In and through Christ, God forgave our all sin unconditionally, as we repent and put our trust in HIM. In the same way, we need to practice the forgiveness. We should forgive each other (Col. 3:12-13), restore those who are fallen in sin (Gal. 6:1) and help those who are in need (1 John 3:17-18; James 2:15-17).   

Second, we should preach the Gospel. Apostle Peter writes in the epistle, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the Excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10). Jude writes, “And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh” (Jude 22-23). Preaching the Gospel is an act of mercy. The Gospel speaks of Christ who paid the penalty of sin that God might be merciful to sinners. We should show mercy by proclaiming Christ as savior (John 3:18).   

Third, we should pray for the nation. We show mercy when we pray for the nation that our nation may know Christ as their savior. We cannot touch the heart through hands, but prayer can. Through prayer, we can reach out the world and touch the hearts of millions. Praying for the nation is an act of mercy.

WHAT BLESSING DOES IT BRING IN OUR LIFE?

“... for they shall receive mercy” (vs. 7). God is merciful to us by saving us through Christ; in obedience we are merciful to others by practicing the forgiveness, preaching the Gospel and praying for the nation. James writes, “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). In the parable of unforgiving servant (Mt. 18:23-35), Jesus gives us the picture that how God forgives us. A king forgave ten thousand talents’ debt of the servant. But this servant didn’t forgave his debtor who owed him a hundred denarii. He put him in the prison until he paid the debt. When the king learnt of this, he called him and said, “You wicked servant! I forgave you all debt because you pleaded with me. Therefore you should have mercy on your fellow servant who owed you, as I had mercy on you. But you didn’t do. So now I would put you in the jail, until you should pay all your debt.” Jesus taught us in this parable that God behaves with us on the basis how we behave with others. Therefore Jesus said in this beatitude the similar truth – “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

CONCLUSION / APPLICATION

There's a legend about a rabbi who welcomed a weary traveler into his home for a night of rest. After learning that his guest was almost a hundred years old, the rabbi asked about his religious beliefs. The man replied, "I'm an atheist." Infuriated, the rabbi ordered the man out, saying, "I cannot keep an atheist in my house." Without a word, the elderly man hobbled out into the darkness.

The rabbi was reading the Scriptures when he heard a voice, "Son, why did you throw that old man out?"

"Because he is an atheist, and I cannot endure him overnight!"

The voice replied, "I have endured him for almost a hundred years." The rabbi rushed out, brought the old man back, and treated him with kindness.

When we treat unbelievers with contempt, we're not serving God. He wants us to love them as He has loved us. Jude said, "Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others save by snatching them out of fire; to show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh" (Jude 21-23). We can still love sinners while hating their sin. Remember mercy triumphs over the judgment. Therefore our Lord Jesus Christ said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive the mercy." 

Let’s pray together!

  

(It is preached on 3rd June, 2018 at Phulbari Sewa Mandali in Sunday Service)