• The Beatitudes - Day 7

    <br />The Merciful Shall Receive Mercy

  • Luke 7:11-12 Soon afterward [Jesus] went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 

  • Notice the details about the woman. Her only son had just died and she was a widow. This means, not only is she grieving, but she is also in serious trouble. She has no male protector or provider, and in the first century it was very difficult for a woman to earn her living.

  • Luke 7:13-15 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

  • What moved Jesus to act as He did?

  • The Beatitudes - Day 7

    <br />The Merciful Shall Receive Mercy

  • Compassion is what the fifth beatitude is about. Those who are in the Kingdom of heaven are compassionate people like Jesus.

  • Matthew 5:3-7

    Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

    Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

    Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

    Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

  • Jesus has in mind people who are merciful, not just people who do acts of mercy. What do you think is the difference between being merciful and doing mercy?

  • The Beatitudes - Day 7

    <br />The Merciful Shall Receive Mercy

  • There is a huge difference between being merciful and doing mercy. ‘The adjective for merciful… means those whose bent is to show mercy, not those who engage in an occasional merciful impulse.’ (L. Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, 100). This is illustrated well in the parable of the Good Samaritan.

  • Luke 10:25-37 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."

    But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.' Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbour to the man who fell among the robbers?" He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise."

  • What question prompted the parable of the Good Samaritan?

  • Do you notice that Jesus didn't answer the question? Jesus heard in the question a fundamental problem in the man's thinking. He told the parable to address this problem. What do you think was wrong with the thinking behind the question?

  • The Beatitudes - Day 7

    <br />The Merciful Shall Receive Mercy

  • Think about it for moment. The man was asking for a list of who he had to show love to, and alternatively who he didn’t have to show love to.

    Can you imagine someone walking up to a person who was lying half dead and pulling out a list. "Hello sir, just a few questions. What nationality are you? What is your profession?... Ok sir, you qualify as my neighbour. How can I help?"

    Is such a person merciful?

  • Look back at the parable. How does Jesus redirect the question?

  • Jesus is saying. Don't ask who your neighbour is. Be a neighbour.


    ‘God's intention is to call into being a loving, compassionate, merciful person whose heart summons him irresistibly into action when there is suffering within his reach, a person who will interrupt his schedule, risk embarrassment, use up his oil and wine, and part with his money for the sake of a suffering stranger. Become that person, Jesus says, and you will inherit eternal life: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.’ (J. Piper, The Cult of the Self and the Command of Jesus)

  • The Beatitudes - Day 7

    <br />The Merciful Shall Receive Mercy

  • In the fifth beatitude, Jesus directs our gaze forward to the final judgment. Who will receive mercy from God then?

  • Matthew 5:7

    Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

  • Does this mean that we earn God's mercy by being merciful? Consider the following verses.

  • 1 John 4:7-8  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

    1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us.

  • Which comes first, our love or God’s love? God’s love. ‘He first loved us.’

    What did God’s love do? God in love made us born of God. He gave us a new heart that brings forth love. Love is the test of whether someone has been born of God. This means a born of God person is a loving person.

    God’s work of salvation comes in stages.

    God’s mercy comes first to the poor in spirit. They are those who recognise their spiritual bankruptcy and ask for God’s mercy. "Have mercy on me, a sinner."

    God acts in amazing mercy by forgiving us our sin, justifying us, adopting us as His child, making us heirs of His kingdom, sealing us with the Holy Spirit, giving us a new heart. This is the beginning of His work of salvation which will be completed on the day of Christ. The mercy to come is the completing of God’s prior work of mercy.

    How do we know these things have happened to us? We are becoming merciful from the heart.

    Be merciful and you will receive mercy. Not because your mercy earns God’s mercy, but because it proves that you are the kind of person that has already received mercy.  Your actions manifest what your heart is like. 

  • The Beatitudes - Day 7

    <br />The Merciful Shall Receive Mercy

  • In this meditation we have seen that the fifth characteristic of the one who is approved by God is a merciful heart. This is the person who is moved by compassion to help those in need.


    In the next meditation, we will look at the sixth characteristic of the one who God approves.


    Until then may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 


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