Blessed Are The Merciful Series

Blessed Are The Merciful

Matthew 5:7

DisMiss Grove KIDZ

We read the following in Luke chapter 10 beginning at verse twenty five.

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘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, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.

A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.

The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” – Luke 10 25-37

Prayer

OKAY – let me set the scene.

It’s 30 AD and Jesus has been: preaching, teaching and healing people for about a year. AND SO - there is a very large group of people following after Jesus.

AND – as Matthew chapter 5 opens up, it’s time for Jesus to give His platform speech, His manifesto. It’s time for Jesus to tell everyone what He and His Kingdom are all about.

AND LISTEN – everyone is hoping that Jesus is going to tell them, that He is here to overthrow the Romans, get them out of the country, so that things can get back to normal, to the way they were.

BUT – Jesus doesn’t say that.

YEAH – they’re hoping that He is going to say things like,

It’s time for us …

• To be strong

• To resist, to fight back, to hold the line

BUT – Jesus doesn’t say any of that.

INSTEAD – Jesus says something that is so radical and so countercultural, that it is still even shocking to us today, in the 21st century.

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down.

And that’s what rabbi’s did when they were about to drop some wisdom, they sat down.

His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said: “Blessed (joyful, fulfilled, satisfied, content, happy) are…

The poor in spirit,

Those who…

• Realize that they are busted, broken and bankrupt before God.

• Understand that good people don’t go to heaven, but forgiven people do

• embrace their brokenness and ask God for help. “Lord, please help me with…”

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn…

• For their loss

• Over: the hurt, the pain and the sin in this world, and

• Over their own sin,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek…

Those who keep their power and strength under control for the benefit of others and the glory of God.

for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

Those who hunger and thirst: to know God, to be like Jesus, and to make this world a better place for

For they will be satisfied.

B/S – what if, Jesus was serious?

LIKE - what if… joy, fulfillment, satisfaction and contentment were found not in pursuing happiness (trying to control and make ‘just right’ all of the things happening around us), but in pursuing a blessed life?

YEAH – what if, Jesus was serious? AND – what if, you… what if you, took Him seriously… and began to really go after this life? B/S – the life you have always wanted, the life you were created to live, the Kingdom life… is within your reach.

IN FACT – it is ‘the life’ that He (through The Spirit) has empowered everyone who has come into His Kingdom to live.