Mercy Given And Received

Mercy Given and Received

Matthew 5:7

Online Sermon: http://www.mckeesfamily.com/?page_id=3567

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

The Sermon on the Mount as found in Matthew 5-7 is “one of the best known and most extensively studied discourses in the world.” This sermon begins with “beatitudes” or “blessings” rather than imperatives to show that the holiness Christ expects us to emulate is attainable only through grace. The following sermon is going to primarily focus on just one of these beatitudes and that is mercy. Mercy is the outward manifestation of compassion and forgiveness towards other people. Seems simple enough but considering the standard of mercy set when Jesus atoned for humanities sins on the cross, it is far from easy to emulate! Our bondage to religious trivia and self-exaltation have simply left many Christians predominantly focusing on “straining out gnats” of trivial, offenses against God while ignoring the weightier issues of personal holiness and showing mercy to a world filled with injustice, poverty and spiritual deadness. While becoming merciful is not easily attainable, from Jesus’ words we learn that mercy grows best in the fertile souls of the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness sake. It is only when a merciful heart has been cultivated in grace that God-given mercy can be shared with the world!

Origin of Mercy

“Mercy comes from mercy. Our mercy to each other comes from God’s mercy to us.” Romans 5:8 states “God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” There was a time when we were entangled by sin (Hebrews 12:1) wandering on the broad path that would only lead to hell and damnation (Matthew 7:13-14). The Bible states we were envious, full of hatred, gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, boastful, disobedient to our parents with no understanding, no fidelity, no love and no mercy (Romans 1:29-30). And yet despite our rejection of God, Apostle Paul states Christ “chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy” (Ephesians 1:4). Apart from the cross of grace all of humanity would have “remained miserable and pitiful.” The humbling truth is that apart from Christ we can do nothing because to climb the latter of holiness one must first step on His unmerited rungs of grace (Matthew 19:26)! It is only when one understands the depths of one’s own spiritual depravity that one begins to appreciate the magnitude of the mercy one has received and are able to share it with the world!

Staining out Gnats

One of the greatest impediments keeping today’s Christians from being filled and sharing their God-given mercy is what John Piper calls “bondage to the trivial.” In the never-ending desire to develop a stress-free life, as if that were even possible, our passion tends to lean towards pleasure seeking routines of normalcy. While no one likes to be called a carnal Christian is that not a good definition for those who often spend most of their free time watching television, enjoying hobbies and eating? While in moderation none of these activities are bad, should not our primary focus be to seek first the kingdom on God in all that we do (Matthew 6:33)? And if bondage to trivial, earthly things were not bad enough, for the love of the world is a sin (1 John 2:15), is not bondage to “religious trivia” just as detrimental? Since the Pharisees chose to legalistically obey the “minor” details of the law while ignoring the more “important matters such as justice, mercy and faithfulness; Jesus accused them of straining out a gnat to swallow a camel” (Matthew 23:23-24). To keep from being caught up in the mechanics of religious legalism or spiritual indifference God-given mercy received must be a crucial part of one’s very character and shared with the world!

Characteristics of the Merciful

How does a heart become merciful? So far, we have learned that the first step in becoming merciful is to acknowledge one’s own spiritual bankruptcy and utter dependence on God! When a broken and contrite heart cries out Abba, Father (Psalms 51:17; Romans 8:15) forgive me for my sin, please enter into my heart and be the Lord of my life (Romans 10:9), that person becomes born again and adopted as God’s very own child (John 1:12). Through the power of the Holy Spirit such a person can attain righteousness and be filled with mercy which grows best in the fertile souls of the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness sake. Let’s now look at how each of these characteristics helps one become merciful.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God” (verse 3). The poor in spirit are not just the “economically disadvantaged” who cry out for God’s help but also those who in their weakness have realized their utter dependence on God. Jesus is not saying that financial poverty in itself is a blessing but that hardships foster joy and reliance upon Him (James 1:2-4; Matthew 19:24). The merciful never “shut up his/her bowls of compassion” by offering the poor mere empty, sympathetic thoughts. They freely give according to their ability, joyfully and cheerfully knowing that doing unto the least is doing onto the Lord (Matthew 25:31-46). For many commentators the “poor in spirit” are also those that humbly cry out in their spiritual weakness but at the same time boldly approach God’s throne of grace with assurance that Christ alone purchased their privilege to be in His presence and part of His family (Hebrews 6:19; 1 Corinthians 6:10). The merciful are more than willing to not only forebear with the spiritually weak (1 Corinthians 8) but also pray for and build them up in the faith (James 5:16; 1 Thessalonians 5:11). Mercy is not just to be extended to the poor in spirit but also to those who are not yet born again. As Christ’s ambassadors we are to look for ways to do good deeds to the fallen of this world so that our light might shine and point them to God the Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16)!