The "be"atittudes 06

THE “BE” ATTITUDES 06

MATTHEW 5:7 BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL, FOR THEY WILL BE SHOWN MERCY.

OPENING ILLUSTRATION: MOST PEOPLE ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE NAMES UWE HOLMER OR ERICH HONECKER. THE LIVES OF THESE TWO MEN CROSSED IN 1990, AND BECAME A VIVID EXAMPLE OF GOD’S MERCY TO THE ENTIRE WORLD. UWE HOLMER IS A PASTOR WHO SERVED THE LORD IN WHAT WAS FORMERLY KNOWN AS EAST GERMANY, A FORMER COMMUNIST NATION. LIKE MANY OTHER BELIEVERS, HE SUFFERED FROM THE 40 YEARS OF ERICH HONECKER’S IRON-FISTED RULE.

HISTORY HAS A WAY OF CHANGING THINGS. HONECKER HAD BEEN DISPOSED OF AS LEADER AND WAS FACING TRIAL ON THE CHARGES OF TREASON. WHILE AWAITING HIS TRIAL, HE WAS OPERATED ON FOR CANCER AND NEEDED A PLACE TO RECOVER. THIS BEATEN AND SICK MAN HAD NO WHERE TO GO: HE WAS TOO SICK TO STAY IN PRISON AND NO ONE DARED TO OPEN UP THEIR HOME TO HIM BECAUSE HE WAS SO HATED AND DESPISED. NO ONE WANTED TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS TYRANT.

PASTOR HOLMER’S CHURCH RAN A CONVALESCENT CENTER IN THE SECLUDED VILLAGE OF LOBETAL. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO ROOM FOR THE VILLAINOUS HONECKER. HOLMER COULD HAVE EASILY RATIONALIZED THIS SITUATION AND CLOSED HIS HEART, BUT INSTEAD, HE FELT LED OF THE LORD TO OPEN UP HIS OWN HOME TO HONECKER AND HIS WIFE. THE HOLY SPIRIT COMPELLED UWE HOLMER TO REACH OUT AND MINISTER TO THIS MAN’S NEEDS, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS A SCOUNDREL.

TORRENTS OF RAGE WERE DIRECTED AT PASTOR HOLMER: HATE MAIL, BOMB THREATS AND THREATS TO CUT OFF FUNDING TO HIS MINISTRY WERE RECEIVED, ALL BECAUSE HOLMER HAD OFFERED MERCY TO AN ENEMY. UWE HOLMER EXPLAINED TO THE NATION (AND TO THE WORLD) WHY HE HAD MERCY ON ERICH HONECKER IN A LETTER TO AN EAST GERMAN NEWSPAPER, NEUE ZEITUNG. HE WROTE, “IN LOBETAL, THERE IS A SCULPTURE OF JESUS INVITING PEOPLE TO HIMSELF AND CRYING OUT: ‘COME UNTO ME ALL YE THAT LABOR AND ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST.’ WE HAVE BEEN COMMANDED BY OUR LORD JESUS TO FOLLOW HIM AND TO RECEIVE ALL THOSE WHO ARE WEARY AND HEAVY LADEN, IN SPIRIT AND IN BODY, BUT ESPECIALLY THE HOMELESS. WHAT JESUS ASKED HIS DISCIPLES TO DO IS EQUALLY BINDING ON US.”

PASTOR HOLMER DID NOT DO THE POLITICALLY CORRECT THING AT ALL, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN TO JOIN THE OTHERS IN THROWING STONES AT HONECKER. INSTEAD, UWE HOLMER DID THINGS THE JESUS WAY: BUT I SAY UNTO YOU WHICH HEAR, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, DO GOOD TO THEM WHICH HATE YOU, [28] BLESS THEM THAT CURSE YOU, AND PRAY FOR THEM WHICH DESPITEFULLY USE YOU. (LK. 6:27–28). ERICH HONECKER DESERVED TO DIE A HORRIBLE DEATH, ALONE. PASTOR HOLMER DID NOT GIVE HIM WHAT HE DESERVED. INSTEAD, HE GAVE HIM MERCY WHICH IS NOT AN EASY THING TO DO OR IS UNPOPULAR SOMETIMES, BUT CAN BE DONE WITH THE HELP OF GOD IN OUR LIFE. JESUS SAID, “BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL: FOR THEY SHALL OBTAIN MERCY.”

ROD MATTOON, TREASURES FROM THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT, VOL. 1, TREASURES FROM SCRIPTURES SERIES (SPRINGFIELD, IL: ROD MATTOON, 2006), 72–73.

INTRODUCTION: WELL, WE HAVE COME RIGHT OFF OUR CELEBRATION OF THE RESURRECTION AND NOW BACK INTO OUR SERIES ON THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AND PARTICULARLY THE BEATITUDES.

THIS MORNING WE CONTINUE WITH MATTHEW 5:7 WHERE WE READ, “BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL, FOR THEY WILL BE SHOWN MERCY.”

WHAT IS INTERESTING IS THAT THIS BEATITUDE WOULD SEEM TO GIVE US A WAY OF FOLLOWING THE PREVIOUS BEATITUDE DEALING WITH HUNGER AND SEARCH FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

LET ME REMIND YOU OF SOME OF THE MAIN THOUGHTS OF THIS BEATITUDE:

• HUNGER IS A CRAVING OR DESIRE FOR SOMETHING. WE CANNOT WILL OURSELVES TO BE HUNGRY OR THIRSTY BUT WE CAN CREATE THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE IT HAPPENS

• RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NOT A POSITION, BUT AN ACTIVITY. BEING RIGHTEOUS IS DOING WHAT IS RIGHT.

• BEING FILLED IS SOMETHING I CANNOT DO FOR MYSELF BUT IS DONE FOR ME. GOD GIVES ME THE FILLING – SATISFACTION WHEN I CREATE THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE RIGHTEOUSNESS IS WHAT I DESIRE.

TRANSITION: AS WE MOVE INTO THIS NEXT BEATITUDE, WHAT BETTER WAY CAN WE START CREATING THE ENVIRONMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS THAN BY BEING MERCIFUL.

I. THE BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE IN THIS BEATITUDE

MATTHEW 5:7 BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL, FOR THEY WILL BE SHOWN MERCY.

a. THE CONDITION OF RECEIVING MERCY IS BECAUSE WE ARE GIVING MERCY – BEING MERCIFUL

b. “BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL”

i. ACTIVE IN BEING MERCIFUL

ii. GOD IS NOT POURING HIS BLESSING, HIS MERCY AND HIS GRACE WILLY-NILLY. THE CONDITION TO RECEIVING FROM GOD IS GIVING

c. PRINCIPLE IS REPEATED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

i. “FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS

ii. COLOSSIANS 3:13 BEAR WITH EACH OTHER AND FORGIVE WHATEVER GRIEVANCES YOU MAY HAVE AGAINST ONE ANOTHER. FORGIVE AS THE LORD FORGAVE YOU.