Matthew 5:1-12 A DEFINITION TO REGARD Matthew 5:7 William Barclay defines mercy this way: To get inside someone s to the point that you can things with their eyes, things with their mind, and things with their feelings. Thayer s James 2:14-16 AN EXAMPLE TO REFLECT The Bible s greatest text speaks of extraordinary example of mercy: For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him, but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV) At Calvary Luke 10 In This Parable We See Four Dimensions of Mercy: Luke 10:33 - Mercy sees. Luke 10:33 - Mercy responds with a heart of compassion and pity toward the person in distress. 1
Luke 10:34 - Mercy responds with a practical effort to relieve the distress. Luke 10:33 - Mercy responds even when the person in distress is, by or, an enemy. A TRUTH TO REMEMBER We who have God s mercy in coming to Christ Jesus by faith, are of God s mercy as we live the Christian life. Romans 3:23 John 8 A REASON TO REJOICE When Jesus said, Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy, He was saying that if a person is merciful to others, will be merciful to. Luke 6:38 Psalm 23:6 Lamentations 3:22-23 Psalm 18:25-26 Psalm 86:3 Psalm 23 2 Timothy 1:18 Psalm 59:16 2
Matthew 5:1-12 1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 3
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (NKJV) A DEFINITION TO REGARD William Barclay defines mercy this way: To get inside someone s SKIN to the point that you SEE things with their eyes, THINK things with their mind, and FEEL things with their feelings. Thayer s says mercy is good will toward the miserable and afflicted, joined with a desire to relieve them. James 2:14-16, What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed, 4
but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? (NIV) AN EXAMPLE TO REFLECT The Bible s greatest text speaks of GOD S extraordinary example of mercy: For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him SHALL NOT PERISH, but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV At Calvary Mercy there was great and grace was free, pardon there was multiplied to me, there my burdened soul found liberty, at Calvary. Luke 10 What must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus told the lawyer that he must love God with all his heart, soul, strength and mind and love his neighbor as himself... And who is my neighbor? Which of these three was a neighbor to the wounded man? the one who had MERCY on him. Jesus then told the lawyer, Go and do likewise. 5
In This Parable We See Four Dimensions of Mercy: Mercy sees DISTRESS. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was and when he saw him... (Luke 10:33 NIV) Mercy responds INTERNALLY with a heart of compassion and pity toward the person in distress. When he saw him, he took pity on him... (Luke 10:33 NIV) Mercy responds EXTERNALLY with a practical effort to relieve the distress. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; He put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him... (Luke 10:34 NIV) Mercy responds even when the person in distress is, by RELIGION or RACE, an enemy. But a Samaritan (Luke 10:33 NIV) A TRUTH TO REMEMBER We who have RECEIVED God s mercy in coming to Christ Jesus by faith, are STILL IN NEED of God s mercy as we live the Christian life. Paul said, All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23 NIV) John 8:10-11, Woman, where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you?... Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more. (NKJV) 6
A REASON TO REJOICE When Jesus said, Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy, He was saying that if a person is merciful to others, GOD will be merciful to HIM. Luke 6:38, Give, and it will be given unto you. (NIV) Surely goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life. (Psalm 23:6 NKJV) Jude 21 Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. (NKJV) It is of the Lord s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV) Psalm 18:25-26, Lord, to the merciful you show yourself merciful; to the blameless you show yourself blameless; to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked, you show yourself shrewd. Psalm 86:3 David says, Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto Thee daily. (KJV) Psalm 23:6, Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. (KJV) 7
Paul say, The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day... (2 Timothy 1:18 KJV) Psalm 59:16, I will sing aloud of Thy mercy. (KJV) Let The Lower Lights Be Burning Brightly beams our Father s mercy, From His lighthouse evermore, But to us He gives the keeping of the lights along the shore. Dark the night of sin has settled, Loud the angry billows roar, Eager eyes are watching, longing, For the lights along the shore. Trim your feeble lamp, my brother, Some poor sailor, tempest-tossed, Trying now to make the harbor, In the darkness may be lost. CHORUS: Let the lower lights be burning, Send a gleam across the wave, Some poor fainting, struggling seaman, You may rescue, you may save! 8