Matthew 5:7-9

In Matthew 5:7-9 the Sermon on the Mount now turns to a new set of Beatitudes. In the first four Beatitudes Jesus directed our attention to our relationship to God. In these next Beatitudes, He deals with your relationship with other people. How does God want you to relate with other people? Jesus said in verse 7, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Here are three simple Beatitudes that I believe get to the heart of our personal needs as we relate to other people. Notice what these issues focus on! He wants us to be merciful, a heart that is pure and right, and a person who is a peacemaker with others. These are three very important ways we can have the best relationship with others. Do you want to get along with those in your immediate family? Do you want live in harmony with your friends and coworkers? If you do, then this is what Jesus thought were important attitudes to have with people. 

Now it is interesting that when you look at the Ten Commandments, these commandments are separated into two sections. The first four commandments deal with our relationship with God. The last six commandments relate to our relationship with one another. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the author of the Scriptures does the same thing here in the Beatitudes.  The first few Beatitudes deal with your relationship with God, and then these that we are studying today, relate to your relationship with others.  

Blessed are the merciful

Think for a moment about what it means to be merciful. What is the opposite of being merciful? Isn’t it being condemning? Do you think that someone who is condemning will get along well with others? I don’t think so. No one likes someone who is critical, judgmental, and condemning. All of us can relate to wanting others to be merciful with us, because we have all failed in our attitudes and behaviors toward others. Isn’t this why we need mercy? We have also all sinned by condemning others at times, when they have failed. You know what it is like: Someone offends you, and you get angry and resentful, and if you hold the resentment, you get very hard-hearted, and it destroys the relationship. This is why Jesus believed it was so essential to start with this Beatitude, because mercy is fundamental to getting along with others in every aspect of our relationships.  

Now, what is one of the most important results of being merciful towards others?  Jesus told us immediately after commanding us to be merciful, “For they shall obtain mercy.” This is the biggest reason why you need to be merciful; it is because you will then obtain mercy. But from whom do you obtain mercy? First, you will receive mercy from God. This is a very important point not to miss. Scripture declares that God is merciful to those who are merciful. All through the Old and New Testament you see this message again and again. In Psalm 18:25, David said, “With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; with a blameless man, You will show Yourself blameless.” The Hebrew word blameless does not mean a man must be perfect. It means he must be sincere or a man of integrity. Therefore, the Lord looks carefully at the way we treat others, and He declares here that this is exactly how He will treat us. That should be a very sobering thought. Remember, Jesus taught the same thing a little further on in this sermon.  He said, “Judge not lest you be judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the same measure you use (which means to measure out), it will be measured back to you” (Matt. 7:1-2). This simple truth should cause each of us to be merciful.

The second reason you need to be merciful toward others is, because this will be your best opportunity for people to treat you with the same mercy. Many times we don't consider this result of our actions, but it is a very important one. When you are a merciful person, others will want to be merciful to you in return. Now, this is not always the case, because you will meet in this world some very hard-hearted people who will never be merciful to you. However, in most cases if you are merciful, others will be merciful in return. This is why Jesus taught later in this sermon, “Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them” (Matt. 7:12). So, Jesus makes it clear that however you want others to treat you, first do for them. If you want mercy from others, then you need to be merciful toward them. However, when people are not merciful toward you, be careful not turn and become hard-hearted and cynical when this happens. Unforgiving and unmerciful people are just the reality of living in a fallen world. It has been my experience as a Christian, that most people that you are merciful toward, will return the favor.

The third reason you want to be merciful toward others is, because being merciful brings with it one of the greatest personal benefits to your life. Solomon declared in Proverbs 11:17, “The merciful man does good for his own soul, but he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.” I have found that people who are resentful, hateful, and unforgiving bring innumerable troubles upon themselves. Note that Solomon declared that they trouble their own flesh! Did you know that doctors have found that people who are hardhearted and unforgiving can have physical ailments that result from the stress of these emotions? There are many physical maladies such as ulcers and digestion problems that result from the stress and anxiety of being unmerciful. Now, do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that all physical problems we experience are the result of unforgiveness. There may be physical causes that have nothing to do with how merciful a person you are. But it is clear that a cruel and unmerciful person brings upon themselves many trials of broken relationships and heartache that directly result from their hard heart. Therefore, being merciful is good for you, both in your body and soul. Solomon also teaches, in Proverbs 14:21, “He who despises his neighbor sins; but he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.” Happiness is the direct result of being merciful. Notice that being happy is exactly what Jesus declares here in this Beatitude. Remember, the meaning of the word blessed means, “Oh how happy is the man.” Consequently, Jesus was literally teaching, oh how happy is the man who is merciful, because he will obtain mercy from God and from others. 

Now some of you may be thinking, I am not a very merciful person. I have just always been that way. I am just a very hard-nosed type of person, and I just don’t forgive easily. That is just who I am.” But that does not mean you have to continue to be like this. God is merciful toward you, and He wants to transform you into His image so that you can become merciful like Him. I have personally found that the simplest and the fastest way to get my heart into a place where I want to be merciful, is to do one thing. I just pray, “Lord, open my eyes to all of the times You have had mercy on me. Show me my own sin, and the forgiveness that You have so lavishly bestowed upon me.” When you pray in this manner, your heart should be instantly softened before Him. In fact, this is the reason Jesus holds off talking about being merciful until this point in the Beatitudes. It is because being merciful is the result of these first four Beatitudes. Mercy toward others is the result of seeing that you are poverty-stricken spiritually before God, and a result of mourning for your own sin. Therefore, is there anyone that you are refusing to forgive? Is there anyone that you are holding resentment toward right now? It makes no difference whether it was years ago, or whether it was just last week. Ask God to open your eyes to your own sin and be merciful. 

Now I am sure you remember the parable that Jesus taught in Matthew 18:21-35. He related the story of a man who owed his Lord a great sum of money, and his Lord forgave that man all that he owed, simply because he asked to be released from the debt. That forgiven man, then went out and took another man that only owed him a very small sum of money, and he took him by the throat saying, “pay me what you owe.” However, this second man also asked for mercy, and to be released from his debt, but the first man refused, and threw this second man into debtor’s prison. Notice what Jesus said to this man who had been forgiven his debt, but refused to do the same for his brother. Jesus said in verse 33, “Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you.” Compassion and mercy were what the Lord expected of this man, after being forgiven such a great debt. Jesus expects you to understand this truth, and act with compassion toward others. Mercy is dispensed in two ways: forgiving someone who has offended you, and being merciful to give to those who are needy. These are the two ways that God has been merciful to you. You will never find true happiness in life unless your social relationships reflect these truths of mercy and compassion. That is why mercy is so essential for your life. Therefore, to whom do you need to show mercy today? Ask God to open your eyes, and to empower and enable you to show mercy to that person. Remember, there is no place in life where you imitate God more, than when you show mercy to others. Why? Because mercy is the heart of the Father. In Micah 7:18, the Prophet writes, “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? He does not retain his anger forever,” Why? “Because He delights in mercy.” The Hebrew word delights means that God takes pleasure in mercy. Do you delight and take pleasure in showing mercy?

Blessed are the pure in heart

The next Beatitude is called by most commentators, the Holy of Holies of this list of essential attitudes. Why? Because the result of being pure in heart is that you will see God. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Now, where was the only place that a man could ever see God? It was in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle or the temple of the Jewish people. There, once a year, the high priest would go in and offer a sacrifice for the sins of the people. The Holy of Holies was where the Shekinah glory, the actual presence of God dwelt. This was the only time any man would ever see God. 

An important point to remember concerning this Beatitude is, that purity of heart is one of the overall themes of the Sermon on the Mount. Throughout this entire sermon, Jesus was constantly dealing with the heart of his disciples. He addressed their motivations for their giving, their prayer time, and their acts of service. Jesus wanted the disciples to be seeking first the kingdom of God from the heart, and dealing with others without condemnation and judgmentalism. He wanted their hearts to be pure before Him, so they might come to truly see Him.

God is also after your heart, just as He was for each of His disciple’s hearts. Therefore, this Beatitude first relates to your relationship with God; to be pure in heart before Him. Why is purity of heart so important? Because you cannot truly love others without a pure heart. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 1:5, “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from a sincere faith.” This is the ultimate goal of God’s commandments, which is to love Him, and love one another. Having a pure heart is therefore a critical component to your Christian life. Jesus also said in Matthew 15:19, “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.” Isn’t it interesting that Jesus said all these evil things come out of the heart of man? All of these behaviors relate to how you treat other people? Jesus believed that your heart needed to be right with Him, if you were ever to relate correctly to other people. Your heart is where everything begins. Evil thoughts in your heart will naturally cause you to act selfishly and angrily toward others. Evil thoughts in your heart cause resentful and murderous attitudes toward others. If lust controls your heart, then you will yield to adulterous behavior or fornication. Evil thoughts within your heart bring forth thefts, lying, and profanities. All of these evils come from your heart. This is why you need a pure heart! Solomon declared in Proverbs 22:11, “He who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, the king will be his friend.” Notice, purity of heart gives you grace upon your lips, which then enables good relationships with others. From the Old to the New Testament, it makes no difference, the message is the same. You need to have a pure heart. 

Is it really possible to have a pure heart? You may be thinking right now, I am a sinner. I am corrupt at my core.  How could I ever possibly have a pure heart? If you are thinking this way, I want to ask you to think again about what God has said. The Bible absolutely declares that it is possible to have a pure heart. In Titus 2:14, Paul explains why Jesus came to this earth. He said that Jesus, “gave himself for us that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” Jesus came to purify His own special people. He came to this Earth to purify you and me! If Jesus came to purify people, don’t you think He can do it? He has the ability. He has the power to do exceedingly more than we can ask or even think. In James 4:8, James commanded the people of God, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.” Now, if I am commanded to purify my heart, then it is absolutely possible to do so. If it is a command, then it is also a choice you must make each day.

But, how do you purify your heart? Let me give you three very simple ways to do this. First, you need to simply ask for a pure heart in prayer. In Psalm 51:10, David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Therefore, if you want a pure heart, all you must do is to ask Him to make you clean, and to purify your heart. However, keeping your heart pure, that is another story. In Proverbs 4:23, Solomon commanded his son, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” This is how you keep your heart pure before God. You need to be diligent and watchful over your heart and attitudes, and not allow your heart to become hardened. When you see your thought life, and the resulting attitudes turn to evil things, you need to go back to prayer and ask Him to cleanse you again. Ask Him to turn your heart toward God and His will for your life. This is why the Beatitudes are so important, because they reveal the true condition of your heart. 

Second, you can purify your heart by just opening your Bible and reading the Scriptures. The Scriptures super-naturally purify and clean your heart. Jesus said in John 15:3, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” Notice, it was the Word that cleansed them, and it can cleanse you too. The Word of God is the great purifier of your heart. How does it purify you? The Word brings conviction to your heart, which is followed by repentance, which leads you to change your behavior. So, if you want to keep your heart pure before God, just open your Bible every day and read it! Ask the Lord to speak to you. Ask Him to convict you.  Ask Him to purify your motives and your behavior. You do not have, because you simply don’t ask (James 4:2)!

Third, you can purify your heart as you by faith choose to obey God. In Acts 15:9, Peter explained to the leaders of the church how God came, and poured out his Spirit upon the house of Cornelius and the Gentiles. Peter said that God “made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.” Notice it was faith that purified their hearts. God purified their hearts as they obeyed the Word that was being preached to them. Therefore, obey by faith whatever God is commanding you to do. Be diligent to keep your heart from bitterness, resentfulness, selfishness, or any issue that might corrupt your heart. Be diligent to deal with these corrupting influences quickly. Ask God to cleanse you, and the Lord will give you that pure heart. What will happen to you? You will see Jesus more fully transforming your life every day. 

What does it mean when Jesus says that men will see God? This statement refers to two issues. First it refers to visually seeing the Lord when you go to heaven. One day you will either be raptured off of this planet, or you die and you stand before God. One way or another you are going to see him face to face! This is what the Scripture promises. In 1 John 3:2, the Apostle taught, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” I am certainly looking forward to that day, because I long to see Him face to face. Paul believed the same thing! He taught that today we see and know Him in part, but one day we will see Him face to face (1 Cor. 13:12). What a day that will be! Scripture also warns us in Hebrews 12:14 to, “Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” Note that the Apostle also connects purity and holiness with seeing the Lord one day. If you want to see the Lord, pursue peace and holiness with all men!

Second, this phrase, “to see the Lord” refers to spiritually seeing, knowing, and experiencing Him. This is what is called a Hebraism, which is a literary phrase used to describe something figurative. The best example of a Hebraism if found in Psalm 16:10. David said concerning the Lord, “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will you allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” He was not talking about seeing corruption visually, but experiencing corruption. The body of Christ, after being put in the grave, did not experience corruption or decay of any kind. Why? Because He was resurrected. Jesus also used the same terminology in John 3:3 where He said, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Again, you cannot literally see the Kingdom, but you experience and possess the kingdom of God by the power of the Holy Spirit.  This is an important point to remember. No one can possess God’s kingdom, or experience it unless they are born again, and have received Christ as Savior. In addition, this spiritual sight was given to you at the moment that you were born again. Jesus told Paul in Acts 26:16-18 what his ministry would be like. He told him, “I have appeared to you… to make you a minister and a witness…I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you. To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” Note that Jesus clearly taught that people’s eyes would be opened through Paul’s preaching. Was Jesus speaking of their physical eyes? No. It was their spiritual eyes, to enable them to see all that the kingdom offered. Opening their eyes would allow them to turn from darkness to light, and become born again. Paul also prayed for this same revelation to be given to the Ephesian church, so that they might come to know the Lord and the power of His resurrection in their lives. He prayed that, “The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:17-20). Have you ever prayed this way, asking that the Lord would open the eyes of your understanding, so that you might know these truths? You should be so thankful if you know, and have experienced Jesus opening your eyes to see and know Him in this way. Always remember that if you are a Christian today, then it was because God has given you spiritual eyes to see, and spiritual ears to hear His voice (Matt. 13:16). 

Blessed are the peacemakers

The third Beatitude we want to consider is in verse 9. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” This Beatitude reveals your work in this world. You are called to be peacemakers. Every Christian is called to this work. How are you to become a peacemaker? You are a peacemaker when you encourage people to become reconciled with God, and turn away from their being at war with Him.  Non-Christians are literally at war with God today. As you share the gospel with people, you will enable them to find peace in a relationship with the Father. As a result of receiving God’s forgiveness, a person becomes justified from his or her sin. Paul said in Romans 5:1 that when we have been “justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The first thing that I realized after I gave my life to Christ was a peace within, because I had peace with God. Always remember that there is peace with God, and the peace of God (Phil. 4:6-7). Therefore, if you want to be a peacemaker, share your faith with others.

You also do the work of a peacemaker when you help people to reconcile with each other. There are many opportunities where you can be a peacemaker. Conflicts happen at work, at home, with friends, and you need to help people to seek reconciliation with others. Possibly, someone might be upset and angry with you today. What are you going to do? If you know someone has something against you, or is angry with you, be a peacemaker by going to them and seeking to reconcile the issue. Ask forgiveness for you part, and forgive them for their part in the conflict. Paul declared that this is our ministry as believers. He taught in 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, ...and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” God has given you His word, so you know how to help people reconcile with God, and with each other. I encourage you to make a study of the Scripture on this topic. A good place to begin is Matthew 18:15-17 and Matthew 5:23-25. These verses are a great place to start.

Also, another question to consider relating to conflict is, are you being merciful when someone comes to seek reconciliation with you? Are you encouraging others to be merciful? Do everything in your power to reconcile with others. Help your friends to do the same. 

Conflict is inevitable in any relationship. This is why Jesus taught in Luke 12:58, “When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, lest he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.”  Notice that Jesus did not say if you go with your adversary. He said when you go. In other words, Jesus was acknowledging that conflict will be commonplace in the human experience. You are going to have conflict with your family and friends, because you live a fallen world, and so, conflict is going to happen. But what are you going to do about it when it does happen? Will you be a peacemaker? Notice Jesus said, “Make every effort” to resolve the conflict. What does that mean? It means you do everything in your power to reconcile the problem. It means that sometimes you must go three or four times to try to work things out with people. That is pursuing reconciliation. But it does not mean that the other person is going to receive you, or reconcile with you every time. Sometimes people are just hard-hearted, and will refuse. But, are you making every effort to get it right with that person? Remember, this is the command of Christ, make every effort. If someone rejects your attempts, and tells you to leave them alone, respect their wishes. Then go to prayer, that God would begin to deal with their heart so that they might change. If you have pursued reconciliation, you have done what you were called to do. This is all God requires.   

Now, before we leave this subject of being a peacemaker, let me draw a very important contrast between the God of the Bible and the god of the Koran. I want you to think about this issue because you are very rarely going to hear this information from anyone in the news media. Everyone is being politically correct today on this topic concerning Muslims. Let me say this simply and directly; the god of the Koran and the God of the Bible have a completely different teaching on being a peacemaker. How do I know this to be a fact? The Bible declares our God to be a God of peace. In Romans 15:33 Paul said, “Now may the God of peace be with you all.” Five times in the New Testament God is called a, “God of peace,” because that is who He is. Jesus is also called the, “Prince of Peace” However, the god of the Koran reveals himself to be the exact opposite. Mohammed was told by the god of the Koran to convert people by the sword. Jesus told His disciples in John 13:35 that, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Most people in our government, Republican or Democrat, tell you that Islam is a religion of peace. But, they are just repeating what someone told them to say. If they had read the Koran they would never declare this foolishness. Let me quote several passages from the Koran that make this fact very clear. In Sura 4:89, the Koran teaches that if anyone rejects Islam, “They long that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you might be on the same level, so take not from among them friends until they flee their homes in Allah’s way. Then if they turn back in hostility, seize them and kill them wherever you find them. And take no friend nor helper from among them.” In Sura 8:65, the god of the Koran told the prophet Mohammed, “Oh, Prophet, urge the believers to fight.” In Sura 9:5, “So when the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives, and besiege them, and lie in wait for them in every ambush.” Again, in Sura 9:123, “O you who believe, fight those of the disbelievers that you may find, those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find firmness in you, and know that Allah is with those who keep their duty.” Therefore, true Muslims are not peacemakers. Now do you understand why for approximately the last 1400 years there has been no peace in the Middle East? With this kind of religious indoctrination going on every day in Muslim countries, how could there ever be peace in this region of the world? These passages from the Koran make it absolutely clear that Muslims are taught to do the exact opposite that what the Bible teaches. Clearly, the god of the Koran is not the same as the God of the Bible. Jesus declared to Pilate in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” In 1 Peter 3:11 Peter said, “Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.” Is it your desire to seek peace, and become a peacemaker? I hope so? A true believer in the God of the Bible will not seek to make converts by force. We will make disciples by persuading the hearts of men that Christ’s message is the truth. This is the teaching of the Gospel. May the Sermon on the Mount capture your heart!