Our last post covered the first three "blessed" groups that Jesus defines in His Sermon on the Mount. They were the poor in spirit, those who mourn and those who are gentle. If you didn't get a chance to read the last blog covering those groups, you might want to go back and do that now. Let me know what you think...Jesus changes our perspective on the categories of people that we usually do not view as blessed in this world. But then again, Jesus is teaching us to look at things differently, eternally vs. temporal. Looking through "born again" eyes is the only way that we can start to see the Kingdom of God. (John 3:3)
Now we move to the next groups of blessed people that Jesus points to.
First group today is those "who hunger and thirst after righteousness" with their blessing proclaimed as "they will be filled." Who falls into this category of blessing? Do I? Do you? Shouldn't we want to? The word used for "hunger" in this passage carries with it the metaphorical meaning of craving ardently, or seeking with eager desire. "Thirst" here also has a more intense meaning..."painfully feel the want of, and eagerly long for, those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, strengthened." So we get the idea, this group is not those who casually want a righteous life; this group is comprised of those who desperately, intensely seek righteousness in their life. So then we get to asking, "and what IS righteousness?" Righteousness, in its purest form, is being in a condition that is acceptable and pleasing to God. That is what we are to hunger and thirst after. We should so desperately want to please our Father that it becomes our driving force. As we progress through the Gospels and through the other books in the New Testament we will find that Jesus IS our righteousness, that only through Him can we attain perfect acceptance by God. But that should not keep us from desiring a life that comes as close as possible to God's good pleasure. Because the promise that comes to people who fall into this category is to be filled....to have their desperate, intense longing for righteousness satisfied: they will no longer be hungry or thirsty, they will attain the righteousness that they have longed for...they will live in the perfect acceptance of God Almighty, and they will know that Jesus is the One who brought complete righteousness to them.
Next group is those who are merciful. Mercy! Don't we all want it? I tend to equate mercy with grace...but they are different. I have heard it said that grace is giving you something that you don't deserve, while mercy is not giving you what you do deserve! The word that is used for "merciful" here is only used one other time in the New Testament and that is in Hebrews when the writer describes Jesus as "a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." Jesus was merciful to us. He looked down on us in our pitiful state and said, "I don't want them to get what they deserve...I will take their punishment for them." The promise to the merciful is that they will obtain mercy. I certainly cling to the mercy that Jesus has provided for me...am I willing to look at people who I might consider "unworthy" and let them break my heart in the same compassion that Jesus had for mankind? And what is the most merciful thing I can do for others? To share the wonderful news that Jesus' mercy extends to everyone who accepts Him as their wonderful, merciful, Savior!
We will pick up next time with the final groups of Jesus' blessings. I hope you are seeing, as I am, that what Jesus is proclaiming is that we are to be people who desire different things than the world would tell us should be our goals. We are to be people who exhibit His attitudes and His love. Let us pray for a more intense desire to become more like Him!
Now we move to the next groups of blessed people that Jesus points to.
First group today is those "who hunger and thirst after righteousness" with their blessing proclaimed as "they will be filled." Who falls into this category of blessing? Do I? Do you? Shouldn't we want to? The word used for "hunger" in this passage carries with it the metaphorical meaning of craving ardently, or seeking with eager desire. "Thirst" here also has a more intense meaning..."painfully feel the want of, and eagerly long for, those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, strengthened." So we get the idea, this group is not those who casually want a righteous life; this group is comprised of those who desperately, intensely seek righteousness in their life. So then we get to asking, "and what IS righteousness?" Righteousness, in its purest form, is being in a condition that is acceptable and pleasing to God. That is what we are to hunger and thirst after. We should so desperately want to please our Father that it becomes our driving force. As we progress through the Gospels and through the other books in the New Testament we will find that Jesus IS our righteousness, that only through Him can we attain perfect acceptance by God. But that should not keep us from desiring a life that comes as close as possible to God's good pleasure. Because the promise that comes to people who fall into this category is to be filled....to have their desperate, intense longing for righteousness satisfied: they will no longer be hungry or thirsty, they will attain the righteousness that they have longed for...they will live in the perfect acceptance of God Almighty, and they will know that Jesus is the One who brought complete righteousness to them.
Next group is those who are merciful. Mercy! Don't we all want it? I tend to equate mercy with grace...but they are different. I have heard it said that grace is giving you something that you don't deserve, while mercy is not giving you what you do deserve! The word that is used for "merciful" here is only used one other time in the New Testament and that is in Hebrews when the writer describes Jesus as "a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." Jesus was merciful to us. He looked down on us in our pitiful state and said, "I don't want them to get what they deserve...I will take their punishment for them." The promise to the merciful is that they will obtain mercy. I certainly cling to the mercy that Jesus has provided for me...am I willing to look at people who I might consider "unworthy" and let them break my heart in the same compassion that Jesus had for mankind? And what is the most merciful thing I can do for others? To share the wonderful news that Jesus' mercy extends to everyone who accepts Him as their wonderful, merciful, Savior!
We will pick up next time with the final groups of Jesus' blessings. I hope you are seeing, as I am, that what Jesus is proclaiming is that we are to be people who desire different things than the world would tell us should be our goals. We are to be people who exhibit His attitudes and His love. Let us pray for a more intense desire to become more like Him!
