Introduction
The beatitudes are recorded in Matthew chapter 5, verses 3-10 and have been grouped together by Lloyd-Jones as follows:-
| Our inward needs | Satisfaction of the need | Result of being filled | Outcome of all earlier characteristics |
| 3. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. | 6. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be filled. | 7. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. | 10. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. |
The beatitudes outline the characteristics of what a Christian should be. These characteristics are not natural tendencies, but all must be worked at, with the help of the Holy Spirit.
In previous blogs, we looked at the first three beatitudes in terms of our inward needs –
- being poor in spirit – realising that we are nothing in the presence of God.
- mourning for our sins – recognising that we are sinners living in a world full of sin.
- being meek – letting go of all self-reliance and humbly accepting that we rely on God for absolutely everything.
- once we get to this position, we should go on to hunger and thirst after righteousness – the message of the Gospel is that we can only be counted as righteous in the eyes of God by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. We also saw that while we instantly receive this legal righteousness at the point of salvation, we should continue to hunger and thirst after moral and social righteousness. All of this is only possible through the inner working of the Holy Spirit.
Now we go on to consider other results of being filled with the Holy Spirit
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Matt 5:7)
In considering this beatitude it might be useful to first distinguish between Mercy and Grace. Mercy is often defined as the act of withholding deserved punishment, while grace is the act of endowing unmerited favour. So we see that God showed his great MERCY by withholding the punishment that we deserve due to our sinfulness. Also that God showed his great GRACE by providing the gift of salvation (Jesus) which we do not deserve or merit.
However, Mercy is more than withholding punishment. Mercy involves forgiveness and leads to compassion – positive action to alleviate a situation, hence God’s grace. Compassion is often described as “Love in action,” and was typified by Jesus himself as he healed people (e.g. Matt 20:34) and when he saw large crowds in need of guidance (e.g. Mark 6:34). James (5:11) says ‘the Lord is full of compassion and mercy’ – the two go hand in hand.
Stott points out that “our God is a merciful God and shows mercy continuously; the citizens of his kingdom must show mercy too.” He also said, “to be merciful is to have compassion on others, for they are sinners also.”
Lloyd-Jones is more of the view that Mercy starts with pity (for someone’s circumstances) and then doing something to relieve the situation (compassion). The supreme example was God pitying the sinful, hopeless state of man, and sending Jesus to redeem the situation.
When considering the beatitude, Lloyd-Jones also took the opportunity to highlight the importance of our inner attitude as a Christian and the role of the Holy Spirit – “we have to BE a Christian before we can act as a Christian…. Attitude is more significant than action….We ARE Christians, and our actions are the outcome of that.” Also, regarding the Holy Spirit, “Our Christianity is meant to control us… His Spirit controls me at the very centre of my life, controls the very spring of my being, the source of my every activity… the New Testament talks about rebirth and being born again, about a new creation and about receiving a new nature….All our activities, therefore, are a result of this new nature.”
Hence, Mercy comes from within.
Practical implications
When Jesus taught us to pray, he told us to ask God for forgiveness of our trespasses…’as we forgive those who trespass against us’. This also involves the fruit of the Spirit, particularly patience. Try to be more merciful, patient and forgiving towards others. Maybe start with the small things of life, e.g. being a more courteous driver, or patient parent, or considerate child, and then build up a habit of being more forgiving to more people as time goes on.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matt 5:8)
According to Lloyd-Jones, the “heart” “includes the mind (intellect); it includes the will (behaviour); it includes the heart (emotions)” – it is “the centre of your being and at the source of your every action”. Our heart is the seat of all our troubles – it is corrupt – Jesus said, ‘Out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.’ (Matt 15:19).
“Purity” has two senses, both of which apply to this beatitude :-
- single mindedness – focussed on the glory of God alone, as opposed to our natural condition which is a heart divided between God and worldly cares;
- cleansed – without moral defilement – ‘create in me a clean heart, O God’ (Ps 51:10)
In effect being pure in heart means to be like the Lord Jesus Christ, keeping the great commandment to love the Lord thy God with all your heart, mind, and soul (Matt 22:37), thus living to the glory of God in every respect.
According to Stott, the heart of the pure in heart, “including their thoughts and motives, is pure, unmixed with anything devious, ulterior, or base. Hypocrisy and deceit are abhorrent to them.”
The blessing of ‘…for they shall see God’ happens now (seeing God in nature, in history, in knowing God today, and in our own experience) and will happen more clearly in the future – face to face – as LLOYD-JONES says, “You and I are meant for the audience chamber of God; you and I are being prepared to enter into the presence of the King of kings.”
Practical implications
So how can our hearts become pure? “The only way in which we can have a clean heart is for the Holy Spirit to enter into us and to cleanse it for us.” (Lloyd-Jones) This is true, but I think we can also avoid getting into situations where we can corrupt our heart (mind, intellect, will). Again, remember the Lord’s Prayer – ‘lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.’ What TV programs do you watch? Which internet sites do you view or subscribe to? Who influences you on social media? Do you promote a pure heart, or do you unconsciously sully your heart?
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. (Matt 5:9)
The need for making peace is due to Sin. The heart of man is the trouble – it is corrupt – as mentioned earlier, Jesus said, ‘Out of the heart proceeds…’ (Matt 15:19). Lloyd-Jones states that “the explanation of all our troubles is human lust, greed, selfishness, self-centredness; it is the cause of all the trouble and the discord, whether between individuals, or between groups within a nation, or between nations themselves.”
Stott sees all of the Sermon on the Mount as being counter-cultural and contrasts the difference between the Christian and the non-Christian. This particular beatitude seems to make this contrast even stronger. Stott says that peacemaking is a divine work, because “peace means reconciliation and God is the author of peace and reconciliation.” To make peace one first needs to be a new man, with a new nature, i.e. born again with the Holy Spirit indwelling.
Only true Christians (filled) can be peacemakers because they will be different from non-Christians, with a different outlook. The peacemaker must be peaceable himself (passively not causing any trouble), but he must actively seek to make peace. His motivation for making peace must only be to “the glory of God amongst men” (Stott).
Jesus is the ultimate example of a peacemaker – God ‘reconciled us to himself through Christ’ (2 Cor 5:18), who ‘humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross’ (Phil 2:8). Jesus is indeed the Prince of Peace.
Stott is not surprised that the blessing attaching to peacemakers is that ‘they shall be called sons of God’. “For they are seeking to do what their Father has done, loving people with his love…. It is God who loves reconciliation and through his children…. is bent on making peace.” What a privilege to be counted as sons and daughters by God.
Practical implications
Lloyd-Jones says that peace making often means to NOT speak – do not rise to provocation and do not repeat things that might do harm – especially relevant in today’s world of ‘re-tweeting’ and ‘liking’ other peoples’ social media posts. Lloyd-Jones goes on to say that we must view every situation in the light of the gospel – think of the effect of any proposed action on the cause of the gospel. We must “go out of our way to look for means and methods of making peace”. This might be in the home (between spouses, between parents and children), or at school or place of work (between colleagues and friends).
Examples of these beatitudes
As descriptions of the Christian’s character, all these beatitudes are exemplified by Christ. As Christians, we should strive to develop these characteristics and to be Christ-like.
Even as Jesus was being crucified, he asked his father to ‘forgive them, for the do not know what they are doing’ (Luke 23:34). He also illustrated the compassionate aspect of mercy when he told the story of the Good Samaritan – you recall that the Samaritan was ‘the one who had mercy’ on the man who had been robbed (Luke 10 30:37).
Peter described the purity of Jesus by quoting Isaiah ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ Peter goes on to say that Jesus did not retaliate or threaten his enemies (1 Peter 2:22-24). King David asked God to ‘Create in me a pure heart’ (Ps 51:10).
As Paul outlined in his letter to the Colossians (1:20), one of the primary accomplishments of Jesus was ‘to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.’
SUMMARY
As Christians and citizens of the kingdom of heaven, we must seek ways to be more like Jesus. These three characteristics of being merciful, having a pure heart, and being peacemakers, are fundamental qualities of Jesus. The blessings from having these qualities are that we will be shown mercy, we will see God and be in his presence, and we will share in the glorious inheritance of Jesus as brothers and sisters alongside him. What wonderful incentives to take every opportunity to develop these qualities in our lives with the essential help of the Holy Spirit.
Acknowledgements
All scripture references taken from the New International Version of the Bible.
Lloyd-Jones – Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones
Stott – The message of the Sermon on the Mount by John Stott
Christian Discipleship 