| | A little reminder from the previous beatitude- are you thirsting and hungering for righteousness of God? That is a stark contrast to the average man these days. And what a challenge it is for us too- to always be seeking to be right with God, for that is what ultimately satisfies our souls. Which leads us to our next beatitude, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." At once this thought strikes people: So if i treat others with mercy, i will be treated with mercy in return. Its like how ppl think if they forgive somebody then they will be forgiven by God. No, these two ideals do not reflect the meaning for which I think is what Jesus intended. These two statements emphasize on you being merciful & being forgiving, rather than doing those very acts. You see, the reason why this beatitude is put in this sequential order is because it follows the others before it. The man who is being described here sees himself brought down and empty of spirit, mournful in his sin and the world, meek in his ways yet ever hungry and thirsting for righteousness. Its until you realize what it means to repent and come to your senses, then you will be able to show mercy to others as a result of it. Not from the fact that you'll get paid back for what you do, but because it stems only from the love, grace and mercy of God. God showed us mercy, not because he 'overlooked' our disobedience or law breaking and lacked justice or truth. Its because he overflowed with love. He didn't just pity us either- he came right down to earth to do something about it. We as humans, were just sitting here rotting in our own sin destined for hell and God pitied us, but did not neglect us so extended his mercy upon us. That is mercy. To see others in a pitiable state and do something about it. The implication today is that we see people around us rooted in sin. You can not go through one day without witnessing or being part of it. But we who truly look to God, we truly weep inside ourselves as we see ppl and our very selves being controlled by sin. We hate it so much yet can we look at the other person with love and see that sin as a separate entity? If you can, then wouldn't you wanna rescue them from sin's bondage? To do so is to show mercy. So, do you think you are merciful? If so, then you know that you have truly understood God's grace and forgiveness.
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| | Posted 11/7/2008 7:26 PM - 17 Views - 2 eProps - 2 comments
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