Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.                                                                Matthew 5:7  We have already mentioned that this declaration from Jesus demonstrates a major biblical principle, namely that God’s response to us largely depends on our response to others. This is the reciprocal effect of being Christ-like. As we show mercy…

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.                                                                Matthew 5:7  Today’s declaration is one that demonstrates the reciprocal effect of being Christ-like. We are blessed when we find ourselves being people of mercy, and in turn, we find that same mercy applied to our lives. We live in a…

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.                                                                                                          Matthew 5:6  For those who hunger and thirst for the things of God, the reality is that they will be satisfied. It makes no difference what we substitute for God, anything in this…

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.                                                                                                          Matthew 5:6  Jesus’ fourth declaration involves desire. In this case a desire expressed by hunger and thirst. Our physical bodies require that we eat and drink regularly to provide fuel for our continuing…

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.                                                              Matthew 5:5 It is easy for us to understand the concept of being gentle, but what does it mean when Jesus says that the gentle will “inherit the earth?” I believe that if we understand the biblical description of what heaven and…

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.                                                              Matthew 5:5  Today’s declaration tells us that happy are those who are gentle. I prefer this translation as some of the older versions of scripture translate gentle as meek. There is nothing wrong with this word however I consider it one of…

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.                                                                        Matthew 5:4  We have already covered the reality that the happiness being declared in each of Jesus’ statements does not come from the spiritual condition being described rather it comes from the tangible reality that follows. For example, we are not…

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.                                                                        Matthew 5:4  It is quite common to hear this passage being used at a funeral. Although it is true that God can comfort those who are mourning the loss of a loved one that is not the context in which this…

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.                                                                                Matthew 5:3  We have already examined why every person should seriously consider being poor in spirit. In light of God’s glory, we are all in spiritual need of something that is beyond ourselves, namely redemption. This redemption…

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.                                                                                Matthew 5:3  We can understand the concept of being poor. To be poor is to be lacking. However, today’s passage is not dealing with being materially needy rather this statement deals with those who are poor in…