The Upside-Down Kingdom – Part 6 – The Merciful

Our text this morning is Matthew 5:7
There was a line in my preparation this week that has stuck with me, as the Lord worked me through writing this sermon.
  • It came from a British pastor by the name of Marten Lloyd Jones. And I think it summarizes everything that we have been talking about and certainly everything that we are about to talk about today.
“A Christian IS something before he DOES something.”
So look down at your text with me to the first attribute that God works in us as we walk with him in regards to how we treat other people.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matt 5:7)
  • The first thing that Jesus talks about – that should describe how Christians – or how citizens of the kingdom of God should interact with people – is mercy.
Because citizens of God’s kingdom have received mercy, citizens of God’s kingdom become people who give mercy. 
So what does mercy actually mean as Jesus talks about it?
  • Well the word that Jesus uses here for mercy is Eleemon
  • it carries the idea of a COSTLY COMPASSION.
Meaning – mercy does not only see that someone is in need –
  • Mercy – moves toward it and does something about the need.
Ultimately, we see this in Jesus in our salvation.
there’s a couple stories that Jesus tells that shows us practically what mercy looks like – so if you would turn in your Bible to Luke 10 with me  we are going to look at verse 25-37.
“And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him [Jesus] to the test, saying, ‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘What is written in the Law? How do you read it?’ And the Lawyer answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’ And Jesus said to him, You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.’ But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’
Mercy Sees:
Look at the text in verse 30
Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.
Mercy sees the need. but it doesn’t just see
Mercy Moves:
He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’
  • We see here the man didn’t just pity the need – he helped the need. He drew close.
Jesus closes this story by saying to the lawyer.’Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?’ The lawyer said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘You go, and do likewise.'”
 Mercy Forgives:
It’s one thing to show mercy to a stranger who’s lying wounded on the side of the road.
  • It’s another thing to show mercy to the person who hurt you. And for this one I would love if you would turn back in your texts to Matthew 18 – we will start with verse 23 –
  • the context here – is Peter has just asked “Lord how many times do I have to forgive those who have hurt me? 7 times? then can I cut them off?
  • and Jesus responds very famously with not 7 but 70 times 7.
    • then he tells a story
 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.”
  • Then the text says this – “But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt.”

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