Merciful Receive Mercy Icon Copyright © Like The Master Ministries. All Rights Reserved.
John

The Merciful Receive Mercy

/in , , /by

Merciful Receive Mercy

Hannah, one of Elkanah’s two wives, was weeping bitterly and in great distress. The other wife, Pheninnah, was her rival and provoked and irritated Hannah bitterly (1 Samuel 1:2-6) because Hannah could not have any children. This happened year after year, each time they went to the house of the Lord. One year as Hannah was pouring her heart out in prayer, she promised God that if He would give her a son, she would dedicate her son to Him all the days of his life and a razor would not touch his head. God was merciful to Hannah and gave her a son (1 Samuel 1:19-20). His name was Samuel. He would eventually become a judge, priest, and prophet. After her years of suffering, years of weeping and anguish, God covered over the emotional scars with tears of joy. Our God is a merciful God. Jesus’ fifth beatitude teaches us another quality of true Christians when He said,

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Matthew 5:7 (NASB)

The Merciful Receive Mercy

Have you ever experienced a failure at school, at home or at work? I have, and on many occasions I would worry about what might happen to me. When I fail “big time” I find myself asking God for mercy. In this beatitude, Jesus said that I will receive mercy if I show mercy. Mercy is something that most of us want to receive. So what kind of mercy does Jesus say will be reflected in a Christian’s life?

The Greek words that Jesus used for merciful and mercy are eleemon and eleos. Eleemon is an adjective and eleos is a verb. These two words occur 29 times in the New Testament. They have essentially the same meaning. A simple meaning for these words is “to have compassion.” But the actual meaning is richer and deeper. They sometimes have the idea of showing favor to another or to have compassion plus a degree of being sorry for another person. To show mercy was like giving a gift to someone. It was sympathy for another’s misery. The Stoics considered mercy a sickness of the soul – it was unworthy for a sage. A sage should not show mercy.

The best meaning of these words is “a feeling experienced by one who is moved by the sight of another’s suffering and in a way shares in their suffering.” Everyone needs mercy at sometime in their life. If not in our younger years, then when we approach death.

Examples of Mercy

The Holy Spirit has given us many illustrations of mercy in the New Testament. In the gospel of Matthew, eleemon and eleos occur only 11 times. Two of these times Jesus tells us,

I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE. Matthew 9:13 and Matthew 12:7 (NASB)

Most of the time we find men and women pleading with Jesus for mercy. For example, Matthew 9:27 records,

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, and saying, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” And . . . the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He touched their eyes . . . Matthew 9:27-29 (NASB)

Here Jesus responded to the cry of these two blind men. They asked for mercy, eleos, and Jesus gave them sight.

The next time eleos occurs is in Matthew 15:22. We are told,

And behold, a Canaanite woman came out from that region, and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.” Matthew 15:22 (NASB)

Eleos occurs again in,

Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic, and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire, and often into the water. Matthew 17:15 (NASB)

And again,

And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”  Matt 20:30-31 (NASB)

The New Testament never tells us that bankers, politicians, doctors or the religious leaders asked Jesus for mercy. They did not think they had needs. Those who asked for mercy were those who could not help themselves: four blind men, a demon possessed daughter and a lunatic son. Yet, Jesus showed mercy to others as well: to an adulterous woman, a woman at a well, to lepers and to a Roman soldier whose ear was cut off. God often shows mercy to those who suffer.

Examples of God’s Mercy

Luke 1:50 says that God shows mercy to those who “are fearing Him.” There are some people in this world who do not really care if there is a God until they are in real trouble and then they reach out to God for mercy. God’s major act of mercy is forgiving the sins of spiritually blind men and women.

None of us can help ourselves in this life! We are born spiritually blind and there is nothing that we can do to please God. Romans 3:11-12 says that no one seeks for God and no one can do anything to please God. We are all going to hell (John 3:18-20). Titus 3:5 tells us that God saves us not because of any good deeds we do, but because He is merciful. You see we cannot help ourselves, yet He chooses to show Christians mercy. There is nothing here for which Christians can boast. This is God’s big act of mercy.

For Christians, God continues to show us mercy at times of great personal need but not usually when we want it. Why? Hebrews 4:16 explains. It tells us to draw near to God so,

. . . that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (NASB)

Did you notice that we are told Christ “helps” in “time of need?” The Greek word used for “help” occurs only two times in the New Testament – here in Hebrews 4:16 and in Acts 27:17. Acts 27:17 gives us the best sense of its meaning. You will not see the English word “help” in the verse because the word is translated as “cables,” or “ropes.” “Ropes” were used to keep a boat from breaking apart in the terrible storm. The boat in Acts 27:17 was in danger of sinking, so the sailors took the boat into a port and lashed it with cables. When we apply the meaning of this word to Hebrews 4:16, it helps us understand that when God helps us, He wraps us with ropes to help us go through a problem. He does not take necessarily us out of our problem but helps to bring us through it.

The English phrase “in time of need” is translated from the Greek word eukairia. This is another very unusual Greek word and it only occurs here in Hebrews 4:16 and one other place, Mark 6:21. In Mark 6:21, King Herod held a birthday party. We are told this occurred on a “strategic” day. We could say at the opportune time.

You may ask, “What kind of help does Jesus offer?” The answer is that He hurries to help us through our difficult times at just the strategic or the right time. He does not necessarily help us at the time we want. He may leave you blind for awhile. He may leave you in pain for awhile. He may let you suffer. He may allow your marriage to struggle or leave you childless, like Hannah, for a while. He does this because He wants us to grow spiritually (James 1:2-8). But at the right time – at the best time – He will heal your eyes, relieve your pain or heal your marriage. God is in the business of healing broken hearts. We do not deserve what we receive from Him. He is merciful.

Now It Is Your Turn

Are you merciful? Is there someone in your life who is suffering and needs help? Someone who cannot help him or herself? If you know of someone, you can show them mercy.

Did you know that God even wants you to show mercy to your animals? Proverbs 12:10 says,

A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal,
But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel. Proverbs 12:10 (NASB)

God says the wicked are cruel but not the righteous. God cares about how we treat our animals.

Mercy for the poor is another passion of God. Prov. 14:21, 31 says,

He who despises his neighbor sins,
But happy is he who is gracious to the poor.
Proverbs 14:21 (NASB)

He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker,
But he who is gracious to the needy honors Him. Proverbs 14:31 (NASB)

When you see a poor person on the street, at a store or near your home, how do you respond to him/her? God cares more for the poor than many Christians do. As a Christian, you have one of two choices: to show mercy or not to show mercy. If you always have a reason for not showing mercy, then James 2:13 has a message for you,

For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13 (NASB)

Summary

We have seen in our previous studies that the beatitudes describe a true Christian. This beatitude also describes a true Christian. Believers are merciful. Are you merciful?

John

The Hungry And Thirsty

/in , , /by

My shaking bed awakened me at 4:31 AM. The whole house was shaking. I was afraid. It was dark. I heard the noise of things crashing to the floor and my children calling out. My wife was now awake. Our bed was rocking back and forth. I reached to turn on the light by my bed. It blinked on and immediately went out. I told my children to go back to bed and stay there because we were in the middle of what became known as the Northridge Earthquake, near Los Angeles California. It was 17 January 1994. Thousands of people were concerned for their life. Water pipes were damaged and thousands had no water and those who did were cautioned not to drink it. The electricity was off and most could not cook. Food was spoiling because the refrigerators did not operate. The food markets were closed because floors were buried with food products and broken glass. Safety, hunger and thirst had new meaning to the earthquake victims. . .

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Matthew 5:6 (NASB)

The Paradox

Fear of danger, hunger and thirst were emotions Jesus’ audience knew well. So Jesus’ words, “Happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness . . .” had real meaning to his Jewish listeners for they understood poverty and they understood Roman brutality. History tells us that Herod the Great had reduced the vast majority of the Jewish population of Jesus’ time to poverty level. It was common for groups of Jews to share their food, water and money to help others live. Most of the city was on charity or relief. It was mainly the poor who had an open heart to Jesus’ message, for Luke 1:53 says,

He has filled the hungry with good things but . . . sent the rich away empty. Luke 1:53 (NIV)

What a lesson for us – Jesus loved the poor. Most of the Jews listening to Jesus on that hillside understood hunger and thirst. They knew real poverty – the kind where you are hungry and thirsty for a long, long time, the kind that makes you want to steal. Looking through Jesus’ heart, Matthew 9:36, helps us to understand that these people were poor and oppressed,

And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36 (NASB)

So Jesus used two Greek words they understood well. Two words that described intense hunger (peinao) and thirst (dispaso). Peinao spoke of a passionate longing for food and it referred to long drawn out hunger. Dispaso referred to thirst and sometimes painful thirst. Jesus went further and gave these two words the idea of non-stop hunger and thirst. Jesus is describing poverty – a strong, deep longing, never ending desire for food and water. Now Jesus was ready to meet their real need . . .

Seeking Satisfaction

My wife and I once rented a house owned by a man whose son knew a wealthy Christian whom we will call Leo. One day as I talked with the son, he said he was disappointed in Christianity. He explained that God had not made him wealthy like Leo after he became a Christian. He said he became a Christian in the hope of becoming rich! He was pursuing his own comfort or satisfaction.

Some of us may chuckle inside at this real life event, but the Bible says we are just like him. All of us are laboring to meet needs and especially desires,

All a man’s labor is for his mouth and yet the appetite is not satisfied. Ecclesiastes 6:7 (NKJV)

Scripture reminds us that many of us are not satisfied with just food. Money has become an all important pursuit.

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money . . . Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NKJV)

For others, work has become our god – our reason for living. We hunger and thirst for work. Listen to Ecclesiastes 4:8,

There was a certain man without . . . a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure? Ecclesiastes 4:8 (NASB)

Wine and physical pleasures (Ecclesiastes 2:1-3; 18), whether heterosexual or homosexual, have become a pursuit after satisfaction for others. Some of us seek satisfaction in personal honor, status, recognition and praise.

Empty Christians

You see, we are like the poor who were listening to Jesus. We are all seeking something because we are not really satisfied. If we search our hearts, we will find an answer to the question, “What do I really want?” What are you seeking? In this beatitude, Jesus offers satisfaction. He is offering to meet YOUR real need . . .

Is it not interesting that Jesus promised Christians peace (John 14:27) and joy (John 15:11 and 17:13)? When Jesus spoke to the woman at the well in John 4:13-14, He offered her living water,

Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life. John 4:13-14 (NASB)

Then some days later Jesus told some of the Jews,

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37 (NASB)

While Jesus was referring to the Holy Spirit as the “rivers of living water” (John 7:39), Jesus says the rivers of living water will flow out of believers. We need to ask ourselves, “What kind of living water flow am I experiencing in my life?” If you are a Christian, you will at least have living water dripping from your faucet but “Do you have a flood of living water gushing out from the inside?”

What Are You Hungry and Thirsty For?

Conclusion

If you are not satisfied in your Christian life, maybe you have reworded Jesus’ beatitude to read something like this, “Happy are those constantly, continually hungering and thirsting after satisfaction, for they shall be satisfied.” Jesus did say, “Happy are those who pursue satisfaction.” Is your house shaking? Have your lights gone out and are you in constant need of food and water? Are you busy seeking food and water – seeking the basics and the wants of this world? Do you find the cycle endlessly repeating over again and again? We need to stop chasing satisfaction because Jesus said,

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. Matthew 6:33 (NASB)

Satisfaction comes in pursuing righteousness. If you are not a Christian you need to start by asking God for living water. If you are a Christian, Jesus says satisfaction comes when you fix all of your heart on being as holy as Jesus. He wants you to be “constantly, continually hungering and thirsting – craving – longing like a poor man or woman to be holy as He is.

YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY. 1 Peter 1:16 (NASB)

 

Comments or Questions?

John

Happy Are The Gentle

/in , , /by

George W. Bush, senior, campaigned for president of the United States on the slogan of a kinder and gentler society. It sounded like a theme from the Sermon on the Mount. He lost. He lost because few really identified with the slogan and what he stood for. To be kind and gentle sounds like a wonderful trait that many would like to experience from others. Yet, American businesses spend millions of dollars every year training their employees to be kinder and gentler towards others for the sake of productivity, but it is not a characteristic many really want to possess. Jesus’ words seem nice, but most respond, “So what!”

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.  Matthew 5:5 (NASB)

Not Jesus’ Idea

I wonder how the people reacted when Jesus spoke the third beatitude (Matthew 5:5). I wonder if they thought, “This is desirable behavior for others; maybe I should act that way.” I wonder if anyone thought Jesus was a nice, loving and considerate guy who had a wonderful heart for others. I wonder what they thought?

Maybe they wanted to think Jesus did not mean what he was saying. Some may say it means, “Blessed are the meek . . .” because that is how my Bible reads. That is closer to the meaning. It can be difficult to translate from one language into another. A common misunderstanding is that gentle means humble, but that is not completely accurate either. His audience had the advantage on us since they understood the Greek word (praus) Jesus used for “gentle.”

Gentle Does Not Mean

Let us look at what this word does NOT mean before we decide what it means. There are four stops in scripture we could make with our “horse and carriage,” but we will only stop three times. The first stop is Colossians 3:12,

. . . put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (NASB)

The word “gentleness” is the same word that Jesus used, but notice all of the other words – “compassion,” “kindness,” “humility” and “patience.” What does that suggest about the meaning of the word gentle? It implies that gentle does not mean compassion nor does it mean kindness or any of the other words. Next, we will rein in our horse at Matthew 11:29,

Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart. (NASB)

Now praus is translated as “gentle.” It is different from the Greek word normally used for “humble.” Now we will move on to Titus 3:1-2,

Remind them to be subject to rulers . . . to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men. (NIV)

Notice that praus is not good manners. I often think of gentleness as involving compassion and as a result having good manners and grace toward others. But gentle does not mean compassion, kind, humble, or good manners.

The Gentle

Praus was sometimes used by the ancients to refer to a “fever being lessened.” History says that Xerxes “calmed” his troops. It was used to refer to leniency for the guilty, a soft voice, to be easygoing, not easily offended and considerate. The best sense of praus is illustrated by a “trained dog” or a tame lion that was once wild. The word has the idea of yielding like a domesticated animal and caring for others.” This third beatitude could read, “Happy are those who lovingly defer or yield to others.” Is that you? Most of us want others to lovingly defer to us – not the reverse.

Inside & Outside

Praus is not passive and weak – it is choice. Jesus was tough when He needed to be. Yet, in Matthew 11:29 we hear that Jesus was gentle! The Jewish people were religiously oppressed by their leaders. So He encourages them to take His yoke because He is warm, caring, giving and deferring. He was meek. He eventually stooped down for us when He died. He was humble on the inside and lovingly deferring on the outside. He was strong on the inside and yielding on the outside. Jesus was meek.

Picture Jesus riding on an animal that we do not highly regard as valuable – even today,

Now this took place that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, “BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.” Matthew 21:4-5 (NASB)

The Talmud quotes King Sapores, commenting on this prophecy from Zechariah 9:9, as saying, “You say your Messiah will come on an ass, I will send him a brave horse.” Jesus did not come on a “brave horse” but on a poor animal of low regard. Jesus could have come on a “brave horse” to impress, to seek His own glory, to obtain their submission or to receive their adoration. But he did NOT. Gentle does not have an “I” problem.

Can I ask you a question? How do you present yourself to others? Do you want a “brave horse” or is a donkey okay? Numbers 12:3 says that Moses was a very meek man, more than anyone on the earth. Dear Christian, you cannot be truly meek unless the Holy Spirit is changing you on the inside. Gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit according to Galatians 5:22-23. Oh, Holy Spirit, make us meek . . . make us gentle!

Summary of Poor, Mourn and Gentle

 

Inherit The Earth

What a paradox, those who lovingly defer to others will someday inherit the earth. Jesus’ listeners did not inherit the earth, and Christians have not owned the earth over the last 2,000 years; but some day we will reign with Jesus for a 1,000 years (2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 20:6). He will come back and establish His earthly kingdom. The gentle will “inherit the earth” someday – because they are joint heirs with Christ,

And if children, then heirs-heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ . . . that we may also be glorified together. Romans 8:17 (NKJV)

Conclusion

Some years ago I had a dog named Prince. He was my friend, and I trained him to sit, lick my face on command, roll over, beg, shake his paw, stay and heel. We also had a black cat, Cinder, who was not very friendly towards me, yet one day as I was watching Prince lying on the grass in our backyard with his legs outstretched, I saw the cat come to him and lie down between his outstretched legs. They went to sleep. On another day I saw them eating together out of the same food bowl. I was amazed. Prince did not have an “I” problem. He was a loving, yielding friend to everyone.

Can I ask you . . . are you tame? “Do you have an “I” problem? When Jesus gives you a command, do you warmly defer and obey this Friend? Would you willingly, lovingly share your possessions, food and honor in favor for others just as Prince did for his used-to-be enemy, Cinder? You see, one who knows he/she is a spiritual beggar and mourns his/her sinful condition no longer seeks his/her own, but lovingly yields to love others.

Blessed are the gentle . . .

 

Comments or Questions?

NeverThirstyCopyright © Like The Master Ministries. All Rights Reserved.
John

Happy Are Those Who Mourn

/in , , /by

Two years ago just before Christmas, my father died of Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was diagnosed one year before his death with a most aggressive form of the disease, Bulbar syndrome. His first symptom was difficulty in speaking. As the disease progressed, he had difficulty swallowing and eating and eventually he lost the ability to speak or eat. In the summer of 1998, he started “eating” through a tube in his stomach and the disease began to paralyze his lungs. It was a slow death and he went home to be with God just before Christmas. We rejoiced and mourned. We rejoiced because he had the best Christmas of the entire family. We mourned because we lost a loved one.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4 (NASB)

Pain of Death

There is nothing new about death. Jesus lost (temporarily) a loved one. His name was Lazarus. Scripture tells us that “Jesus wept” (John 11:35, KJV). The Jews who were present reacted and said, “Behold how He loved him” (John 11:36, KJV)! Jesus mourned. This is the sense of the word, mourn, that Jesus used in His beatitude. This Greek word for mourn, pentho, is the strongest word that Jesus could have used for deep emotional grief, sorrow and mourning. Jesus’ message must have been a surprise, “Happy are those who are utterly consumed with grief for they shall be comforted.” “Happy are the sad!”

Happy Are The Sad?

But what does Jesus mean by this? He is not referring to the future fulfillment promised in Isaiah 61:1-3.[1] 2 Corinthians 7:10 is the key to understanding Jesus’ beatitude,

For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NASB)

The Holy Spirit tells us there is a sorrow that is of this world and then there is a godly sorrow. Throughout our life there have been or will be times that we mourn or sorrow over negative events that take place unless we are hard hearted – and there are some people who are like that.

Our Response To Trials

Not This Mourning

We can mourn, grieve, or sorrow over a wide variety of negative circumstances. Some biblical examples are presented in the table.

Most of us have experienced mourning, grief, or sorrow in one of these forms at sometime in our life. These are sorrows associated with things in this life. If left unchecked, these sorrows will lead to anger, bitterness, hatred, and the worst – death. This is a picture of us. These are sorrows that lead to death.
But Jesus is not talking about mourning over negative events in our life. Jesus is talking about godly mourning over sin. Our mourning started when we realized that we were enemies against God (Romans 5:10) because of our sin. Then we believed in the only One who could forgive our sins (Acts 4:12) and we were at peace with God and there was comfort (Romans 5:1).

But the word Jesus uses for mourning implies much more. It is a verb which is a present active participle. This implies repeated action or an ongoing condition. What Jesus is saying is that the ones who always mourn when they sin are those who will be comforted (Greek word means “to encourage”). Jesus is talking about an ongoing pattern of life. He is speaking to His disciples. You see, our mourning brought us to Jesus, but our mourning should not stop after we find Him. Jesus is characterizing His true disciples. This is the heart of the beatitude. Jesus’ true disciples will when they sin always mourn or grieve that they have sinned.

Conclusion

Newsweek said it well in an article published some years ago, that American churches have stopped telling congregants they are sinners because it makes them feel worse about themselves. But that is Jesus’ point! Some Christians are like the Pharisees who did not see themselves as sinners. Many Christians have a defective view of their sin. They talk about love, doctrine, church, God, family and their children, but they do not talk about their sin. Have you ever noticed how we pray? We ask others to pray that we are healed from our illnesses because our physical health is very important to us. May I ask when was the last time you asked someone to pray for you for victory over some sin with which you struggle? Have you ever noticed that good health seems to be more important to us than holy living? Few of us ever ask others to pray that we find victory over our sin. We seem to have a congenial view of God – a view that says He completely “accepts me the way I am.” Christians have forgotten that God still hates our sin, even if we are Christians! Do you mourn over your unconfessed sin or just over your physical illnesses?

You see, Jesus’ true disciples constantly sense their unholiness – they constantly mourn over their sin like Paul the apostle (Romans 7:24-25). We need to see ourselves as Christians who still have a spiritual Lou Gehrig’s disease. We are terminally ill people who are going to heaven. But while we are visiting this earth, we need to see ourselves as we really are – forgiven sinners who should be seeking to be holy. Are you like the Pharisees – happy with your relationship with God and your sin? We need to put our personal holiness above our physical health. We need to be constantly coming to Jesus. Come and admit that you have a spiritual Lou Gehrig’s disease – sin.

The Holy Spirit says, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NASB)

It is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” 1 Peter 1:16 (NASB)

 

Reference:

1. Some believe that Isaiah 61:1-3 refers to Jesus’ second beatitude since the l.later part of verse 2 refers to “comforting those who mourn.” It is clear the passage refers to Jesus first coming. You may ask, “How do you know that?” Well, look at the following passage,

Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.’ Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing (NJKV).’ Luke 4:14-21

Notice that Jesus stopped at “to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” The portion of the passage that refers to “comfort all who mourn” follows. Jesus indicated that the “day of vengeance of our God” and what followed was yet future. Isaiah 61:2b-3 cannot be used to interpret Matthew 5:4.

John

Blessed Are The Mourners

/in , /by

The Sermon on the Mount starts with the ten Beatitudes. The beatitudes describe the maturing, spiritual life of those who really follow Jesus. Yet, it is the Holy Spirit working in a Christian who causes the characteristics of the beatitudes to evolve and become a reality in the Christian’s life. The first beatitude that Jesus spoke was, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” In our last study we discovered that the Greek word which is translated as “poor” referred to a beggar or someone who literally had nothing at all. The word described a man called Lazarus who was happy just to be able to eat crumbs from the table of a rich man. He had absolutely nothing. But Jesus used the word in a spiritual sense to tell us that His followers must come to Him as spiritual beggars. We must realize that we are spiritual beggars. We have nothing! We must come to God with eagerness to receive whatever He is willing to give us in a spiritual sense. We must come begging! Jesus started His sermon with a strong statement. If you want to enter the kingdom of God, then you must come as a spiritual beggar. Only spiritual beggars enter the kingdom of God.

Second Beatitude

Jesus’ second beatitude was,

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4 (NASB)

Immediately after reading the words, it is obvious to us that Jesus did not literally mean that mourners are happy people. It is also obvious that almost everyone stops mourning and grieving after awhile. Jesus was not referring to the obvious such as mourning over the death of a loved one.

Just before Christmas of 1998, my father died of Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was diagnosed one year before his death with a most aggressive form of the disease, Bulbar ALS. His first symptom was difficulty in speaking. As the disease progressed, he had difficulty swallowing and eating. Eventually he lost the ability to speak or eat. In the summer of 1998, he started “eating” through a tube in his stomach, and eventually the disease began to paralyze his lungs. The things that he suffered were painful and at times embarrassing for him. It was a slow death. Finally, he went home to be with God just before Christmas. We rejoiced and mourned. We rejoiced because he had the best Christmas of the entire family. We mourned because we lost a loved one. But eventually our mourning ceased.

Chronology4 - Sermon On The Mount

What Jesus Did Not Mean

Mourning eventually stops in most cases, and those who continue to mourn have other issues to deal with in their lives. Jesus was not talking about someone who is always unhappy and upset with life. He was not referring to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one. Mark 16:10 tells us the disciples mourned and wept over Jesus’ death. Jesus mourned the death of Lazarus (John 11:35), and King David grieved the death of Absalom (2 Samuel 18:19-19:4).

Jesus was not talking about mourning over financial loss such as that which will occur in the future when God destroys the economic structure of the world (Revelation 18:11-17). Jesus was not talking about mourning over suffering which occurs because we did wrong (1 Peter 3:17). He was not referring to mourning that might occur because our sinful desires are frustrated. The scriptures tell us that Ammon mourned because he wanted to commit incest with his sister (2 Samuel 13:2), and Ahab grieved his loss of an inheritance (1 Kings 21:4). Jesus was not talking about mourning or grief in the ministry (Acts 20:31) or because God has been dishonored (Psalm 139:21). Nor was Jesus referring to the mourning that will occur around the world when God judges the world for rejecting Him (Revelation 16:10-21).

Meaning Of Mourn

Jesus was not talking about any physical cares, wants, passions, lusts, greed, or longings. He was talking about spiritual mourning. Jesus spoke of a mourning that does not go away until a person believes that Jesus is God who died on a cross in order to forgive their sins, was resurrected and then asks God to forgive their sins.

The Greek word that Jesus used for mourn in the second beatitude is pantheo.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4 (NASB)

It is the strongest word that Jesus could have used for deep inner emotional grief, sorrow, and mourning. It is a mourning that consumes the person. Pantheo is a verb and is a present active participle. This means that Jesus was referring to repeated action or an ongoing condition of mourning. He was referring to the person who is constantly mourning.

2 Corinthians 7:10 tells us that there are two types of sorrow or mourning.

For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 (NASB)

The Holy Spirit tells us there is a sorrow that is of this world and then there is a godly sorrow. The second type we have already described. It is a mourning over the denial of our physical cares, wants, passions, lusts, greed, or longings. Throughout our life there have been and will be times when we mourn or sorrow over negative events in our life unless we are hard hearted. There are some people who are like that. But this first type of mourning is not the type Jesus described – one that continues and never stops.

When Jesus described a person who was constantly mourning and mourning, He was referring to the first type of sorrow referred to in 2 Corinthians 7:10. He was referring to a person who is mourning his or her sin. It is these individuals who will be comforted. The Greek word means “to encourage.” Jesus was talking about an ongoing pattern of life. All true followers of Jesus came to Him because they were mourning their sin, and our mourning should not stop after we find Him.

Those who are poor in spirit will be mourning their sin. It is not possible to be mourning our sin unless we believe that we are spiritual beggars. These two beatitudes characterize the true followers of Jesus. This is the heart of the beatitude. True followers never stop mourning over sin.

Those who are poor in spirit will be mouurning their sin.

 

Our Present Condition

Billy Graham makes this observation,

The present age is definitely not an age of mourning. Instead, people deliberately turn away from anything unpleasant, determined to fill their lives with those things which will divert their minds from anything serious. In their preoccupation with momentary pleasures and diversions, people settle for shallow and empty substitutes for reality. Millions give more thought to what programs they will watch tonight on TNT, [DVD,] or what videotape they will rent for the weekend than they do to the things of eternity.[1]

And he is correct. But Jesus was not talking about our culture but about the man or woman who is concerned about eternity.

Today, many folks do not want to hear that they are sinners and need to have their sins forgiven. A few years ago Newsweek wrote the following,

The notion of self esteem may put off anyone old enough to remember when “Christian” as an adjective was often followed by “humility.” But American churches, which once did not shrink from calling their congregants wretches, have moved to a more congenial view of human nature . . . Chastising sinners is [now] considered counterproductive: it makes them feel worse about themselves.”[2]

But in the second beatitude Jesus told His audience that unless they saw themselves as spiritual beggars, they could not see the kingdom of God; and those who were mourning their sin would be encouraged.

Conclusion

Anyone who sees himself/herself as a spiritual beggar and who is mourning his or her sin can be comforted by God and only by God. We are first comforted when we believe in Jesus since we know that He forgives our sins,

Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins. Acts 10:43 (NASB)

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men . . . looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed . . . Titus 2:11-14 (NASB)

Jesus forgives all of our sins, not just a few or only the old ones. He forgives all of them – even the present and future sins.

For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying . . . “AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.” Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. Hebrews 10:14-18 (NASB)

He comforts us by assuring us that He has forgiven all of our sins. He forgives all of our past, present, and future sins.

Those are words of encouragement, words of comfort to anyone who is a spiritual beggar – to one who is mourning one’s sins. This is true of every follower of Jesus.

But every Christian still has a spiritual Lou Gehrig’s disease. Those who believe in Jesus were once terminally ill people or sinners who were going to eternal judgment but are now going to heaven. When we die we shed this body of sin and we will be given a new holy, heavenly body. Praise God. But while we are visiting this earth, we need to see ourselves as we really are – forgiven sinners who should be seeking to be holy. We need to come and admit that we still have a spiritual Lou Gehrig’s disease – SIN.

Every follower of Jesus will continue to sense their unholiness – they will continue to constantly mourn their sin just as Paul the apostle.

For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me . . . Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Romans 7:19-20, 24 (NASB)

Even though Paul’s sins were forgiven by God, he was still a spiritual beggar who continued to mourn his sins. As we admit our sins to God, we are comforted knowing that they have already been forgiven.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NASB)

We do not need to beg for forgiveness or see a priest. We need only to admit our sins and they are forgiven. Now that is comforting.

. . . and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. Hebrews 10:17 (NASB)

 

References:

1.  Billy Graham. The Secret of Happiness. Word Publishing. 1955
2. Dan Burrell, Montana News Association.

 

 

Comments or Questions?

Sign-up to be notified about future studies?

NeverThirstyCopyright © Like The Master Ministries. All Rights Reserved.
John

Happy Are The Poor

/in , , , /by

Lazarus and the Rich Man

The first recorded words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount are,

 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 (NASB)

This is a strange statement because it is paradoxical. The surprising word He used was “blessed.” The Greek word for “blessed” is makarios. It has the sense of being happy or satisfied. So Jesus’ words could be restated as “Happy are the poor in spirit.” I do not know about you, but this is not my normal idea of happiness. The ancients had their own concept of happiness and it is not very different from our own view.

When the Ancients Were Happy

Homer said a man is makarios when he has wealth, a good wife, and children. Others in the ancient world said one is makarioss when they have power, fame, a life of pleasure, or joy without suffering. In other words, they were happy when they had constant, nonstop satisfaction. Aristotle believed a person who is virtuous is makarios. I have discovered that I can have a sense of being happy when I am with people who respect me, when I am busy accomplishing my goals, or when I am being entertained. If we are honest with ourselves, we are always pursuing happiness. But Jesus said we are really satisfied when we are “poor in spirit.” So, what does He mean?

Poor in Spirit

Of the two Greek words for poor, ptochos and penas, that Jesus could have used, He used ptochos. This word, ptochos, means more than just being poor. To give you a sense of the rich meaning of the word, read Luke 16:19-25. The passage tells us there was a poor man named Lazarus. He was so poor that he was diseased and also longed for crumbs that fell to the floor from the rich man’s table. Here are verses 19-21.

Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. Luke 16:19-21 (NASB)

These crumbs were not loaves or slices of bread. He was just hoping for crumbs. Now that is poor. He had absolutely nothing. The Greek word for “poor” in this description of Lazarus is ptochos. This helps us understand the correct meaning of ptochos is “beggar.”

The second word for poor, the word Jesus did not use, refers to a person who at least has something. In our culture, a penas person would have a place to live, a home, but ptochos implies one who is living in the streets. Where are you living? Do you see what Jesus is saying? He is saying that beggars in spirit are really happy. Real happiness is being a spiritual beggar. Do you see yourself as having nothing, spiritually speaking? When we honestly believe we are spiritually poor, we will come begging to God for help – for His crumbs. That helps us understand the meaning of “poor in spirit.”

How Beggars Become Happy

That afternoon on the hillside, Jesus was talking to many people. Some were spiritual beggars and others were not. People are not spiritual beggars when they speak against God and ask why He did this or did that. People are not beggars when they seek honor. That is not Jesus’ idea of a ptochos. A street beggar knows that he has nothing and rejoices in whatever he receives. A spiritual street beggar knows he sins and displeases God. A spiritual beggar comes to God to receive a spiritual handout.

Did you know that God is giving away valuable treasures at no cost? He offers free forgiveness for your sins. He will give you the kingdom of God if you believe in Jesus. When you truly believe, you become a disciple or follower of Jesus. Happiness is dependence on God for everything in your life. Happiness is being a spiritual beggar—a ptochos.

A spiritual beggar knows that he or she has nothing to offer to God. So, a spiritual beggar looks for His forgiveness for his sins. If you are like the beggar, Jesus can take you “off the streets” and bring you into His mansion (John 14:2), which is called the kingdom of heaven.

How Disciples Stay Happy

As His disciples, we are no longer living in the streets of sin because God has declared every individual Christian to be justified or legally forgiven of all sins (Romans 5:1). Yet, we often feel empty or sad. Why? We forget that we are still dependent on Jesus and we still need to daily when we sin confess our sin in order to restore our relationship with God. 1 John 1:9 tells us how to restore the relationship.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NASB)

Various passages in the Bible teach that even as believers we are still needy. We are still spiritual beggars. We are forgiven spiritual beggars. We came to Christ begging to be forgiven, but we are still spiritual beggars in need. For example, the Bible tells us that we should always live in submission to God’s will (James 4:13-17). We are also told to not be anxious for anything. The verse says,

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6 (NASB)

Here are some other related passages. Matthew 6:31-32 reminds us that we need for God to meet our needs.

Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. Matthew 6:31-32 (NASB)

As result, Hebrews 13:15 says we should be thankful.

Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15 (NASB)

Conclusion

Jesus offers help to His disciples. But self-sufficient people do not constantly admit or confess their sins because they do not sense they have needs. If you claim to be a believer, are you still a beggar in spirit? Remember only spiritual beggars are happy. We came to Christ as a spiritual beggar. Then we became a forgiven spiritual beggar. The difference now is our Lord has promised to meet our every need.

John

Introduction to The Sermon on the Mount

/in , , , /by

The Sermon on the Mount (SOM) is the most quoted section of the Bible, next to the Ten Commandments. It contains the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12), the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-15) and one of the most misunderstood portions of scripture (Matthew 7:1-6). In the sermon, Jesus frankly comments about divorce and remarriage, his solution for anger and anxiety and the true characteristics of his followers, characteristics which are almost universally rejected today. Most people like the Sermon on the Mount because they do not really know what it says. This is Jesus’ first major message in the gospel of Matthew (Matthew 5:1-7:29). It is the first of a series of five sermons related to discipleship. This sermon is also recorded in the gospel of Luke (Luke 6:17-49). Between the two records, Matthew contains more of the sermon. Consequently, this series will concentrate on Matthew’s record of the Sermon on the Mount.

Sermon on the Mount

Background

The gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as the king of the kingdom of Heaven. It shows the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah, the Christ, are fulfilled in Jesus. The first two chapters of Matthew reveal Jesus’ ancestors, his parents, his birth, and his return from Egypt to Nazareth (Matthew 2:22-23). Matthew skips Jesus’ childhood, which is recorded in Luke (Luke 2:41-52). Both Matthew and Luke tell us that Jesus started His ministry after His baptism by John the Baptist (Luke 3:21-23), and began preaching “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 4:17).” Matthew summarizes the calling of Jesus’ disciples, the twelve apostles, and Jesus’ awesome healing ministry (Matthew 4:18-25).

Setting

In preparation for Jesus’ sermon the next day, He went up on a mountain apparently to get away from the crowds – to be by Himself – so that He could pray to the Father (Luke 6:12). Just imagine what would happen if more pastors and teachers spent the night – well – at least two hours praying before they preached or taught – just like Jesus . . .

In the morning, Jesus came down the mountain (Matthew 5:1; Luke 6:17) and He met a great crowd of His disciples and a great many people. The crowd tried to touch Him and many succeeded. Those who did touch Him were healed instantly because power was flowing from Him (Luke 6:19). Today, we could ask, why are you reading this? To be healed? To see Jesus? To hear Jesus? The crowds came too. They came to hear Jesus. Jesus desires seekers, those who truly long to know Him more and more.

Matthew and Luke both tell us that Jesus descended the mountain and stood on a plateau of the mountainside. Apparently, the people sat on the mountainside so they could look down on Jesus. They created an outdoor amphitheater and Jesus began to teach saying . . . .

Only in Matthew and Luke. The gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke contain a lot of common material. These three gospels are called the Synoptic Gospels – three voices. The Holy Spirit did this to present different pictures of Jesus. The diagram below shows how much overlap there is between the gospels. The Sermon on the Mount, 111 verses, is part of the 250 common verses occurring in Matthew and Luke.

Verses common to the synoptic gospels

 

Our study of the SOM will include all the references found in Matthew 5:1-7:28 and Luke 6:17-49. We want to hear all of Jesus’ words and we want to see ourselves as we really are.

Jesus’ first sermon in the book of Matthew is the Sermon on the Mount. It is the first of five messages in Matthew related to discipleship that were preached by Jesus. The Sermon on the Mount is for those who claim to be Jesus’ disciples. We will see our true selves in the beatitudes and the living words that follow. This is going to be an exciting series as Jesus speaks to us.

Jesus' Messages

 

The ending of each mini-sermon is easy to spot since they end with the words “Jesus had finished (Matthew 7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1;26:1).” May we suggest that you read each message while noting the special emphasis of each section as indicated in the figure. May God bless you as seek to know Him more as you grow as His disciple.

The gospel of Matthew was written by a former tax collector (Matthew 9:9-10; 10:3) and apostle of Jesus Christ (acts 1:13). History claims that Matthew preached the gospel in Ethiopia and Arabia and it was there that he was martyred. The gospel of Matthew is a key legacy left for us to read. A summary of key facts about the gospel of Matthew is presented in the table.

Overview of Gospels

We should thank the Lord for this man’s faithfulness. What a joy it is to have the recorded words of our Lord Jesus.

 

Comments or Questions?