BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL
MATTHEW 5:7
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”
Psalms 18:25, “With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;”
Proverbs 11:17a, “The merciful man doeth good to his own soul:”
Introduction:
“These verses, like the stairs of Solomon’s Temple, cause our ascent to the holy of holies. We are mounting up a step higher. ‘Blessed are the merciful…’ There was never more need to preach of mercifulness than in these unmerciful times wherein we live.” Thomas Watson wrote that in 1660.
Mercy is seen as the “duty” of a Christian in the beginning of the text and in the end it is seen as a reward. The Hebrew word for “godly” signifies “merciful;” the godlier, the more merciful. However, the Lord puts a great difference between the merciful and the unmerciful.
I. JUST AS THE MERCIFUL MAN IS BLESSED, THE UNMERCIFUL MAN IS CURSED
A. Why, what is his crime? “He remembered NOT to show mercy,” Psalm 109:16, “Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.”
B. Look at the vile of plagues of God that are poured out on the unmerciful, Psalm 109:17, “As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.”
C. The blessing of the God crown and encompass the merciful man, 2 Samuel 22:26, “With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.”
1. His children are blessed, Psalm 37:26, “He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.”
2. The Lord will deliver him from trouble, Psalm 41:1, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.”
II. A CONTRAST BETWEEN LOVE AND MERCY
1. Love is like a friend that visits those who are well.
2. Mercy respects those that are miserable.
a. Mercy is like a physician who visits only those who are sick, Matthew 9:12, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.”
b. Love acts more out of affection.
c. Mercy acts out of a principle of conscience.
d. Mercy lends its help to another.
e. Love gives its heart to another.
3. Both agree that they are ready to do good.
B. Mercy springs from a work of grace in the heart contrary to the natural man.
1. The natural man is unmerciful, Romans 1:31, “Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:”
a. Foolish – “without understanding.” Romans 3:11, “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.”
b. Faithless – “covenant breakers” 2 Timothy 3:3, “Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good.”
c. No love of kindred – “without natural affections” Matthew 10:21, “And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.”
d. Unforgiving – “implacable” Matthew 6:14-15, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
e. Pitiless – “unmerciful” Psalm 78:37-39, “For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. 38But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. 39For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.”
2. The unmerciful man is compared to an adamant stone, Zechariah 7:12, “Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.”
3. They which commit such things are worthy of death, Romans 1:32, “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
C. The change that grace has made, Colossians 3:12, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;”
“When the sun shines the ice melts. When the Sun of righteousness once shines with beams of grace upon the soul, then it melts in mercy and tenderness. You must first be a new man before a merciful man.” –Thomas Watson
III. THE REWARDS OF EXTENDING MERCY TO OTHERS.
B. He is blessed in his name, Psalm 112:6, “Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.”
C. He shall abound in much, Proverbs 11:25, “The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.”
D. His posterity shall be blessed, Psalm 37:26, “He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.”
E. He is blessed in his business, Deuteronomy 15:10, “Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.”
F. God always pays us back, Proverbs 19:17, “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.”
CONCLUSION
There is much more to this study and I challenge you to search the Scriptures for the rewards of helping others. Our lives are made much more enjoyable when we extend a helping hand to someone in difficulty.
A. The merciful are blessed in his person, Psalm 41:1, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.”A. Love is more extensive.Psalm 109:6-9, “Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand. 7-When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin. 8-Let his days be few; and let another take his office. 9-Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.”