‘Blessed people’ 

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Matthew 5 v 6-9

Four more descriptions of ‘blessed’ people today; read them slowly and carefully, thinking about each word… 

Hungry for righteousness

 

Read v 6

What do most people ‘hunger and thirst’ for? What do they crave more than anything else? Money… possessions… security… happiness… love? 

TIME OUT

What about us? If we’re honest, many of these things are highly attractive—and maybe even dominate our thoughts. 

But if we crave these things (even happiness!), we will never be lastingly ‘filled’. Verse 6 tells us who is promised their heart’s desire—those who long to be righteous and to live holy lives. Is that what you really want most of all? 

 

The merciful

Read v 7

‘They’ve never helped me out, so I don’t see why I should do anything for them.’ ‘They’ve had it coming to them for a long time.’   Yes, we will think like that… unless we’ve known God’s mercy to us. After all, what did we deserve from God? It’s impossible to know God’s mercy and never show mercy to others! There’s a direct link between these things for those who are truly ‘blessed’ people: 

 

KNOW GOD’S MERCY
                      ↓
BECOME MERCIFUL
                      ↓
OBTAIN GOD’S MERCY AT THE END OF YOUR LIFE

The pure in heart

Read v 8

Jesus is our best example. Think of the total purity of His heart, His thoughts, His motives, His whole life. And He sees God perfectly. 

Now read Hebrews 7 v 26

The more we are pure like Jesus, the more closely we will see and know God. 

The peacemakers

Read v 9

Again think about the Lord Jesus, God’s holy Child, and how He came to make peace with God for His enemies. 

Read Colossians 1 v 20, 21

PRAY

We cannot make peace in the way Jesus did—but we can be like Him. 

Pray about situations where there is discord—in your family, in church, at work. Pray that you would be merciful, pure in heart, and self-sacrificial, to be a peacemaker in these areas.