Thoughts on the Beatitudes: Part 2

​Matthew 5: 1 -12
 
Created in the Divine image, the fallen human psyche is inured to playing god and we have seen its devastating results in every worldly sphere. But it is comforting to know that the salvation of souls lies principally and exclusively in God’s sovereign will. As we consider the values of the Kingdom of Heaven in the 5th and 6th Beatitudes, viz., being merciful and possessing purity of heart, we continue to assert that it is the Spirit of God that is at work in believers, and not unlike the gifts of the Spirit, it would be irrational to individuate these Beatitudes.
 
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
 
In the Greek, mercy is an active term describing compassion and empathy in word and deed, in the alleviation of another’s suffering or bearing someone’s burden. Two of Jesus’ parables illustrate this well: the parable of the forgiving king and his unforgiving servant (Matt 18: 21-35), and the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). 
 
To be merciful is to forgive, and in Matthew’s parable, the issue was over a servant’s large monetary debt. The story’s emphatic lesson focuses us away from materialistic considerations towards the expression of mercy; when one is being forgiven much, one ought to have learnt the lesson well (Matt 18:33-35). Above that, the debt’s dismissal also meant the king borne the loss personally – a ‘cost’ in every forgiving situation.
 
The parable of the Good Samaritan revealed the latter’s exemplary giving, not only of his time and efforts, but also a healthy commitment of personal resources for a victimized stranger. Being merciful is tantamount to bearing another’s burden in a way where compassion is more than skin-deep. It is intriguing that God’s expression of mercy in forgiving our sins took a different course compared to His other creative endeavours. For He could have uttered just one simple word and forgiveness would have come to pass, but it was not to be. He took a very personal route to pardon our bottomless debt by bearing the cost of mercy Himself (i.e., at the cross). The depth of Divine forgiveness confronts our individual and corporate partiality as a forgiving community (cf., Luke 7:47-50); therefore, as a merciful disciple obeys God in meeting the needs of others selflessly, irrespective of its cost (Luke 10:37), God’s mercy will likewise be extended to them in time to come.
 
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
 
The rather distinct 6th pronouncement that goes to the core of the human heart states that the pure shall see God. ‘Heart’ in the Christian context refers to our thoughts and motivation, that which shapes a person’s life. Biblical transformation involves the purification of the heart from idols, a bad conscience and dead works - a far more radical and enduring change than just mundane mental, behavioural or emotional adjustments (Ps 24:3-4; cf., Heb 10:22). As ‘idols’ normally compensate for our innate weaknesses, they take many contextual forms (money, love, job, family, achievements, houses, etc.) that eventually supplant our devotion to God. Being ‘pure in heart’ infers singleness of motive, where our only interest is to serve God completely and our actions and behaviours reflect integrity consistent with a new holy life or heart in Christ. With that determination, the Holy Spirit would progressively sensitize us as He impacts our lives, drawing us increasingly into an indebted orbit of our Lord of Creation, His Word, and His works. The reference to seeing God is eschatological in tone, although Jesus Himself was explicit to His disciples that having seen Him, they have also seen the Father, but we shall one day see Him in all His glory – what a day it will be! (Ex 33:20; Rev 22:4; cf., John 14:7-10).