The Constitution of God’s Kingdom Part 5 & 6

The Beatitudes (Mercy/Pure)

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” - Matthew 5:7. A literal translation (from the original Greek)reads, “Exceedingly fortunate are the merciful, for they shall be set free.” Therefore, those who extend mercy are themselves liberated! This lines up with the ‘Parable of the Unmerciful Servant’ in Matthew 18:32-34, "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I cancelled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had mercy on you?' In anger his master delivered him to the tormentors until he paid all that was owing to him.” Being unmerciful imprisons you, but showing mercy will set you free!

What is mercy? A devoted mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offence twice and justice demanded death. "But I don't ask for justice," the mother explained. "I plead for mercy." "But your son does not deserve mercy," Napoleon replied. "Sir," the woman cried, "It would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for." "Well, then," the emperor said, "I will have mercy." And he spared the woman's son. This is the essence of mercy. Mercy is compassion on someone based on their need. It is not justice, for mercy extends compassion on others in spite of their deserving it. The Lord tells us that we should extend mercy to others and then be able to receive mercy in return. And in this Beatitude He is teaching us that mercy should be a ‘lifestyle’ - an integral part of our daily Christian walk.

Let’s now consider what Jesus has already pointed out:

In the first Beatitude we see a person who realises that he is (poor) impoverished in spirit and therefore totally reliant upon God’s grace and mercy. But this quality alone (without the other beatitudes), will not make him the person God wants him to become. However, when we add the second Beatitude we can see that the spiritual man mourns over this sinful condition and desires to have God heal him of this human inadequacy. Next, the meek will gladly be willing to submit their lives to the will of God, and this creates a hunger to do God’s will. Making him “God-minded” in every circumstance!

Notice, inasmuch as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven has earnestly sought after God, based on a sincere realisation of his own inadequacies, he will not act superior toward others, but will be willing to extend the same kind of mercy toward them that he has received himself. Always accepting his utter helplessness before God. Ephesians 2:7-9 clearly express this truth, “In order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” So remember, it is out of a heartfelt gratitude for what God’s has done to us that we can extend mercy toward others. And also, we must have a complete realisation that the continued mercy, ‘freely given’ to us by God, is dependant on our extending mercy toward others. This is not a grudging “have to be” merciful to others approach, but a willing forgiveness based upon the joy we have in being forgiven. The great blessing promised to those who are merciful (“they shall obtain mercy”), is based on the universal principle that usually holds true, and that is, we reap what we sow! A person usually “reaps what he sows” in this life (Galatians 6:7-8). Therefore, those who constantly set higher standards for forgiveness toward others will have others extend the same high standards toward them. They will obtain plentiful mercy!

This should also be understood in the light of the invitation, “Come, you blessed of My Father,” issued by Jesus to the faithful in Matthew 25:31-46. For this was not directed toward those who have worked and deserved to be blessed - it was toward those who have obediently depended upon the mercy of God (and given mercy toward others). They alone enjoy the blessedness of a Father who has extended mercy toward them. Therefore, whenever you exercise a merciful attitude toward those who have hurt or offended you, you are merely imitating God. And as mentioned in the opening statement, you will experience a liberty that releases the joy of the Lord!

The next Beatitude says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Matthew 5:8). Attitudes are ‘matters of the heart’. When we get our attitudes right our “thinking” will be right also. Therefore, to be pure in the heart is to be ‘pure in the mind’, and in all the functions that the mind performs. So, if you had an impure heart, you would have an impure mind too - impure thoughts, beliefs, motives, decisions, and emotions. Jesus was referring to a purity that is deeper than an external conformity to God's laws and precepts. A purity that draws you closer to God - so close that you can “see” Him..

The term or concept of a "pure heart" occurs several times elsewhere in the Bible, and of course, Jesus is using the term in a way that is consistent with its biblical meaning. Here the Lord is addressing those who already belong the Kingdom of Heaven. The very people whose basic dispositions and views He is wanting to transform - His own subjects! Therefore, as a subject of God’s Kingdom, you should ask yourself this; Is my love of God pure? Have I given Him my whole heart? Does He have my absolute loyalty - or is my heart divided? Are my eyes fixed upon Him - or do I gaze upon the things of the world?

Your heart must be pure, singular and uncontaminated. This means loving God with all your heart, with all your mind and all your soul! But do you love wealth more? Or success? Or power? Or pleasure? For remember, Jesus said only the pure will “see” God. No one else shall! Seeing God may be the ultimate prize but there are many other blessings a pure heart will attract. Someone once said, “It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has.”

Pure devotion to God also conditions the way we relate to others. The ‘pure in heart’ deal with people honestly, without deceit or ulterior motives. Therefore, maybe you should ask yourself the corresponding questions: “Am I living a clean, pure, holy life? Or am I allowing corruption into my life, one small step at a time? Have I begun to tolerate dishonesty - or pride - or lust - or covetousness? Am I telling lies, even if they are only white lies? Am I indulging "innocent" flirtations, or so-called "harmless" gossip? All these actions a pollutants! Jesus says, "For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean" (Mark 7:21-23). Because the unregenerate heart is utterly ruined, man has no power or desire to change, so God must initiate any change in us. And God effects this change by giving us faith in Christ. As Peter says when referring to some gentile Christians, "God purified their hearts by faith" (Acts 15:9). Isn’t this is exactly what God promised by the prophet Ezekiel? "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:25-26).

To those who are truly pure in heart, Jesus promises that "they will see God." Right away, we must note that Jesus is not necessarily promising us an experience in which we physically "look at" God. For even in English, the word "see" can mean, among other things, "to come to know”, “to discover”, "to perceive the meaning or importance of,” “to understand,” "to be aware of,” “to recognise”, "to imagine as a possibility” and "to grasp something mentally."

Therefore, it may be more natural or appropriate to regard the meaning of "see" (in verse 8) as something akin to "discover," "understand," or "come to know." Another example comes from John 12:40, which is a quotation from Isaiah: "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, lest they should understand with their hearts, and turn. So that I should heal them." In its context, it is obvious that the words "blinded their eyes" do not refer to a physical blindness, but instead have a similar meaning to "hardened their hearts." The statement that they cannot "see with their eyes" is directly aligned to the fact that they cannot "understand with their hearts." Your eyes only see what your heart understands! Again, "see" here does not refer to anything experiential, but it refers to something intellectual. Likewise, the promise, "they shall see God," cannot refer to a sensation or experience; that is, Jesus cannot be promising that the "pure in heart" will physically look at God. This is because "God is spirit" (John 4:24), so that He is invisible (Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:27).

Nevertheless, there is a sense that people do "see" God, as when Samson's father said, "We have seen God!" (Judges 13:22). But when we examine the context in which he makes this statement, we readily understand that he did not physically perceive God in His divine essence, but he saw only "the angel of the Lord." Hence, whenever biblical characters "see" God in a physical sense, they are mostly referring to a manifestation or revelation of God which God had generated – God in His essence remains invisible. This is consistent with our affirmation that God is unknowable unless He chooses to disclose Himself, as when John wrote, "No one has ever seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is at the Father's side, He has made Him known" (John 1:18). That is, you cannot go somewhere to "look at" God, however, He has revealed Himself through the incarnation of Jesus.

So what then does it mean to "see" God?

The root of the Greek word translated “see” is “phos,” which means “light,” and it’s aligned to another word “phainos” which means “to cause to appear.” I believe these two words give us a better understanding of what it is to “see” God. And it’s a process revealed in Psalm 119:130, “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.” Implying that light precedes understanding.

We know that God’s word is sown in the heart (Matthew 13:19; Luke 8:15), thereafter, illuminating the mind (bringing understanding). For this reason, we can safely assume that the “light” of God’s word is meant to shine into our hearts in order that God may reveal Himself. Besides, we also know that God’s word has a cleansing effect (Ephesians 5:26), and when received it purifies the heart. Therefore, a person who is “pure in heart” is someone who receives the word of God with gladness and “keeps it” (Luke 8:15). Hence, there is a direct relationship between a “pure” heart and the word of God.

To "see" God is an expression referring to both a relationship with God and a revelation from God through His word. To “see” God, then, is to grasp Him with a mind that has been illuminated and transformed by a pure heart (cleansed by His Word). So we can equate seeing God with "intimate fellowship with God" through His word. Therefore, the promise of Jesus is not "If you will become pure enough in your heart, I will let you take a look at God," but rather, "Those of you who are pure in heart – are blessed, because God will reveal Himself to you and cause you to know Him!" In fact, you will provoke God to intervene and appear in every circumstance. WOW! Now we know why Jesus calls us blessed!

“Blessed (exceedingly fortunate) are the pure in heart, for the light of their purity will cause God to reveal Himself.” Another way of looking at this verse is, “Exceedingly fortunate are the pure in heart, for they shall cause the light (revelation) of God to flood their hearts.” Notice, purity is of the heart, but so to is “seeing.” The place where your purity is located, is the very place you will “see” God. In 1 Samuel 16:7 the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God has eyes for your heart!

1 Corinthians 2:9 declares, “But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear has heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, all that God has prepared (made ready) for those who love Him - who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognising the benefits He has bestowed’.”

Chris Demetriou, 22/11/2009