Jesus' Beatitudes lived out today, part 2

The Sermon on the Mount by Carl Heinrich Bloch

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  Matthew 5:3-12

The Beatitudes...familiar words spoken by Jesus to many during His "Sermon on the Mount." I was reading this a few days ago and was struck by how these Beatitudes are being lived out today, by Christians, all over the world. In the last post, I looked at the first four Beatitudes. You can read about them at Jesus' Beatitudes Lived Out Today Today, I would like to finish with the last few.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Mercy - compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence...to show mercy, to forgive someone when they do not deserve it. There are many examples of Christians showing mercy toward their enemies.

One that stands out in my mind is of a Christian man named Ron Carlson  He became known when he forgave the heinous murder of his sister, Deborah Carlson, by a woman named Karla Fay Tucker. Karla Fay Tucker became famous when she was executed in 1998 in Texas. Years before her execution, she had become a Christian in prison. Ron chose to forgive her. With that forgiveness, God showed him mercy by removing the bitterness and rage that accompanies unforgiveness. When I viewed the TV coverage of the days leading up to the execution, what stood out in my mind was the peace that showed on the face of Ron Carlson. This peace was in stark contrast to the anger, bitterness and rage that showed on the faces of the other victim's family members. When Christians show mercy and forgiveness, God will in turn forgive them.  

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

To be pure in heart - not to be tainted by this world but to be filled with faith and hope.

As a mother, I believe children exemplify this beatitude so well. They are freshly aware of God's presence in so many aspects of this life..from a tiny flower to a buzzing bee to a beautiful sunset. They are eager for His return and talk of going to Heaven to be with Him. Why is it that we hush them when they speak of going to Heaven? Isn't that what we are all to be longing for...to be in Heaven with our Lord? 

Children, pure in heart in many ways, see God daily. Maybe that is why Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.  Mark 10:15-16

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

We are all called to be peacemakers for we follow the "Prince of Peace." Two men who stand out in my mind as peacemakers are President Ronald Reagan and President Nelson Mandela. While I am fairly familiar with Reagan's past, I am not as familiar with Mandela's past. I do know that both men were/are sinners in need of God's grace and both men made mistakes. However, both men also strove for peace...Reagan for peace between American and Russia and Mandela for peace between black and white within South Africa. And God honored their desire and strivings for peace in mighty ways. 

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The persecuted church...my heart goes out to them. They exist in every part of the world and their faith is strong! They are the Christians meeting secretly in a Laotian home church, the widow mourning the loss of her husband to the Columbian FARC but still maintaining his ministry, the young Muslim girl standing for Christ in the face of family beatings...so many more. Voice of the Martyrs is just one organization who tells their story and helps them. 

The strength and growth of the church in these lands is primarily due to persecution: China, India, Sudan, Ethiopia, South Korea, Vietnam, Iran and Myanmar. There are many more. Praise God for His servants who literally carry His cross every day. 

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. May we remember these words of our Lord and Savior. The life of a Christian is not easy and it's not popular. We are called to love the unlovable, to do good to our enemies, to sell our possessions and give to the poor, to pray without ceasing, to put others before ourselves and to live so that others will want to follow our Lord Jesus. 

Holy Spirit, please help us to live out our Lord's Beatitudes each and every day!