Matthew 5:7-8
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply for a few seconds before you begin. As you breathe in, say the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
If you haven’t already, read Matthew 5:1-6 noticing how the qualities of which Jesus speaks build on each other. Then read Matthew 5:7-8.
We have seen that recognizing our desperate need for God and realizing our helplessness to restore relationship with God are foundational steps toward wholeness. We have also observed that the outcome of total dependence on God is a new way of handling power and a burning desire for God’s will and way to be restored in the world.
Now Jesus turns to the quality of mercy which must go hand in hand with justice.
When we are in a position to punish to someone who has wronged us and we choose instead to forgive, we exercise mercy. Mercy is when we freely give someone that which they do not deserve.
Contemplate God’s justice and mercy for a moment. God is the Creator and Sustainer of everything, and God’s desire is for shalom to reign over all creation. Human rebellion distorted shalom and ushered death and unmitigated chaos into the world. If our all-powerful God acted only with justice, humans would be without hope. But God also extends inexhaustible mercy to people.
How have you personally experienced God’s mercy? Let your thoughts go to specific ways God has shown mercy to you. What do you want to say to God right now?
Read Matthew 5:7-8 again focusing on verse eight.
None of the qualities Jesus lays out in his “Sermon on the Mount” is attainable by human effort alone, but purity of heart may be the most obviously impossible. If we are honest, each of us will admit that our hearts (our thoughts, actions and motives) are not always entirely pure. But God, in great mercy, has given us a solution.
If we place ourselves under the good rule and way of Jesus, God accepts us as pure. In the eyes of God, we take on the purity of Jesus, the perfect human being, and though we continue to err as we live on the earth, we are allowed to see the Holy God through Jesus.
For the last minutes of this meditation, consider how you are extending the mercy of Jesus to those around you. Then sit with Jesus and ask him to point out the current condition of your heart and anything you need to do to be pure of heart.
What did you sense Jesus saying to you?
What will you do about that?
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