Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. (Matthew 5:6-8 NET)
Imagine a starving man, driven by one goal: finding drink and sustenance to save him from certain death. That’s the way Jesus wants us to yearn for righteousness. Righteousness: whatever is right, true and just. Whenever evil attacks us, destroying those we love, hungering and thirsting for righteousness means we’ll do whatever it takes to eradicate that evil, and establish what is right. It means we won’t tolerate anything that is not from God, because God is the epitome of all that is right, true and just. Those who are relentless warriors for righteousness, are guaranteed to be satisfied.
Those who show mercy, understand that every gift from God is His mercy towards us. If none of us are worthy of His love, and yet He still loves us, who are we to withhold love, kindness and mercy to others? We’re all in the same boat! But unfortunately, even among Christians, we can find people who don’t have the patience or willingness to extend a hand of kindness to those they consider beneath them. When the day comes that they need mercy from others, they won’t find it. But those who do show mercy, forgiveness, and love to the unlovable, God promises that they will also receive mercy for their own shortcomings.
The pure in heart are those who are utterly sincere—no hidden agenda, and no attempt to impress others. They believe the best in others. They trust that God loves them and is with them, even in the most difficult moments. They are the rare few, the uncynical—the ones who have the simple purity of a child. These few develop the spiritual eyes to actually “see” God when no one else does, and because of that, their faith is unwavering. These are the Joshuas and Calebs who see the enemies of God as easily defeated. These are the young Davids who see no option but to defend God’s honor. These are the Elishas who see an army of angels of fire surrounding their homes despite the threats against them.
The pure in heart, the merciful and the seekers of righteousness are the strongest and happiest people that exist. You could be among them starting today!
(Tomorrow we’ll conclude our discussion of the Beatitudes)
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