Matthew 5:6-8

Matthew 5:6-8

Blessed are the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, because they will be shown mercy.  Blessed are the cleansed by their hearts, because they will see God.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

The first beatitude for today also rings more true for the future than for the present.  I’m not saying that I hunger and thirst for righteousness perfectly, but I can say that I don’t always see righteousness in the world around me – certainly not to a level of satisfaction!  But that is why Jesus uses the future tense.  We will be satisfied.  Satisfaction may not come in this life but it will certainly come in the next life!  We will be satisfied with God’s righteousness after passing through His judgment by His grace.

Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness?  What does that expression mean to you?  What do you think it means to be satisfied with respect to righteousness?

Second Thought:

The same is true about the merciful.  The merciful aren’t always shown mercy here in this life.  Often the merciful are walked upon like doormats.  Or they are taken advantage of.  Or they are treated with contempt.  But in the end, God will show absolute mercy.  To those who in this life put God’s mercy on display through their lives, they will be shown mercy.  What a great day of mercy that will be!

How have you been shown mercy by God and those around you?  What will it feel like one day to be shown ultimate mercy by God?

Third Thought:

The last beatitude of the day gives us the same reflection.  We will see God if our hearts have been cleansed.  The Greek word in this Beatitude that we translate as cleansed is really “katharos.” (καθαρός)  It is the root for our word “cathartic.”    It means to be cleansed by a purging of that which is unclean.  We can know the first-fruits of that cleansing here and now.  but we will not know the ultimate form of that cleansing until we are made anew after passing through death and judgment.  Then we will be cleansed fully and completely.  Then we will see and know God fully.

Are you cleansed – or at least in the process of being cleansed?  Do you look forward to the day when you will see God fully?  What will that mean to you?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 5:9-12