Matthew 5:6-8 Right Relationships, Mercy, and Pure Hearts

Script

Jon: The Sermon on the Mount begins with nine sayings of Jesus, often called the Beatitudes. It’s all about who is participating in God’s heavenly Kingdom here on Earth. The first three are a surprise, how the powerless and unimportant are the first in line to receive God’s blessing and Kingdom.

Tim: And in the next three sayings, Jesus describes the character of those who will be most at home in God’s Kingdom. Let’s look at these.

Jon: “How good is life for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be satisfied.”¹

Tim: “Righteousness,” or in Greek, dikaiosune, means living in right relationship with God and others, treating people with fairness and justice. So it’s helpful to render this word as “right-relationships.”

Jon: Now, if I’m hungry and thirsty for it, that means there is a desire that hasn’t been met.

Tim: Right, so apparently, the good life includes being unsatisfied with the disorder in our world and the broken relationships between people.

Jon: Yeah, like a holy discontent, a longing to see relationships made right all over. And those who long for this will find it?

Tim: Well, when people treat each other the way Jesus taught, it leads to healthy, satisfying relationships, where things are made right. And that’s what God’s Kingdom is all about.

Jon: “How good is life for those who show mercy, because they will be shown mercy.”²

Tim: Mercy is a step beyond doing what is simply right or fair—mercy is generosity. It is extravagant kindness that goes beyond what is required. And the degree to which we show mercy is connected to how much mercy we’ll receive.

Jon: “How good is life for the pure in heart, because they will see God.”³

Tim: Here, Jesus adopts a phrase from his Bible, in Psalm 24, where only the pure of heart can ascend the mountain of the Lord and stand in his holy place.⁴

Jon: Okay, but what does that mean, to be pure of heart?

Tim: Well, in the Bible, it means living from pure motives. You can be nice to people but still have contempt for them. You can be devoted to God but do it for public praise. So being pure of heart is about having your desires align with God’s desires in all of your actions.⁵

Jon: I mean, this is a high calling—right relationships, a life of mercy, and pure motives.

Tim: Yes, it is a high bar. But for Jesus, this is what humans are made for: to desire what is good and beautiful and just, and above all, to desire God, who alone can satisfy our deepest longings.