We have seen that those who answer Jesus' call to repent are those who recognize that they are spiritual paupers who mourn their sin. They trust in God, so have a meek, gentle, humble attitude toward God and people. They are desperate for God's righteousness which God provides for them through Jesus' perfect life and sacrificial death. God reigns in their lives. They live in God's kingdom.
What does kingdom living look like? The rest of the Beatitudes give us a glimpse of important aspects of kingdom living.
Mercy is an essential part of kingdom life. Mercy is one aspect of righteousness, or God's moral law put into practice. Those who have their hunger and thirst for righteousness satisfied are eager to show mercy to others just as they have received mercy. They are eager to be kind and benevolent to those in serious need. They are eager for justice to be done and they foster that in any way they are able.
Forgiveness is an essential component of mercy. We can be a part of God's kingdom only because God has mercy on us and forgives us when we repent and come to him. But God's forgiveness came at a high cost. God sent his son to live among us as a servant, giving up the glory of heaven to experience our poverty. He suffered physically, emotionally and spiritually as he died on the cross to save us from our sin. He was willing to take the difficult path to forgiveness and reconciliation and he expects those who live in his kingdom to do the same. As Jesus continues in his Sermon on the Mount, he makes this clear.
Forgiveness isn't optional. Jesus tells a parable that emphasizes the importance of forgiveness.
A king forgives his servant of a huge debt that he couldn't possibly repay. Yet afterward that servant goes out and has another servant thrown into prison because he can't repay a small sum. When the king finds out, he is furious.
We are called to forgive from our hearts. We are called to forgive just as in Christ God forgave us (Ephesians 4:32). This is a high calling. How can we accomplish this?
Some offenses are easier to forgive than others. When the offender is sorry and the offense not too serious, forgiveness is usually easy. But what happens when the offense is serious and the offender is unrepentant? God wants forgiveness for that person to be our heart's posture, even if the offender doesn't think he has done anything wrong or may even no longer be alive. Forgiveness takes the form of releasing our anger and bitterness and trusting in God to make things right.
Jesus was both God and man, but he also left judgement and justice to his heavenly Father.
Jesus forgave even those who were crucifying him (Luke 23:34). We may be able to forgive others only by taking our eyes off our pain and the person who caused it and focusing on Jesus instead. His wounds heal our wounds when we realize how his love engulfs us and his mercy relieves us, despite our sin. We know we can trust him. The hurt and pain may still remain, but our anger and bitterness is handed over to God, nailed to the cross.
A heart that is open to forgive others is one that is also open to receive God's forgiveness. An unforgiving heart can breed bitterness that seeps into our relationships with God and others. It eventually can cut us off from God's love and grace if we allow it to fester. Don't allow someone else's sin to cause you to sin.
Mercy is paramount in God's kingdom. We extend mercy to others because God gives us mercy and we trust him to deal with those who sin against us. Trusting God is not always easy, but the cross demonstrates for us that God is a Person we can trust with all our pain. He is the Good Shepherd, the Just Judge, the Great Physician.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org
Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
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