It has been said that repetition is the key to real learning. We need to be reminded of spiritual truths, even those that we know well (see 2 Pet. 1:12-13). Allow me, then, to remind you what true blessedness is. Blessedness is not having all your wishes fulfilled, expectations met, or dreams come true. True blessedness is found in resting in God, being at peace with him and experiencing his favour.
 
One of the wonderous ways in which we experience the Lord’s favour, is through his mercy. The Bible uses several related words to describe mercy. The first could be translated as compassion. It is used in passages like 2 Cor. 1:3: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort”. Here God’s mercy is displayed in his compassion for the suffering (as in the NIV). God is moved by the plight of the world and cares for those who are suffering, whether it is because of their own sin, the sins of others, or the fallenness of the world.

A different but related word is used in Matt. 9:36: “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Here, Christ’s mercy is a deep feeling of affection, pity, or love. Jesus was deeply moved by the spiritual plight of the crowds who followed him.

In our next beatitude, however, Jesus uses yet another, even stronger word to describe mercy. Here mercy not only describes feeling, but action. Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

What Jesus taught would have been considered “countercultural”, maybe even revolutionary. One Roman philosopher called mercy “the disease of the soul”. They valued justice, courage, discipline, and power. Mercy was seen as a sign of weakness. Many among the Jews held to similar views. They couldn’t wait for the reign of the Messiah to start so that they could avenge themselves on their enemies. But Jesus called for something quite different.

What does it mean to show mercy? The merciful not only feel compassion, they act accordingly. For example, in 1 John 3:18 we are told not only to love “in word or talk, but in deed and in truth”. In the preceding verse, we are warned that those who don’t show mercy have probably not received God’s mercy. We see similar admonitions in 1 John 4:20 and James 2:14-17. Mercy is a mark of true faith.

We don’t deny that unbelievers can be merciful. Of course they can, but their mercy focuses on the physical plight of man. What about the soul? Christian mercy seeks to meet the physical and spiritual needs of others wherever possible. That is what Christ did. He healed and preached. He fed their bodies as well as their souls.
Those who follow the merciful Christ, will show mercy to others as well.
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Because of Christ,
Pieter

The fourth beatitude explains that true blessedness is not about what we have, but what we long for. We are constantly being told that our joy is one purchase, one vacation, or one promotion away. That is not the kind of longing that Jesus had in mind. Rather, we will experience God’s favour when we long for or desire the right things. Jesus said: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matt. 5:6).

What is righteousness? Scholars have debated this term for ages. It is such a rich term, like a polished diamond that reveals new facets and beauty each time we turn it over. Righteousness can refer to someone who is acquitted in a trial (see Deut. 25:1). It can also refer to someone who is in step with the law, who “walks blamelessly and does what is right” (Ps. 15:2).
 
Righteousness, however, should not merely be defined in human terms. Righteousness is first and foremost an attribute of God. God is the final standard of what is right and he always acts according to his own righteous standard. That is the standard to which we should strive and by which we will be judged.

How could I possibly be that righteous? Through the gospel, righteousness has been brought within reach in two wonderful ways: imputed righteousness and implanted righteousness.

What is imputed righteousness? Imputed righteousness refers to the righteousness of Jesus Christ which is bestowed on believers because of their union with Christ by faith. This is a righteousness that we receive from God, so that God looks at us as though we had never sinned. This is what Paul referred to in Phil. 3:8-9: “For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith”.

Thomas Watson describes it so beautifully: “The weakest believer is justified as much as the strongest. This is a Christian’s triumph. When he is defiled in himself, he is undefiled in his Head. In this blessed righteousness we shine brighter than the angels. This righteousness is worth hungering for.” It is this imputed righteousness that makes us acceptable to God. If we understand our desperate plight and have mourned over our sin, feeling our desperate weakness, we will long for the justifying righteousness of God.

What about implanted righteousness? Implanted righteousness is a holiness of heart and life that is ours by the work of the Holy Spirit. This righteousness does not save us, but the result of being saved. You cannot separate imputed righteousness from implanted righteousness, because one leads to the other. In other words, justification leads to sanctification. “This”, Thomas Watson writes, “the pious soul hungers after.”

Maybe you find these words convicting or discouraging. It is true that our longing is not always what it ought to be, yet even a weak appetite is a sign of life. Mourning our weak spiritual appetite is a good sign. Take that weak desire to Jesus, repent of it, and ask him to increase your hunger for righteousness.

After all, Jesus is the one who wants to satisfy that hunger. He even gave us a promise: “for they shall be satisfied” (Matt. 5:6). God will fulfil their desire. Jesus invites us, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35). Accept his invitation by faith and receive from him the righteousness that only he can supply.
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Because of Christ,
Pieter