18
“ Blessed are the merciful , for they shall be shown mercy .” ( Matthew 5:7 )
in our lives , and not just claiming it in order to have a ‘ theologically correct ’ Gospel message . We need to properly understand righteousness as the good standing of our own relationship with the Father through Yeshua . We must acknowledge that Yeshua is the door , but we still have to walk through it and come to the Father . This hunger and thirst is a deep desire to have a closer relationship with the Father and do what pleases Him . Amazingly , the reward is the very thing that is being pursued ! It is a promise that the pursuit is not in vain , so be encouraged more and more to pursue it .
This is the first blessing that starts to show how our spiritual growth impacts how we respond to others , especially with regards to others ’ and their sin . It shows how you will not get to this point in your spiritual growth without the hard work of the previous blessings . If you become arrogant in your righteousness and condemn those who commit the same sins you once committed , I would question if you really went through the ‘ poor in spirit ’ and ‘ mourning ’ part of the process with your own sin in the first place . Your ability to be merciful to others in their sin is a true sign of spiritual maturity , and there are no shortcuts to this stage . More than that , failing to learn to show others mercy puts your own salvation at risk ( Matthew 6:12 , 14 ). Genuine hunger for a stronger relationship with God will cause you to become more merciful like Him ( Exodus 34:6-7 ), and then God ’ s mercies for you are endless !
“ Blessed are the pure in heart , for they shall see God .” ( Matthew 5:8 )
Many people struggle with this one because it feels foreign and impossible . This is similar to what Moses experienced when God described Himself as merciful ( Exodus 34:6-9 ), so it is both mysterious and also set down in Scripture as a precedent for us . It is difficult , but possible . The pure in heart are not innocent , but rather it is those who are purified in the crucible of
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 5 • T I K K U N A M E R I C A R E S T O R E | 2 4