Matthew 5:7-12

Jesus continues His teaching on the Beatitudes.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” I have often heard it said that the mercy you give is the mercy you get. David demonstrated mercy when dealing with King Saul, who was actively trying to kill him, and God, in turn, showed mercy to David when he became entangled in his own foolishness.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” A pure heart does not necessarily mean a perfect heart or a squeaky-clean heart; rather, it speaks to honesty and transparency before God. God already knows everything—who are we to think we can hide anything from Him? David was known as a man after God’s own heart, yet he struggled deeply in certain areas. The difference was that when confronted with his sin, he was quick to repent and make things right with God. His psalms even document the inner turmoil he experienced while living in unconfessed sin:

“When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.”
Psalms 32:3–5 (NLT)

We must always be quick to rid ourselves of the things that pollute our souls, for they create a separation between us and God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” We should always work toward peace in every situation. While peace is not always possible, Scripture reminds us in Romans 12:18:

“Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.”
Romans 12:18 (NLT)

Did God not make peace with mankind when He sent His Son to die for us? Colossians 1:19–20 tells us:

“For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”
Colossians 1:19–20 (NLT)

It stands to reason, then, that we as His children should pursue peace as well.
Lastly, God blesses those who are persecuted for doing what is right. I am reminded of a scene in the movie Ladyhawke, where the character Phillipe “The Mouse,” played by Matthew Broderick, is arrested after telling the truth. In frustration, he says, “I told the truth, Lord. How can I learn any moral lessons when You keep confusing me this way?”

Honestly, that is often how it feels when we are persecuted for standing for the truth. We forget that we live in hostile territory, and our enemy is opposed to the truth because it exposes his deception.

The Apostle Peter addresses this reality:

“Now, who will want to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you suffer for doing what is right, God will reward you for it. So don’t worry or be afraid of their threats. Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ. Remember, it is better to suffer for doing good, if that is what God wants, than to suffer for doing wrong!”
1 Peter 3:13–17 (NLT)

The Beatitudes remind us that the life God blesses is often countercultural—marked by mercy instead of retaliation, purity instead of pretense, peace instead of division, and faithfulness even in the face of persecution. These qualities reflect the heart of Christ and reveal what it truly means to live as children of God in a broken world.