Rev. David Holwick V Beatitudes
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
June 29, 2003
Matthew 5:7
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I. Thumbs up or thumbs down?
In the Roman arena, the defeated gladiator was usually killed
by the victor.
The loser's only hope was that the emperor, as he watched from
his rostrum, would give him the "thumbs up."
This was the sign that he was to be spared as an act of imperial
favor.
If we picture ourselves as a vanquished gladiator thrown to the
ground, with our opponent's sword poised over our neck, and
if we imagine looking up in our despair and seeing against
all hope that imperial "thumbs up," we may begin to
understand the meaning of God's mercy.
Now reverse the image - you stand over the loser and your
sword is at his throat.
If it were up to you, would your thumb go up or down?
The best assessment of your grasp of God's mercy is shown by
your own mercy.
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A. Beatitudes shift their focus at this point.
1) The first four zeroed in on our relationship with God.
a) Acknowledge our spiritual bankruptcy, mourn for our sin,
meekly accept his salvation and hunger for God.
2) The following beatitudes look at qualities we will acquire.
a) Once we know God, these qualities should be evident.
B. One of the greatest qualities is mercy.
II. Mercy is a broad topic in the Bible.
A. Multiple words and shades of meaning.
1) One of the Hebrew words for mercy is derived from the word
for "womb." Contains idea of nurture and family love.
2) Mercy is related to grace, with a slight twist:
GRACE - God gives us what we DON'T deserve.
MERCY - God DOESN'T give us what we DO deserve.
B. Two arenas are involved.
1) Mercy of God to humans.
2) Mercy of humans to each other.
III. God's mercy.
A. Mercy is one of God's defining attributes.
1) Pardon and forgiveness are wrapped up in it.
2) Also, compassion for our hurts.
B. God gives us more than we deserve, even what we don't deserve.
1) There is tension between God's justice and his mercy,
but his mercy tends to win.
There's a legend about a rabbi who welcomed a weary traveler
into his home for a night of rest.
After learning that his guest was almost a hundred years
old, the rabbi asked about his religious beliefs.
The man replied, "I'm an atheist."
Infuriated, the rabbi ordered the man out, saying, "I cannot
keep an atheist in my house!"
Without a word, the elderly man hobbled out into the
darkness.
The rabbi was reading the Scriptures when he heard a voice:
"Son, why did you throw that old man out?"
"Because he is an atheist, and I cannot endure him staying
overnight!"
The voice replied, "I have endured him for almost a hundred
years."
The rabbi rushed out, brought the old man back, and treated
him with kindness.
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God will put up with us for a long time.
Consider that the next time you are irritated with him.
2) King David felt God was much more likely to be
merciful to him than his human enemies. 2 Samuel 24:14
C. God's mercy cannot be presumed upon.
1) It is not automatic - "I will have mercy on whom I will
have mercy..."
In March of 1976, Carlo Gambino, boss of all bosses of the
Mafia, died in New York.
He was the model for the role of Don Vito Corleone, the
part played by Marlon Brando in the movie The Godfather.
In a local news report, it said that the funeral service
included the words, "Be not severe in Thy judgment."
Think of the souls and bodies scarred and killed by what he
did -- the youth seduced into gambling, countless people
led into crime, the politicians corrupted...
We can ask for God's mercy, but that does not cancel out
God's judgment.
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2) When his conditions are met, God's mercy is boundless.
a) His mercy can cover any sin we commit.
b) He can save us completely.
IV. Jesus is the best illustration of God's mercy.
A. The sick and suffering appealed to Jesus for mercy.
1) Lepers, the blind, the desperate...
2) To have mercy means to render aid.
B. Jesus' reaction to these needs is compassion and pity.
1) Mercy is an inner feeling. Matthew 20:31-34
2) However, with Jesus the feeling always resulted in
action, and these actions brought praise to God.
C. Jesus' mercy is also equated with his forgiveness and salvation.
1) He can save us from our predicaments.
2) He can save us for eternity.
V. Our mercy.
A. Human mercy draws upon God's mercy.
1) We love others because he first loved us.
2) We can extend mercy to others, just as he has to us.
3) Our mercy is more important than our sacrifices. Matt 9:13
B. Mercy as kindness shown to someone in need.
1) How compassionate are you?
2) Think of the last time you answered a cry for help.
C. Mercy as pardon given to one in wrong.
1) Gandhi - "Only the strong can forgive."
2) They don't deserve forgiveness, but give it to them anyway.
a) "Thumbs up!"
b) Who could you extend mercy to?
VI. The merciful receive mercy.
A. Tit-for-tat?
1) It sounds like you have to be merciful to receive mercy.
a) In other words, does my mercy earn God's mercy? No.
2) When you receive God's mercy, you should be changed inside.
a) It is a proclamation more than a command.
B. Only those who have received mercy can be merciful.
"Les Miserables" just ended its long run on Broadway.
It is a remarkable play, filled with Christian themes.
In Victor Hugo's novel, Jean Valjean served a 19-year sentence
for stealing a loaf of bread in order to feed his sister's
family.
Near the end of his sentence he escapes.
A Bishop is the only one who will befriend the embittered man.
Valjean rewards him by stealing some of his silver.
He is caught red-handed by the police.
The Bishop is called to the police station to press charges.
Instead of doing that, he informs the police the silver was his
gift, and he wants Valjean to have his candlestick holders
as well.
Valjean is forever changed.
He extends grace to an orphaned child and raises her as his own.
He forgives the policeman who wanted to put him back in jail.
Finally he dies, praying as he holds in his hand the two
candlesticks that the bishop gave him years ago.
What is it that so completely changed this embittered man?
He learned to extend mercy, because mercy had been extended to
him.
Friends, every time we enter this sanctuary we have a symbol of
the mercy that has been extended to us.
It is the cross.
Accept the mercy that is offered to you this morning.
And then, in the name of that One who has forgiven you a debt
which you cannot possibly repay, extend his mercy to others.
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
# 4799 "Lessons From Les Miserables," by Rev. Brett Blair, Illustrations
by Email, www.sermonillustrations.com, September 12, 1999.
#18353 "Be Not Severe In Thy Judgment," by John A. Terry; from
Rev. Brett Blair's Illustrations by Email,
www.sermonillustrations.com, September 15, 2002. I have
substituted "gambling" for the original "drugs" because a
lawyer in my congregation noted that Gambino dropped the drug
trade to alleviate pressure from the police. Trust me in
this: I am from New Jersey.
#18687 "God's Mercy And Ours," Our Daily Bread, March 26, 1998. From
Nick Lica's collection of illustrations.
#25058 "Thumbs Up Or Thumbs Down," by Mike Treneer in Discipleship
Journal #36, article titled "The Mercy of God." Nov/Dec 1986.
Adapted by Rev. David Holwick,
These and 25,000 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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