Blessed Are the Merciful

Good Friends,

I hope everyone survived the bitter cold last weekend without frozen pipes and such. Our worship attendance suffered some but not as much as expected. The most surprising thing about Sunday was that we ran out of teaching materials in our children’s ministries. Maybe you are thinking, “Oh NO!” Not me, I am celebrating, “Oh YES!” We had more children than we expected! Praise God! The adults may have thought it was too cold but not the kids. They wanted to be here! The scriptures remind us, “And a little child will lead them.” (Isaiah 11:6) Keep your parents coming, kids. Good job!

This Sunday we continue our journey through the Beatitudes. This sermon series is called: “Growing in Faith, Lessons from the Beatitudes, Six Steps for Knowing Who and Whose We Are.” 

This Sunday, I will be preaching on Matthew 5:6-7. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. In these two Beatitudes we see that the fully developing disciple of Jesus Christ longs constantly for connection with God. Further, as Jesus has done for us in mercy, so we do for others in mercy. 

In looking at these two Beatitudes, I am reminded of the great commandment of Jesus in Matthew 22:37-40. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

These are the most important words of Jesus recorded in the New Testament. When Jesus is asked which of the Old Testament commandments was the greatest, the words in this passage are his answer. Our faith grows as we honor and love God with every fiber of our being. We then show this love by loving others. 

In what ways are we honoring God in our lives? What do others see in our behavior? What values shape our lives, our work, our family, and our relationships?

One could also assert that this passage applies to our church. What are the ways we honor God as the Church? As we grow in ministries and outreach, let us make sure that we are honoring God not only with the decisions we make but also the way we make our decisions. 

What if we applied these words of Jesus to everything we do? In our meetings? In our classes? In our ministries? In our missions? In our community outreach? In our worship? Does the world see the love of God through Jesus in who we are, what we do, and how we do what we do?

Let’s do all we can to make these words of Jesus true for our lives and for Stonebridge UMC. Join me in worship this Sunday. Invite, text, or email a friend or family member. 

God is moving among us! Come celebrate the Spirit of God’s presence in this place!

See you Sunday. 

Pastor John Allen