St Matthew, Chapter 5, verse: 7, Beatitude: Blessed are the Meerciful.

Today we read verse another verse of the Beatitudes:  7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. 


Blessed are the merciful.  Our dictionary defines mercy as:  compassionate or kindly forbearance shown towards an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence.  So it appears that this beatitude is for those who have power to exercise over others. 

I try to think of the times and the opportunity that I have shown mercy.  I do not have power over anyone, but I think of the situation of driving down the street and seeing a squirrel dart out in front of my car.  I do not want to run over a squirrel, so I slow down and try to allow it to either change it's direction and not cross my path.  I try to allow enough time for it to cross in front of me without hitting it.  I must admit sometimes, it seems that they are intent on getting hit because with all my efforts, I have run over a couple.  I try and try to be merciful and yet they still proceed to run in the way of the vehicle.  

I have power over my vehicle but I do not have power over the squirrels.    I use this analogy just to talk about having power over someone or something, and how mercy can be exercised.  Mercy requires compassion.  It is a positional grace, that is used by those who have position over us, separated by some relational distinction.  I am not a squirrel but I am a living being just as the squirrel.  People are related to one another by the fact that they are of the same species, but there are relational distinctions between us.  We say that we are all equal and that we are.  However, I am not a judge, nor a pilot, nor a governor, nor a policeman.  And these are the relational distinctions that separate us as humans in this world.  So a policeman has authority over an offender, a governor has power over a felon, a judge has rule over a defendant and can exercise sentencing in various degrees, either basically according to the law or extremely according to the will of the judge. 

Yet in each situation there is a relational distinction between the parties that has no connection.  One is above the other and there are no ties to bind them together.  I am not related to a squirrel in my driving relationship.  A judge is not related to a defendant.  A policeman is not related to an offender, and a governor is not or should not be related to a felon that he wants to pardon.  One is above the other, separated by the relational distinction. 

And yet in this gap of non-relational ties, mercy can be exercised.  Mercy can be the bridge that brings the to relations together and creates ties that express something common between the two parties.  My emotional feelings for life and living things allows me to take action to try and not hit a squirrel.  I have no relationship to the squirrel but mercy allows me to bridge the gap.  

God in his infinite wisdom has blessed those who are merciful, for in the expression of mercy we shall have mercy dispensed to us.  Christ tells us that to receive mercy we must exercise mercy.  God gave his only begotten son to come to earth to save mankind.  He bridged the gap and expressed mercy to mankind.  Now we must also do the same in our relational distinctions with each other.   In doing so we follow the example given us by God.  We express our tenderness.  We show our love.  We recognize that tiny bit in each of us which says that, we were created in his image and likeness.  Despite whatever evil we have done, we are still God's children and, if we recognize this fact, can ask, from the sincere depths of our hearts, for forgiveness, repent of our sins, and receive his mercy.  God so loves us that he forgave us of all the sins that we have committed against him.  We should do likewise.        

St Matthew, Chapter 5, verse: 6, The Beatitude: Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for Justice.

Today we are still working with the Beatitudes:   

6 Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice, for they  
   shall be satisfied. 

Again today, we see that Christ in his teachings gives us another group of people living on this earth who's desires will be satisfied.  Who among us has not been treated unjustly?  Who among us has not been given a fair shake?  Who among us has not burned with the desire for vengence to correct the wrong that we felt? 


Our desire and need to be justly treated, whether we are right in our need or whether we are wrong in our need, leads us, often times, to seek our own revenge to satisfy that unquenchiable desire for justice.  In many cases that desire is accepted as a way of life, and chalked up to the way we live, since we feel there is nothing that we can do.  And in other cases we see those individuals who feel that there is no justice in society and so they take matters into their own hands, provide justice outside of that which society offers.  We applaud the hero in the movies who walks tall and carries a big stick, taking revenge on his own hands. 


Each minute of the day we see news reports where people are killed, beaten, brutalized, murdered, based on some sense of justice.  A teenager is brutaly stomped to death, simple because three other teens felt wronged and decided to take vengence into their own hands.  They only knew of one way to deal with their feelings of anger.  We see mysterious murders where people are killed in their own homes, tied up and shot in the head, because of some wrong that was committed outside of the legal system, according to some code of justice that is not based upon God's laws.  We live in a society of violence. 


Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice.  Hunger for justice is like a good meal that we long to have and have not had in a while.  Hunger for justice is like a longing to be on a far distant vacation away from the cares and worries of the day, where we are relaxed and forgetful of the place we just left.  Thirsting for justice is like a desire for a drink that when we have it will relax our inner being and bring a sense of calm within us.  What we deisre is that which will change how we feel about something that is within us.  What we want is that which will give us a change of mind and a way fo viewing life from a different perspective. 


Christ has said to us in this passage that those who hunger and thirst shall be satisfied.  Is this enough to satisfy us??  Are his words a calming effect that will begin to change how we feel??  His words are words of truth.  There is no lie in him.  Then, therefore, we can take our injustices to him and place them at his feet, saying: "You told us that we shall be satisfied."  Here are our injustices, here are the wrongs that have been done to us, here are the hurts and pains that we have suffered at the hands of others.  Give us the satisfaction that you have promised. 


Many years ago I was given a practice by my sponsor to create a God box.  Take all of my hurts and pains and write them out and put them in my God box and put it on the shelf of my closet, I was told.  I wanted to take them back, when I was reminded of the hurt and pain.  I wanted to act out on the thoughts that I had against the people whom I felt had harmed me.  I had thoughts and plans as to how to carry out my revenge to satisfy my need for justice.  However, the God box was an exercise in letting go.  It was an opportunity for me to learn how to place my trust in God and an opportunity of ridding myself of the constant thoughts of revenge.  I had to practice letting go of those thoughts when they came up in my mind.  I had to push them aside and not let them take control of me.  I had to work daily and sometimes, every mintue, to keep myself from thinking about how I would exact my revenge. 


The devil wanted to control of my thoughts and actions but with the help of my God box, I refused to pick them up.  I blocked out the thoughts.  I focused on something different.  I did something  different, i.e., took a differnet position, or stopped what I was doing and did something different, or in many cases, just took a deep breath to slow my breathing and heart rate so that I could just think again.  I can remember in one instance of my life I wanted to kill a person.  My thoughts were consummed with how I would go about doing that.  I thought about what would be the best place, i.e., at work, or at his home, when he was coming and going.  I was sick and almost followed through with this plan.  I was on the brink of death.  And yet there was something inside me that brought me back from the brink.  Something that kept me from going through with this plan.  I know now that it was the hand of God that kept me from going over to the dark side.  Later, I put those thoughts in my God Box and learned how to let go of that anger by forgiving the person and forgiving myself.  I hungered and was thirsty for justice but did not exact it.  Today, any injustice I encounter, I place it in my God box and put it on the shelf.   Today, I know that I shall be satisfied.

St Matthew, Chapter 5, verse: 5, The Beatitude: Blessed are they who mourn.

Today we are still in the beatitudes:     5 Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

This beatitude is for all those who weep and mourn for whatever reason.  Some weep for lost ones who have left this life, some weep for those who are still here but are lost, some weep for those who are suffering in this life with all kinds of afflictions and ailments.  But Christ says that all are devinely and supremely favored and fortunate for they shall be comforted.  So at some future time, not now, but in the future whether here on this earth or in heaven, they will be comforted.  What comfort will they receive?  What could possibly bring comfort to those who are suffering now, who have lost loved ones, wo have sisters, brothers, fathers, sons, and realtives that are afflicted with bad health and ailments?  What could possibly make a difference?

God's words are truth and in them there is no lie.  He says through Christ Jesus that those who mourn shall be comforted.  If I am to blieve this then, I must understand that even though I suffer now, I will be comforted later.  Even though I have pains in this life, I will be comforted.  Can this be my comfort??  Can his words tell me, that, knowing that his words are true, I can substitute his words for my pains and know that I will have comfort??  Can I believe that those who are suffering now will not suffer in Christ??  Can I believe that someday that my suffering son, or daughter, or father, or husband, or wife, or relative will have comfort for the pain that she/he suffered??  Will this give me comfort??

Blessed am I that mourn.  Devinely favored am I that mourn.  God has recognized my pain and given me his words that I will have comfort.  He has told me that I shall be comforted in my afflictions and sickness as I mourn for my losses.  Blessed am I.