Matthew 5:7-12.       

May I share my pastor’s heart with you for a moment? I’m tired of watching people of faith turn the kingdom of God into a power trip. It’s easy to do. We focus on things like “true justice” and “lawbreakers” getting what they deserve. We focus on winning arguments in an effort to feel better about our faith and ourselves. We label people—God’s people—as spiritual enemies when they do not agree with us politically. We do harm to others in the name of “defending the faith.” I’m tired of it.

Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (v. 7). Pause with me a moment and consider those words. The blessings of the kingdom are for the merciful. Do you want the blessings of God? You must show mercy. There’s no way around it. There’s no pretending those words aren’t there.

The way of Jesus is the way of the merciful, the peacemakers, the pure in heart. May these words of Jesus pull us off our power trips and show us a more excellent way: the way of wholehearted love of God and neighbor. This way is never a power trip.

Author: Mark Hendrickson