Matthew 5:6-8 (ESV) — 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

The upside down King produces upside down hearts (kingdom).

• He produces upside down hearts:
  • “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (4:19).
  • He works these beatitudes within us.
• He produces upside down hearts:
  • We often hunger for success, status, or security, but Jesus says the blessed hunger for righteousness (5:6).
  • We often think people get what they deserve, but Jesus says the blessed give what others don’t deserve (5:7).
  • We often manage our image, but Jesus says the blessed cultivate purity of heart (5:8).

1. Craves God’s Uprightness (5:6)

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

What it is.

• • Righteousness
    • Justification: a desire for right standing with God.
      • Paul + Matthew: We should be careful not to “grace” Matthew’s morals.
        • However, we do need imputed righteousness in order to live out moral righteousness.
    • Sanctification: a desire for increased personal moral uprightness.
      • What specifically? Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal 5:22–23).
      • Note: they aren’t the annoying person who only wants righteousness in others!
    • Justice: a longing for God’s will to be done on earth, especially for the downtrodden.

• Total uprightness!

• Hunger and thirst
  • Visceral and continual—you feel it in your guts, and it doesn’t go away. Hungering and thirsting.
    • They understood hunger and thirst better than we do.
  • Dire need—we cannot live without food and drink.
    • This person cannot live without God’s righteousness.
• Definition: An ongoing, desperate craving for God’s uprightness to become ours and our worlds.

What it isn’t.

• Junk food spirituality
• Pharisaicism
  • “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6, ESV)

What it looked like in Jesus.

• He modeled a righteousness that started with the inner life and extended into justification and justice for his world.

Results

• They shall be satisfied.
  • Same word as when Jesus fed the 5K: “And they all ate and were satisfied” (Matt. 14:20).
• Already: Tasting kingdom life to a degree right now is a satisfying experience.
  • Always hungry—yet finding satisfaction.
• Not Yet: Justification, sanctification, and justice will find resolve in his glorious reign.

Exhortations

1. Eliminate hyper-palatable foods—carnal pursuits.
2. Train your hunger—spiritual disciplines.
3. Get ahead of it—thirst is high urgency.

2. Displays God’s Compassion (5:7)

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

What it is.

• Mercy
  • Twofold meaning: Forgiveness for the guilty and compassion for the suffering.
• A reflection of the divine nature.
  • God’s most fundamental attribute:
    • “The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious…” (Exodus 34:6, ESV)
    • He intentionally acts to take on the sufferings of others and show kindness to sinners.
  • When we extend mercy we are imitating God.

What it isn’t.

• Hardened morality that saps compassion (Pharisees).
• A meritorious work.
• Unbiblical versions of forgiveness (we will discuss more throughout Matthew).
  • Bible: forgiveness means letting go of a debt, but not necessarily removal of negative consequences or automatic trust and reconciliation.

What it looked like in Jesus.

• Touching the unclean: leper, hemorrhaging woman, the dead.
• Sabbath controversies: picking grain, healing.
• Table fellowship with sinners.
• Outsiders: Canaanite woman, tax collectors, prostitutes.

Results

• They shall receive mercy.
  • Unique: the only Beatitude where the promise corresponds exactly to the state.
• Already
  • Warning: don’t place yourself outside the flow of God’s mercy by harboring unforgiveness.
    • And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (Matthew 6:12, ESV)
• Not Yet: Full mercy is yet to come!

Exhortations

1. Identify someone you’ve withheld forgiveness from.
2. Look for suffering you’ve been avoiding because it’s inconvenient.
3. Ask: Has my theology (or orthodoxy) curtailed my compassion in any way?

Prioritizes God (5:8)

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

What it is.

• • Heart
    • Center of human personality, the home of personal feeling, will, and thought (Bruner).
  • Pure
    • Clear
    • Single-minded
    • This is a word used regarding metals: to purify them until you have the pure metal.
  • Taken together:
    • Eugene Peterson (The Message): Your inside world—your mind and heart—put right.
    • “A ‘pure’ heart before God means a heart of unmixed devotion to God” (Keener).
  • Origin: Psalm 73
    • “Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.” (Psalm 73:1)
      • Contrasted with wicked.

• “…I have kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.” (Ps. 73:13)

• • • “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge…” (Psalm 73:28)
    • Caleb: followed the LORD fully (Num. 14:12).
• Definition: An inner decision for God that continually rejects competing desires, which leads to a purity of life.
  • To be pure in heart is to be loyal to God at the very core of your being.

What it isn’t.

• Outward religion
• Sinless perfection (but wholeness of consecration)
• Compartmentalized faith
  • First, clean the inside of the cup and the outside will be clean as well (Matt. 23:26).

What it looked like in Jesus.

• Unmixed devotion to the Father.
  • “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.” (Matthew 4:10, ESV)
  • Gethsemane: Not my will, but yours be done (Matt. 26:36-46).

Results

• They shall see God: The ultimate blessing.
• Already: friendship with God.
• Not Yet: the day is coming when nothing will obstruct our vision.

Exhortations

1. Ask: Where is my devotion blurred or diluted because my loyalty is split?
2. Pray Psalm 51:10—Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
3. Try 15 minutes of silence before God. Write down impressions afterwards.

Conclusion

• Today
  • Perhaps your appetite has been dulled—Jesus invites you to the blessed life that feasts on righteousness. You will be filled.
  • Perhaps you’ve withheld mercy—Jesus invites you to the blessed life that is a conduit of God’s mercy. You will receive mercy.
  • Perhaps your heart has become divided—Jesus invites you to the blessed life that has singular devotion. You will see God.
• But how do we get there?
  • Jesus did not say: try harder to be these things.
  • Jesus: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt 4:19).
  • Inside out. Already, not yet. Transformation.

Study Questions

• Head (Knowledge & Understanding)
  • 1. Pastor Nate described righteousness in Matthew 5:6 as having three dimensions: justification, sanctification, and justice. How do these three aspects work together? Why might it be a mistake to emphasize only one of them?
  • 2. What is the difference between ceremonial purity and purity of heart as Jesus defines it in Matthew 5:8? How did Jesus’ teaching challenge the Pharisees’ understanding of what it means to be “clean” before God?
• Heart (Feelings & Desires)
  • 3. Of the three beatitudes covered in this sermon—hungering for righteousness, showing mercy, and purity of heart—which one resonates most deeply with your current spiritual condition? Which one confronts you most directly?
  • 4. Pastor Nate said the pure in heart are like someone fully present in a conversation, not distracted. When you consider your relationship with God, where do you sense your attention is most divided? What “background apps” are draining your spiritual battery?
• Hands (Actions & Commitments)
  • 5. The sermon included three exhortations for mercy: identify someone you’ve been withholding forgiveness from, look for suffering you’ve been avoiding, and ask if your theology has curtailed your compassion. Which of these three challenges will you act on this week, and what specific step will you take?
  • 6. Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt 4:19)—he produces these beatitudes in us from the inside out. What is one concrete practice you will begin (or renew) this week to position yourself for Jesus to cultivate hunger, mercy, or purity in your heart?