§ 6. The Sermon on the Mount (According to Matthew)

All the Beatitudes are worded in the same way. Each one:

• starts with "Blessed are…,"
• names a class of persons, and
• identifies the blessing these persons obtain.

(We might make one exception if we consider Matthew 5:12, "Rejoice and be glad…," to be its own Beatitude.)

Each Beatitude is worded as a vindication of those who are already living the right way—a sort of pronouncement of judgment from God that He has chosen whom to bless, and it is the one who has done this.

But this wording also lets us know what the promised blessing is and how to get it if we are not already living right. The blessing comes to us when, in this case, we are "poor in spirit," and that blessing will be that "the kingdom of God" will be ours.

There is literal historical precedent for the poor in the land becoming the owners of everything. This circumstance came about when Judah was carried into captivity in Babylon.

2 Kings 24:10–16

At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up to Jerusalem, and the city was besieged. And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to the city while his servants were besieging it, and Jehoiachin the king of Judah gave himself up to the king of Babylon, himself and his mother and his servants and his officials and his palace officials. The king of Babylon took him prisoner in the eighth year of his reign and carried off all the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold in the temple of the LORD, which Solomon king of Israel had made, as the LORD had foretold. He carried away all Jerusalem and all the officials and all the mighty men of valor, 10,000 captives, and all the craftsmen and the smiths. None remained, except the poorest people of the land. And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon. The king's mother, the king's wives, his officials, and the chief men of the land he took into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. And the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon all the men of valor, 7,000, and the craftsmen and the metal workers, 1,000, all of them strong and fit for war.

2 Kings 25:8–12

In the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month--that was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon--Nebuzaradan, the captain of the bodyguard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. And he burned the house of the LORD and the king's house and all the houses of Jerusalem; every great house he burned down. And all the army of the Chaldeans, who were with the captain of the guard, broke down the walls around Jerusalem. And the rest of the people who were left in the city and the deserters who had deserted to the king of Babylon, together with the rest of the multitude, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile. But the captain of the guard left some of the poorest of the land to be vinedressers and plowmen.

Consider, too, that Noah and his family disembarked the ark to find the land empty, and themselves the sole heirs of everything.

Genesis 8:13–17

In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. Then God said to Noah, "Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons' wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all flesh--birds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth--that they may swarm on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply on the earth."

The word for "poor" (πτωχός) is literally, "a beggar." It comes from a word (πτώσσω) that indicates shrinking from others, cowering, or crouching.

The attitude of being "poor in spirit" is captured well in Psalm 86:

Psalm 86:1–7

A Prayer of David.
Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am godly;
save your servant, who trusts in you--you are my God.
Be gracious to me, O Lord,
for to you do I cry all the day.
Gladden the soul of your servant,
for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;
listen to my plea for grace.
In the day of my trouble I call upon you,
for you answer me.

James discusses our treatment of the poor at length in 2:1–13, but verse 5 clearly refers to this Beatitude:

James 2:5

Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?

The Revelation addresses a lack of a poor-in-spirit attitude in the church at Laodicea:

Revelation 3:16–18

"Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, 'I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,' not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see."

Mourning as Repentance

James has this beatitude in mind in his 4th chapter, especially as he clearly refers to it in verse 10.

James 4:7–10

Submit yourselves therefore to God.

Resist the devil,
and he will flee from you.
Draw near to God,
and he will draw near to you.
Cleanse your hands, you sinners,
and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Be wretched and mourn and weep.
Let your laughter be turned to mourning
and your joy to gloom.
Humble yourselves before the Lord,
and he will exalt you.

Lamentations may capture the clearest prefigure of this beatitude. The people must confront their sins and repent, and God will restore!

Lamentations 5:15–19, 21

The joy of our hearts has ceased;
our dancing has been turned to mourning.
The crown has fallen from our head;
woe to us, for we have sinned!
For this our heart has become sick,
for these things our eyes have grown dim,
for Mount Zion which lies desolate;
jackals prowl over it.
But you, O LORD, reign forever;
your throne endures to all generations.
…
Restore us to yourself, O LORD,
that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old….

Nehemiah mourned over the destruction of Jerusalem. His fasting and prayers had a good result in its ultimate restoration.

Nehemiah 1:3–4

And they said to me, "The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire." As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Sin in the camp at Corinth was cause for mourning. The church should have mourned over the one acting in such a way, and Paul feared he might also have to mourn on his arrival if he should find no repentance.

1 Corinthians 5:2

And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you.

2 Corinthians 12:21

I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.

Ezra and all Israel mourned their own sinful practices in joining the nations.

Ezra 9:1–2

After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, "The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost."

Ezra 10:1–6

While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly. And Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, addressed Ezra: "We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. Therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the Law. Arise, for it is your task, and we are with you; be strong and do it." Then Ezra arose and made the leading priests and Levites and all Israel take an oath that they would do as had been said. So they took the oath. Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the chamber of Jehohanan the son of Eliashib, where he spent the night, neither eating bread nor drinking water, for he was mourning over the faithlessness of the exiles.

Ezra 10:16–17, 19

Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest selected men, heads of fathers' houses, according to their fathers' houses, each of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to examine the matter; and by the first day of the first month they had come to the end of all the men who had married foreign women….
They pledged themselves to put away their wives, and their guilt offering was a ram of the flock for their guilt.

The Revelation describes the church as a place where mourning has ceased. We rejoice in our repentance and the Lord's forgiveness!

Revelation 21:4

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

Mourning Turned to Joy

In the account of Jacob and his son Joseph, Jacob mourned the supposed death of his son severely. But Jacob was also comforted beyond what anyone might have expected: he not only saw Joseph again, but actually saw Joseph's sons!

Genesis 37:34–35

Then Jacob tore his garments and put sackcloth on his loins and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted and said, "No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning." Thus his father wept for him.

Genesis 48:10–11

Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. And Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also."

Esther turned Israel's mourning to joy.

Esther 4:3

And in every province, wherever the king's command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.

Esther 9:20–22

And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

The prophet Daniel mourned greatly over the future of God's people. God's words of comfort to him are especially moving.

Daniel 10:1–2

In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a word was revealed to Daniel, who was named Belteshazzar. And the word was true, and it was a great conflict. And he understood the word and had understanding of the vision. In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks.

Daniel 10:12

Then he said to me, "Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words."

The Suffering Servant

Psalm 35 tells of one who mourned together with others who were in pain. (Compare Romans 12:15, "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.") Unfortunately, they repaid the psalmist's kindness with evil. It is easy to see the psalmist's humble attitude in our Lord, and the closing verses describe a crucifixion scene all too well.

Psalm 35:11–16

Malicious witnesses rise up;
they ask me of things that I do not know.
They repay me evil for good;
my soul is bereft.
But I, when they were sick-- I wore sackcloth;
I afflicted myself with fasting;
I prayed with head bowed on my chest.
I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother;
as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning.
But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered;
they gathered together against me;
wretches whom I did not know
tore at me without ceasing;
like profane mockers at a feast,
they gnash at me with their teeth.

The prophet Isaiah relays a message about the Lord's Servant coming to "comfort all who mourn." Key to our understanding is the fact these are the poor and broken-hearted who are looking for a future for God's people.

Isaiah 61:1–4

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to grant to those who mourn in Zion--
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.
They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.

Mourning Wisdom

Solomon teaches wisdom about mourning's place in a sound heart.

Ecclesiastes 7:2–5

It is better to go to the house of mourning
than to go to the house of feasting,
for this is the end of all mankind,
and the living will lay it to heart.
Sorrow is better than laughter,
for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.
The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise
than to hear the song of fools.

Psalm 37:10–11

In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
The meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.

A clear reference to Psalm 37, a psalm of David, this Beatitude teaches we must place our trust in God and wait it out, knowing He will provide resolution.

Psalm 37:5

Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act.

Psalm 37 makes clear that to "inherit the land" is to persist long enough to be still standing in the end. The wicked won't get any land because they won't be there anymore by the time land is being passed down.

Psalm 37:7–9

Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.

Psalm 37:27–28

Turn away from evil and do good;
so shall you dwell forever.
For the LORD loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints.
They are preserved forever,
but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.

Psalm 37:34

Wait for the LORD and keep his way,
and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
you will look on when the wicked are cut off.

Psalm 37:37–38

Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
for there is a future for the man of peace.
But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

The word "meek" is often misunderstood as "weak," but its true meaning is a gentle strength.

The Greeks also used this word (πρᾶος) to describe horses as "gentle," and other animals as "tame." There is no real doubt a horse is strong, and many animals are a force to be reckoned with.

The emphasis of this Beatitude is on the spiritual. What is the true desire of our soul?

The Lord Satisfies The Soul's Desire

Perhaps the finest summary of the idea expressed in this Beatitude is Psalm 63.

Psalm 63:1–8

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live;
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
when I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

Psalm 107 expresses similar thoughts.

Psalm 107:1, 4–9

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!
…
Some wandered in desert wastes,
finding no way to a city to dwell in;
hungry and thirsty,
their soul fainted within them.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by a straight way
till they reached a city to dwell in.
Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!
For he satisfies the longing soul,
and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

Psalm 107:17–21

Some were fools through their sinful ways,
and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
they loathed any kind of food,
and they drew near to the gates of death.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
He sent out his word and healed them,
and delivered them from their destruction.
Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love,
for his wondrous works to the children of man!

Several passages of prophecy address spiritual hunger and thirst.

Isaiah 49:8–10

Thus says the LORD:
"In a time of favor I have answered you;
in a day of salvation I have helped you;
I will keep you and give you
as a covenant to the people,
to establish the land,
to apportion the desolate heritages,
saying to the prisoners, 'Come out,'
to those who are in darkness, 'Appear.'
They shall feed along the ways;
on all bare heights shall be their pasture;
they shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them.

Revelation 7:16

They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat.

Psalm 42:1–4

To the choirmaster. A Maskil of the Sons of Korah.

As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come
and appear before God?
My tears have been my food
day and night,
while they say to me all the day long,
"Where is your God?"
These things I remember,
as I pour out my soul:
how I would go with the throng
and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
a multitude keeping festival!

Physical Blessings For Spiritual Israel

There certainly were physical blessings for the physical nation of Israel. The people clearly understood the spiritual underpinnings of these physical blessings.

Nehemiah 9:15, 21

[The Levites said,] "You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give them.
…
Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

Nehemiah 9:26, 30, 31, 33

Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies.
…
Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.
…
Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.
…
You have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly.

The Woman at the Well

John 4:10, 15

"If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."
…
The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water."

John's gospel associates Jesus with a superior water from the beginning. Typically, those present do not initially see the spiritual meaning of His teaching.

1. John merely baptizes in water while Jesus batpizes in the Holy Spirit, as well (John 1:33).
2. Jesus turns water to juice at the Wedding in Cana as a sign to believers (John 2:1–11).
3. Jesus teaches Nicodemus about being born again of water and spirit, as foretold by John earlier (John 3:5).
4. At Jacob's well in Samaria, Jesus distinguishes the living water even from historic ancestral waters (John 4:5–43).

Feeding Thousands

Jesus did perform remarkable miracles to feed people on more than one occasion. He also, however, made clear the spiritual intent of the signs: the food was not the purpose, but rather the miracle that bears witness to Him.

Mark 8:4, 8

And his disciples answered him, "How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?"
…
And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.

John 6:26–27

Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal."

The apostles continued to maintain a firm boundary between "the food that perishes" and "the food that endures to eternal life."

1 Corinthians 11:34

…If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home.

The Apostles Prioritized the Spiritual

The apostles accepted unjust mistreatment from the world and from the churches in order to continue spreading their testimony about Jesus.

Philippians 4:11–13

I am not speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

1 Corinthians 4:9–14

I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless, and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.

The Water of Life

John 4:13–14

Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

John 7:37–39

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Revelation 22:17

The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

The Bread of Life

Jesus taught plainly that He is the Bread of Life. Though Israel ate manna during their wandering in the wilderness, that first generation still died there, not having seen the promised land. We feed on the spiritual food of Jesus's teaching daily, and we are to obtain salvation in the last day.

John 6:31–35

[They said,] "Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."

John 6:48–59

[Jesus said,] "I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever." Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

And Yet…

Nevertheless, Christians are unequivocally called to charity.

James 2:15–16

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

1 John 3:17–18

But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Israel of old was also called to hunger and thirst for righteousness by sharing with the hungry:

Isaiah 58:5–8

Is such the fast that I choose,
a day for a person to humble himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call this a fast,
and a day acceptable to the LORD?
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

Hebrews 2:11–12, 14–15, 17–18

…He is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying,
"I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise."
…
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
…
Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

The Law defines "merciful."

Exodus 22:26–27

If ever you take your neighbor's cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate [or, merciful].

Proverbs 11:17

A man who is kind benefits himself,
but a cruel man hurts himself.

Matthew 18:32–33, 35

'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'
…
[Jesus said,] "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."

The Pure See God

Jesus refers to teachings where the purity of our intent and service determine whether God accepts us.

Psalm 24:3–6

Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the LORD
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah

Psalm 73:1–3, 11, 16–17, 23–26

A Psalm of Asaph.
Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
…
And they say, "How can God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?"
…
But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task,
until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.
…
Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Isaiah 1:12–17

When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations--
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow's cause.

Purity in the New Testament

The term "pure" in Greek (καθαρός) literally means "clean, spotless, clear, free of debris." It is used both for physical cleanliness and spiritual, as for example in John 13:10, "The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you." The translators of the Septuagint had used this term for such things as "clean" foods and animals (e.g., Genesis 7:2), "innocence" of heart (e.g., Genesis 20:5), and "pure" gold (e.g., Exodus 25:17).

Acts 20:26–27

"Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent [literally, pure] of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God."

James 1:27

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

1 Peter 1:22–23

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God….

Hebrews refers to this Beatitude when calling us to holiness.

Hebrews 12:14

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

Peter brings a helpful contrasting commentary on our current life by faith, which is not by sight.

1 Peter 1:6–9

In this [hope] you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith--more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

The word "peacemakers" only occurs here in the New Testament and was not used in the Septuagint.

Perhaps the clearest example of one who was a peacemaker and became a child of God is Rahab the prostitute (Joshua 2, 6). She who was no Israelite became an ancestor of our Lord because she made peace with Him at the start.

Hebrews 11:31

By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies [literally, received the spies with peace].

It is also true that making peace with God often results in peace with men.

Proverbs 16:7

When a man's ways please the LORD,
he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Jew and Gentile

We cannot overlook the Bible theme of peace for all the nations of the world through the nation of Israel. All who obey the gospel today, making peace with God, become sons and daughters of God through the works and writings of ancient Israel.

When the Holy Spirit sent Peter to the Roman household of Cornelius, he and the rest in Jerusalem at first objected. But Peter and the rest came to realize God was making peace with the nations through them.

Acts 10:34–36, 45, 47; 11:17–18

So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all)…."
And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles….
"Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"
"…If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?" When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life."

Jesus is the peace between Jew and Gentile because He took on flesh--which we all have.

Ephesians 2:14–15, 17

For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace….
And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.

The acquisition of Gentiles to Israel was termed "a sowing of peace" in the prophet Zechariah. Where Israel had been a byword to the nations, they would become a blessing instead.

Zechariah 8:9–17, 23

Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Let your hands be strong…. For before [the temple was rebuilt] there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor. But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the LORD of hosts. For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong." For thus says the LORD of hosts: "As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of hosts, so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD…."
Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"

James 3:18–4:1, 4

And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you…? You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

This King speaks peace to the nations, leaving off the weapons of war.

Zechariah 9:9–10

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Romans 9 discusses at length what it means to be children of God by faith rather than according to the flesh. Paul makes clear that both Jews and Gentiles were in the mind of God, as evidenced by the prophecy of Hosea.

Romans 9:7–8, 22–26

Not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but "Through Isaac shall your offspring be named." This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring….
What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory-- even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? As indeed he says in Hosea, "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call 'beloved.'" "And in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'sons of the living God.'"

Pursue Peace and Restoration

Romans 14:14–15, 19–20

I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died….
So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.

2 Corinthians 13:11–14

Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Whose definition of peace?

Numbers 25:10–13

And the LORD said to Moses, "Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the people of Israel, in that he was jealous with my jealousy among them, so that I did not consume the people of Israel in my jealousy. Therefore say, 'Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel.'"

Romans 16:20

The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Matthew 5:43–45

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

1 John 3:1

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are….

Romans 8:5–7, 13–14

Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot….
For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Acts 5:27–29, 40–41

And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us." But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men…."

And…they beat [the apostles] and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then [the apostles] left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

Matthew 23:29–31

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, saying, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

Luke adds a direct address to this crowd listening to Jesus speak, which puts a fine point on the intended application of His teachings.

This beatitude in Luke corresponds to Matthew 5:4, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted," and is a clear reference to Sarah's tears turned to joy at the birth of Isaac—whose name means "laughter" since Sarah laughed at the idea she would become a mother.

Genesis 16:1–2

Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children…. And Sarai said to Abram, "Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children…."

Genesis 18:10–12

The LORD said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son." And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?"

Genesis 21:1, 6–7

The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised.
And Sarah said, "God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me." And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."

Luke's beatitude on persecution (which parallels Matthew 5:10–12) features the ostracization of persecution more prominently.

We commonly see the faithful are not directly maligned, but merely left out of the picture. The leadership of unfaithful congregations may refuse to acknowledge the existence of faithful congregations by not telling their own membership about them, not announcing their gospel meetings, or denying that they know them.

Still, the tactics of quarantine are often employed when the name of the faithful does come up. If Satan has his way, no one will be allowed to have an honest conversation with the faithful; they will first have been forewarned to distrust your every word.

Therefore, faithful Christians must be "wise as serpents and innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:26). Be forewarned by Jesus's teaching that you enter some conversations at a deficit, and go above and beyond to show patience and kindness, knowing that your Father's work needs to succeed in the hearts of men.