Injustice seems rampant today. We hunger for wrongs to be righted, yet showing mercy appears weak and lets the offender off the hook. So how do we reconcile Jesus’ teaching for us to want justice, but also freely give mercy? In this video, we see how Jesus flips the script by redefining our understanding of justice and mercy, what it would look like for us to live as people of justice and mercy, and how living out Jesus’ radical, countercultural teachings leads us towards lives of peace, contentment, and purpose that we’ve been craving.
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MESSAGE NOTES
[Matthew 5:6-7]
“God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
“Blesses” means to favor with contentment, satisfaction, joy, fulfillment.
So, what does it mean to “hunger and thirst for justice”?
- Greek, dikaios which means “just” or “right.”
- It conveys the idea of living rightly in accordance with God’s standard of morality and virtue.
In reality, to seek Justice/Righteousness is to fill the hole back in. It is a restoration of the way things ought to be.
[Isaiah 1:17]
“Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”
[Micah 6:8]
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
[Jeremiah 22:3]
“This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor, the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.”
[1 John 3:7]
“Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.”
[Colossians 3:12-13]
“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.”
[1 Peter 1:15-16]
“But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.””
[Ephesians 5:1]
“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you, because you are his dear children.”
In a world filled with injustice and oppression, corruption, deceit, selfishness and lies…we are tempted to responded in one of two ways:
Become apathetic, cynical, or lose hope and give up
Or our desire for things to be fair has turned our hearts away from God to other means (kingdoms) to settle the score
Jesus doesn’t say that we should ignore sin in our hearts or in our culture. Point out the problem and become part of the solution.
Where do you see evil in the world?
What good are doing in the world to fill the hole that evil has left?
What evil do you see in your own heart?
What parts of your life would God describe as Unrighteous?
How hungry are you for your sin to no longer live in you?
What are you doing about it?
Where do you need to show mercy?
– To those who make mistakes.
– To those who let us down.
– To those far from God.
– To ourselves
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Application Questions
- What stood out to you from this message and why?
- What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?
- What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?
- How will this message change how you act at home, at work, and in your relationships?