Day Four Matthew 5:8-10
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. – Matthew 5:8-10 (NLT)
Learn From the Word
Take note of who Jesus says is blessed in this first verse here – those who have a pure heart. Jesus’ audience would have probably heard this word with slightly different ears than we do today (watch this three-minute Bible Project video for a better understanding of the Israelites’ concept of the human heart). Without the pollution of sin to blind us, followers of Jesus have the greatest privilege of all – we will see God, both by faith here on earth, and in the future glory of heaven. Jesus has taught His followers how a transformed mindset leads to transformed sight, which leads to transformed desires and a transformed heart, and now leads to transformed actions. Disciples of Jesus will work for the kind of peace on earth that can only be found in Him. In turn, we should expect persecution for these right actions performed on His behalf.
Put It Into Practice
Remember how important it was to Jesus not to simply hear His words but to put them into practice. Jesus says that is a truly wise person. If you took action on Day One’s application already, today reach out to someone you don’t have peace with. Send them a text, pray for them, or find a way to serve them with a small gesture. Know that Jesus identifies with being persecuted for doing what’s right.
For Families with Kids at Home
Sometimes it can be hard for our kids to be peace makers. Siblings, classmates, adults who tell them “no” – there are lots of opportunities to push back! But when we let Jesus into our hearts, He helps us to be peacemakers with those around us, even if it isn’t easy. Talk to your kids about what it means to be a peacemaker – that it’s not simply passively going along with things, but instead making a conscious choice to be kind, even when the other person chooses not to.