Matthew 5:6-11

Rachel Workman: 6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
    for they will be satisfied. Oh I hunger for justice alright but in the wrong ways. To have the heart of God must be agonizing. Imagine serving what is just to your child who has turned from God but to evil. And you still loving that child and having to sentence them to hell. If we think we've seen hell on this earth we are mistaken. The hell that awaits those who chose evil is worse than anything we've seen on this earth. I've seen disappointment in my children. And I'm very aware of their faults but I still love them. And I would never with that on them.
7 God blesses those who are merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy. Another area I fail in.
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. I think I have less patience with people who do not strive for peace than I do any another. I'm not talking about someone who says something they don't mean at times. I mean people who set out to destroy other people through "stirring the pot" constantly. That is inexcusable to me. Again, I do not have the heart of God. And I'm still not who God needs me to be.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
    for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way.

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John Burnett:  ⁶ “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  I take for granted that I have been imputed Christ’s righteousness.  My hunger and thirst is more like an occasional curiosity.

⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  My job requires me to dole out consequences but I show mercy when it is appropriate.

⁸ “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  I have posted Phillipians 4:8 above my desk to help me in this area.

⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 

¹⁰ “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  The time is coming when we will be persecuted.  Christians are already labeled as terrorists on the Army’s list of terrorism groups.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  I have had this happen to me many times.  I have finally gotten to the point where it no longer bothers me and this verse is one of the big reasons why.  God’s blessing overrides any insult anyone could make towards me.

Heavenly Father,  give the thirst and hunger to be righteous in your sight even though you have already imputed Christ’s righteousness to me.  Remind me to be merciful and the reason why I should be.  Because you were so merciful to me.  Help me to dwell on the things that are pure and honorable and not those things that desecrate your Temple.  When persecution comes remind me that I am an overcomer and you will give me the strength to get through anything.  When people accuse me of things or insult me, remind me that I belong to you and will be blessed because of what they say.  Most importantly, thank you for dying on the cross to save me from the consequences of my sins.

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Allen Michaels:  ⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.

"Hunger and thirst" speaks of a deep need and a driving passion. This "righteousness" refers to the Lord, Jesus Christ, our righteousness. To "be filled" is the satisfaction of the soul's desire.

⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.

Simply put, we reap what we sow. Those who demonstrate mercy will receive mercy. Likewise, those who know great mercy will show great mercy. This mercy is shown through forgiveness and also by offering kindness and compassion toward others.

⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.

The "pure in heart" are those who have been cleansed from within. This is not talking about outward righteousness seen by men, but inward holiness that only God can see. The Bible says in Hebrews 12:14 that without holiness, no man will see God.

⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.

The Bible says we have peace with God through Jesus Christ. Reconciliation through Jesus Christ brings restored fellowship (peace) with God. 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 says God entrusts us with this same message of reconciliation to take to others.

¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Just as Jesus faced persecution, so he promised his followers persecution. Those who endure because of their faith rather than hiding their righteousness to avoid persecution are genuine followers of Christ.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

When Jesus says “blessed are they,” He is not only describing them as being filled with an inner sense of joy and peace because they are right with God, but He is praising them for their character and pledging divine rewards for it.