I am blessed? Are you blessed? I want to be blessed more!

[Thundarstick]

Mat 5:3-11

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

I want to be blessed!



I'm concerned with mercy. I hear it thrown around a lot, but can one be merciful unless they have the power to hurt someone in the first place?

[claude]

I'm concerned with mercy.

Blessed are the merciful, (Strong's #G1655)for they will be shown mercy.(Strong's #1653)

#1655
ἐλεήμων
eleēmōn
el-eh-ay'-mone
From G1653; compassionate (actively): - merciful.

#1653
ἐλεέω
eleeō
el-eh-eh'-o
From G1656; to compassionate (by word or deed, specifically by divine grace): - have compassion (pity on), have (obtain, receive, shew) mercy (on).

#1656
ἔλεος
eleos
el'-eh-os
Of uncertain affinity; compassion (human or divine, especially active): - (+ tender) mercy.

Dictionary.com
Compassion
1.
a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

Merriam-Webster
Compassion
: sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it

I have no idea whether that helps, but it is your answer after a fashion.

[Thundarstick]

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercy

Why not post the full definition?

I guess that's what we get with words that have multiple meaning depending on the context it's used in. I know many times compassion and mercy are used with the same meaning, but are they the same? It looks to me like compassion is a feeling that really requires no action. Where mercy requires action that's in ones power to give. ie, a judge commuting a sentence, or a law officer giving me a warning, or a land lord being flexible with tenets, etc. I can be compassionate and pity you, yet it may not be in my power to act on your behalf.

[claude]

Why not post the full definition?

You sir, will have to decide what meaning to assign mercy/compassion, and live with it to your satisfaction.

[Blackwater]

This seems to me at least a bit of a "trick question." When you state that one who demonstrates mercy must have the power to hurt, well, this seems patently obvious. Perhaps the one to receive the mercy had previously been trying to hurt the one who has to deal with the question of mercy. In that event, demonstrating mercy despite the ensuing ire and will to "take an eye for an eye," must overcome all those things if he's to exhibit mercy. And too, mercy isn't always fitting or proper, IMO. If the one whose mercy as a recipient is in question, would remain a serious threat to our well being and safety, and that of all those we love, then maybe it's most righteous to kill them, or "tie their hands" in whatever way may be necessary in order to keep them from being an ongoing threat. That's why we have prisons - to keep those we can't righteously kill from being a plague upon us. There ARE degrees of mercy. Certainly it's more merciful to imprison someone rather than to take their lives, isn't it? And there are other things on the scales of justice and mercy. It's up to us to execute any judgment with a clear and fair minded conscience. Mercy isn't something that can be ladled out like soup. It's sometimes, a matter of judgment. The same Christ that gave us the above verses, also said, "A strong man armed keepeth his house in good order."

Taking any section of the Word, and holding it up as THE Word, diminishes the totality of the Word. We have been given much advice and instruction. It's up to us how and when we use it, and how. No section or passage or set of passages in the Bible stands on its own, but must, I believe, be viewed as a PART of the message Christ intended for us to receive. It CAN be confusing, when we don't understand the totality of it (and none of us probably does that!), but the more we know of the Word, the better the decisions we can make.

That's my take on it, anyway, FWIW?

[Thundarstick]

First, thank you booth for things to research and look at from other angles. I'm realizing more and more that everyone has an ax to grind when they preach a sermon, teach a Bible class, or publish a religious article (or post here! Yikes!) I'm beginning to see the wisdom in bouncing some things around in here, it gives me angles to study and think on.

[claude]

You're welcome.

If I may, and be assured this is not a correction. We each of us see through our own eyes and it is hard to know what the other person sees. As an example, if I show a picture of a man and a dog walking beside a stream to fifteen people, then ask them independently to describe what they see, I will get fifteen separate descriptions, some rudimentary, others in minute detail, the rest fall in between, none will describe it in total. Some will describe things not there, but they are sure they saw it because they heard it was there from somebody who said they looked at it. The advantage to hearing their descriptions gives me a rounder picture than I would get just looking at it by myself, and allows me to accept, or reject those things I choose. The point being, the bible is the picture, it is seen differently by each pair of eyes.

We are responsible for what we believe, we must choose, rather than accept what we are told, because like Adam trying to blame Eve, it ain't that they gave it to us, it is that we accepted it. We are accountable to One, The Father, and He didn't buy Adam's line, and He won't buy ours if we go that direction.

OK, that's all I got, that is how I see it. YMMV

[Blackwater]

Like Tstick, I see things here regarded from angles I'd never quite seen them from myself in the past. THIS, I think, is one of the great benefits of this section of the board. Each of us, I believe, WANTS to see and understand more. This is a great place for that to happen. And a large part of what makes this place that way is the simple character of the bulk of us here! I thank God for a place like this, and guys like all of you here who post such great things, that really make me think, and see things from different angles than I have heretofore. it's always enlightening! Thanks to all of you.