These passages support the Beatitude: 'Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.' (Matthew 5:7)
To be merciful in this Beatitude means to forgive whenever forgiveness is needed and to love our neighbours whenever they are in need.
1. Jesus' Arrest: (Luke 22:47-53) - Jesus is arrested in the Mount of Olives. Here, one of the disciples struck out at one of the arrestors and cut his right ear off. Jesus heals it.
In the Bible passage of Jesus' arrest, we can see how this passage supports the Beatitude. Jesus loved His enemy who was in extreme pain after having his right ear cut off: Jesus healed his ear even though he was one of the arrestors. Jesus also loved them by not fighting back. Today, if we see someone hurt, even if they are our enemy, we can still love them .
2. Jesus Forgiving His Condemners on the Cross: (Luke 23:33-34) - Here Jesus is crucified, and Jesus asks God to forgive those who are crucifying Him and forgives them Himself.
Here we can see that in the moment when Jesus is experiencing extreme pain , in fact torturous amounts of pain, He still chooses to forgive them. He loves them even though they are killing Him. He doesn't fight back or hurl insults at them but continues to love them. Today, we, in moments of extreme pain or anxiety can still love others. Jesus uncourageous us to always love and forgive, no-matter what the circumstances are.
3. The Adulterer: (John 8:1-11) - The Scribes and Pharisees bring Jesus an adulterous women. They wanted to accuse Him of something that He might say against Moses' law. Jesus wrote in the ground and said "Let the man among you who has no sin be the first to cast a stone at her." They all left and Jesus told the women that He didn't condemn her and not to do this sin again.
We are able to see that this Bible story links to the Beatitude above because Jesus forgave the women of her sins. He loved her and gave her another chance (both at survival and not to sin again). He loved her and stood up for her allowing her to have another chance and to be a better person. This helps us to realise that today, if someone is in need of forgiveness and love, that we should always grant them this so that they an start again.
4. The Good Samaritan: (Luke 10:25-37) - This is a famous parable of a Samaritan who was the only person to stop and help a Jew (Samaritans and Jews always had nothing to do with each other).
This Samaritan loved like the Beatitude Jesus gave us asks us to. This man who was of a group which didn't associate with Jews put aside all hatred of the Jew to save His life. This enables us to see that forgiveness is for anyone, regardless of race gender or class. In the Beatitude, Jesus asks us to love those in need, and here the Samaritan did this and saved His life.
5. The Lost Sheep: (Luke 15:1-7) - This parable is about a sheep which wonders off from 100 sheep. The Shepard leaves the 99 to go and find the 1 lost sheep where he brings him safely home. This is quite symbolic of God and us.
Jesus once again shows us that both forgiveness and love regardless of who the person is, is incredibly important. This parable supports the Beatitude above by showing again that it is important to forgive and love everyone. Jesus shares that those found straying form sin will be given the chance to start again and are loved and always forgiven by God. Which helps us to see that we can do the same like the parable says and God will forgive and love us.
6. The Prodigal Son: (Luke 15:11-32) - This is one of Jesus' parables about a son who goes and leaves home where he squanders his inheritance from his father and then comes back home asking for forgiveness.
This parable enables us to understand that we will be forgiven and loved by God and in turn we can also do the same to others, no matter what they do (even to you). In the Beatitudes, Jesus asks us to love and forgive like this parable tells us too and that Jesus will do the same for us. By loving and forgiving others, we are following this Beatitude and following Jesus' way of living.
7. Love of Enemies: (Matthew 5:43-48) - Jesus, in this story, very directly asks us to do what God does and forgive those, even your enemies and love them.
Jesus says to love every single person that you meet no matter who they are and says that the sun rises on the good and bad, and God makes the sun rises - therefore he loves us all. If we are to be like Jesus we must do the same thing. The Beatitude above is clearly supported here that we should love our neighbour just as God loves everyone.
8. A Penitent Woman Anoints the Feet of Jesus: (Luke 7:36-50) - In this story, Jesus is at a house when a women comes in crying and kissing and cleaning His feet, asking for forgiveness.
This story uncourageous us to love and forgive others as well as to ask for forgiveness form God. God will forgive us and love us if we do this to others.
Beatitude: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.' (Matthew 5:3)
For a person to be "poor in spirit" means for a person to totally depend/rely on God
1. The Storm on the Lake: (Mark 4:35-40) - Jesus is travelling on a boat with his disciples when there is a storm. He was asleep at the time and they came and woke Him up. They said that they were going to drown and then Jesus calmed the storm.
Here the disciples did not rely on Jesus and thought that they were going to drown. They did not realise that God made the seas and the wind and so did not trust in Jesus. They would have died and not been able to continue the work of Jesus which is an important aspect of this Beatitude. Today, we need to realise that we need to rely on God: be humble to listen to God's will so that we can listen to what God wants of us and do it.
2. The Necessity of Faith in Christ: (John 3:16-21) - Jesus speaks that it is very important to have faith in Him so that we can avoid condemnation.
We need to rely on God so that we can be saved and do His will. If we do not rely on God for all things and have faith in Him, we will be further from Jesus and be unable to do His will.
3. Two Blind Men: (Matthew 9:27-31) - Two men go to Jesus for help and ask to be cured.
The two men had to rely on God for their cure. This relates to the Beatitude in that we should rely on God for everything and have total faith that He will accomplish it. The two men had to have complete faith in God, otherwise it would not work. This shows that they relied on God for their site (maybe site into Jesus and His majesty). They relied on God which made them humble and enabled them to see that they can now here Gods and try to carry it out.
4. Trust in God's Providence: (Matthew 6:25-34) - Here, Jesus says that we must trust I God and rely on Him to provide with what we need.
By trusting in God, He will give us what we need and enable to us to be more humble in order to complete the tasks we need to complete in life.
5. The Rich Man: (Mark 10:17-31) - A rich man comes to Jesus and asks to follow, but he cannot because he is to attached to His worldly possessions to follow Jesus.
This man did not rely on God like the Beatitude says to do and he could therefore not experience heaven on earth by following Jesus. He was unable to be humble and realise that God gives all and therefore unable to here his call and complete Gods will for him.
6. Jesus Sends out the Twelve: (Matthew 10) - The twelve disciples are sent out to preach and spread the word.
Jesus instructs the twelve disciples to preach and heal those in need. He says to rely on the people and on God for providence. This means that by relying on God they become humble and are more open to Gods will and can therefor do His will and preach. They will be able to experience heaven. Today, we can rely on God for all things so that we too can become more humble and here Gods will for us and bring His will to fulfilment.
Below are websites which contain the corresponding Bible passages:
'Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.' (Matthew 5:7)
To be merciful in this Beatitude means to forgive whenever forgiveness is needed and to love our neighbours whenever they are in need.
1. Jesus' Arrest: (Luke 22:47-53) - Jesus is arrested in the Mount of Olives. Here, one of the disciples struck out at one of the arrestors and cut his right ear off. Jesus heals it.
In the Bible passage of Jesus' arrest, we can see how this passage supports the Beatitude. Jesus loved His enemy who was in extreme pain after having his right ear cut off: Jesus healed his ear even though he was one of the arrestors. Jesus also loved them by not fighting back. Today, if we see someone hurt, even if they are our enemy, we can still love them .
2. Jesus Forgiving His Condemners on the Cross: (Luke 23:33-34) - Here Jesus is crucified, and Jesus asks God to forgive those who are crucifying Him and forgives them Himself.
Here we can see that in the moment when Jesus is experiencing extreme pain , in fact torturous amounts of pain, He still chooses to forgive them. He loves them even though they are killing Him. He doesn't fight back or hurl insults at them but continues to love them. Today, we, in moments of extreme pain or anxiety can still love others. Jesus uncourageous us to always love and forgive, no-matter what the circumstances are.
3. The Adulterer: (John 8:1-11) - The Scribes and Pharisees bring Jesus an adulterous women. They wanted to accuse Him of something that He might say against Moses' law. Jesus wrote in the ground and said "Let the man among you who has no sin be the first to cast a stone at her." They all left and Jesus told the women that He didn't condemn her and not to do this sin again.
We are able to see that this Bible story links to the Beatitude above because Jesus forgave the women of her sins. He loved her and gave her another chance (both at survival and not to sin again). He loved her and stood up for her allowing her to have another chance and to be a better person. This helps us to realise that today, if someone is in need of forgiveness and love, that we should always grant them this so that they an start again.
4. The Good Samaritan: (Luke 10:25-37) - This is a famous parable of a Samaritan who was the only person to stop and help a Jew (Samaritans and Jews always had nothing to do with each other).
This Samaritan loved like the Beatitude Jesus gave us asks us to. This man who was of a group which didn't associate with Jews put aside all hatred of the Jew to save His life. This enables us to see that forgiveness is for anyone, regardless of race gender or class. In the Beatitude, Jesus asks us to love those in need, and here the Samaritan did this and saved His life.
5. The Lost Sheep: (Luke 15:1-7) - This parable is about a sheep which wonders off from 100 sheep. The Shepard leaves the 99 to go and find the 1 lost sheep where he brings him safely home. This is quite symbolic of God and us.
Jesus once again shows us that both forgiveness and love regardless of who the person is, is incredibly important. This parable supports the Beatitude above by showing again that it is important to forgive and love everyone. Jesus shares that those found straying form sin will be given the chance to start again and are loved and always forgiven by God. Which helps us to see that we can do the same like the parable says and God will forgive and love us.
6. The Prodigal Son: (Luke 15:11-32) - This is one of Jesus' parables about a son who goes and leaves home where he squanders his inheritance from his father and then comes back home asking for forgiveness.
This parable enables us to understand that we will be forgiven and loved by God and in turn we can also do the same to others, no matter what they do (even to you). In the Beatitudes, Jesus asks us to love and forgive like this parable tells us too and that Jesus will do the same for us. By loving and forgiving others, we are following this Beatitude and following Jesus' way of living.
7. Love of Enemies: (Matthew 5:43-48) - Jesus, in this story, very directly asks us to do what God does and forgive those, even your enemies and love them.
Jesus says to love every single person that you meet no matter who they are and says that the sun rises on the good and bad, and God makes the sun rises - therefore he loves us all. If we are to be like Jesus we must do the same thing. The Beatitude above is clearly supported here that we should love our neighbour just as God loves everyone.
8. A Penitent Woman Anoints the Feet of Jesus: (Luke 7:36-50) - In this story, Jesus is at a house when a women comes in crying and kissing and cleaning His feet, asking for forgiveness.
This story uncourageous us to love and forgive others as well as to ask for forgiveness form God. God will forgive us and love us if we do this to others.
Beatitude: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.' (Matthew 5:3)
For a person to be "poor in spirit" means for a person to totally depend/rely on God
1. The Storm on the Lake: (Mark 4:35-40) - Jesus is travelling on a boat with his disciples when there is a storm. He was asleep at the time and they came and woke Him up. They said that they were going to drown and then Jesus calmed the storm.
Here the disciples did not rely on Jesus and thought that they were going to drown. They did not realise that God made the seas and the wind and so did not trust in Jesus. They would have died and not been able to continue the work of Jesus which is an important aspect of this Beatitude. Today, we need to realise that we need to rely on God: be humble to listen to God's will so that we can listen to what God wants of us and do it.
2. The Necessity of Faith in Christ: (John 3:16-21) - Jesus speaks that it is very important to have faith in Him so that we can avoid condemnation.
We need to rely on God so that we can be saved and do His will. If we do not rely on God for all things and have faith in Him, we will be further from Jesus and be unable to do His will.
3. Two Blind Men: (Matthew 9:27-31) - Two men go to Jesus for help and ask to be cured.
The two men had to rely on God for their cure. This relates to the Beatitude in that we should rely on God for everything and have total faith that He will accomplish it. The two men had to have complete faith in God, otherwise it would not work. This shows that they relied on God for their site (maybe site into Jesus and His majesty). They relied on God which made them humble and enabled them to see that they can now here Gods and try to carry it out.
4. Trust in God's Providence: (Matthew 6:25-34) - Here, Jesus says that we must trust I God and rely on Him to provide with what we need.
By trusting in God, He will give us what we need and enable to us to be more humble in order to complete the tasks we need to complete in life.
5. The Rich Man: (Mark 10:17-31) - A rich man comes to Jesus and asks to follow, but he cannot because he is to attached to His worldly possessions to follow Jesus.
This man did not rely on God like the Beatitude says to do and he could therefore not experience heaven on earth by following Jesus. He was unable to be humble and realise that God gives all and therefore unable to here his call and complete Gods will for him.
6. Jesus Sends out the Twelve: (Matthew 10) - The twelve disciples are sent out to preach and spread the word.
Jesus instructs the twelve disciples to preach and heal those in need. He says to rely on the people and on God for providence. This means that by relying on God they become humble and are more open to Gods will and can therefor do His will and preach. They will be able to experience heaven. Today, we can rely on God for all things so that we too can become more humble and here Gods will for us and bring His will to fulfilment.
Below are websites which contain the corresponding Bible passages:
'Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.' (Matthew 5:7)
'Blessed are the poor in spirit: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.' (Matthew 5:3)