Beatitude 5: Showing Mercy Like Jesus
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the side of a mountain and sat down. Jesus' disciples gathered around him, 2 and he taught them: 3 God blesses those people who depend only on him. They belong to the kingdom of heaven! 4 God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort! 5 God blesses those people who are humble. The earth will belong to them! 6 God blesses those people who want to obey him more than to eat or drink. They will be given what they want! 7 God blesses those people who are merciful. They will be treated with mercy! 8 God blesses those people whose hearts are pure. They will see him! 9 God blesses those people who make peace. They will be called his children! 10 God blesses those people who are treated badly for doing right. They belong to the kingdom of heaven. 11 God will bless you when people insult you, mistreat you, and tell all kinds of evil lies about you because of me. 12 Be happy and excited! You will have a great reward in heaven. People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago.
Matthew 5:1-12
Memory Verse
Matthew 5:7
7 God blesses those people who are merciful. They will be treated with mercy!
One day, Jesus sat down on a mountain to teach the crowd of people who were following him. At the beginning of this message, he taught the Beatitudes. “Beatitudes” is a fancy word for “blessings.” The Beatitudes explain what it means to live as a friend of Jesus, as a child of God! Jesus said, “God blesses those people who are merciful. They will be treated with mercy!” Do you know what “mercy” means? It means to show compassion or care for people. It also means to forgive others.
Jesus showed mercy each and every day on earth. He went from place to place and did miracles. He healed people who were hurting. He even fed 5,000 people with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish because he knew they were hungry and had compassion for them. And even when people weren’t showing him mercy, he showed mercy to them. When the Romans and Jerusalem’s leaders were crucifying him on the cross, Jesus asked God to forgive those who were hurting him.
None of us are as perfect as Jesus. In fact, we all have sinned, and our sin separates us from God. But because God showed mercy on us by sending Jesus to die for our sins, we can be a part of God’s family forever and ever!
Since God was so merciful to us, we should show mercy to others. How can you do that? You can be compassionate and care about how others feel. If someone needs help carrying their books, you can lend a hand. If a little sibling or cousin is upset, you can help them feel better. You can forgive your classmates when they say or do something that hurts you, even before they ask for forgiveness.
This week, think of the mercy Jesus showed to the people he healed and to the crowd of hungry people. Thank him for the compassion he showed you on the cross, and ask for his help to show others mercy each day.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for the Beatitudes, which teach me how to show your love every day. Thank you for Jesus showing me mercy by coming to earth and dying on the cross. Please help me to be merciful to others by showing compassion and forgiveness like Jesus. Amen.Related Resources
Areo Keller-Donahue
As soon as Areo could pick up a popsicle stick, she was making puppets and putting on plays that shared her faith with her neighbors. Areo grew up with a strong interest in musical theatre and earned her BFA at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Areo was led to use artistic gifts to share the gospel with young ones, and she became involved in ministry. She has worked in children's ministry at Redeemer Upper West Side and North Way Christian Community and is currently developing a musical live-action series that celebrates faith and fun. Areo and her husband live in Pittsburgh, where they enjoy spending time with their families and adorable cat, Daisy.