A Kingdom manifesto is a public declaration that describes the cultural characteristics of the citizens living within this kingdom.

Matthew 5:1-12 (ESV)

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Matthew 5:7

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."

What is mercy, and where does it come from?

Mercy = moving with compassion and forgiveness toward others

Mercy comes from mercy. Our mercy to each other comes from God’s mercy to us.

The bedrock essence of being merciful is connected to the undeserved mercy of God.

It takes a tremendous amount of strength to show mercy.

Mercy is not passive; it is active.

What should a merciful person look like?

A merciful person retaliates with mercy.

“Retaliate” just means to give it back.

Matthew 5:38

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'"

The opposite of mercy is getting even.

Matthew 5:39

"But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also."

Matthew 5:40-41

"And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles."

When we retaliate with mercy, we connect people with the transforming mercies of God.

Most of us want justice when we are offended. Most of us want mercy when we are the offender.

"Mercy and forgiveness must be free and unmerited to the wrongdoer. If the wrongdoer has to do something to merit it, then it isn’t mercy. - Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God

A merciful person shows mercy towards the sinful.

Matthew 9:10-13

And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Hosea 6:6

"I desire mercy, and not sacrifice."

Matthew 9:36-38

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

A merciful person shows mercy to those in need.

Luke 10:30-37

Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

What does mercy look like to those in need?

Mercy sees distress. (Verse 33)

Mercy responds internally with a heart of compassion towards a person in distress. (Verse 33)

Mercy is something that we should feel when we see someone in need.

We should feel the tension between mercy and personal responsibility.

Mercy responds externally with a practical effort to relieve the distress. (Verses 34-35)

Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.

Mercy is how we act, even if the person in distress is an enemy. (Verse 30)

“The unmerciful person is most certainly unhappy. His sympathies are all dried up; he is afflicted with a chronic jaundice, and lives timidly and darkly in a little, narrow rat-hole of distrust.” - E.H. Chapin, Living Words