February 1, 2026 "Blessed Are Those Who Seek Justice For All"
Wed Feb 04 2026
We're dealing with the second half of the Beatitudes today. First a brief recap of where we were last week, and then jumping right into the rest of it.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. This is not at all how the world works. But when mercy is shown, it has the power to transform. Not only the one being shown mercy, but the one who is merciful. This is how we start making a better world. Instead of retribution, we show mercy and grace.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. This one is a hard one, and lots of people have weighed in and I'm really not sure, but let's take a crack at it. This one makes me uncomfortable to begin with. Pure of heart sounds like, spotless, untainted, perfect. We immediately connect it to some kind of moral perfection. But what if it's something different? What if pure heart refers to an undivided heart? A fearful heart sees a threatening God. A shameful heart sees a condemning God. A controlling heart sees a micromanaging God. What if we dwelled on the divine and the things of the divine? Things that are true, noble, right, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. When we desire those things - desire the divine and the things of God suddenly the whole world becomes charged with the presence of God. Blessed are the pure in heart.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Let's talk about a whole lot of other blesseds. Blessed are those who are brave enough to shake up the status quo. Blessed are those who are courageous enough to speak truth to power. Blessed are those who are willing to jump into the fray and speak words of grace and peace.
This is tough stuff. If we actually start living this way, we should expect pushback. But Jesus says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of me, for theirs is the kingdom." God is on our side - with us - near.
Speaker: Aaron Vis
Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12
http://bible.com/events/49559249
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We're dealing with the second half of the Beatitudes today. First a brief recap of where we were last week, and then jumping right into the rest of it. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. This is not at all how the world works. But when mercy is shown, it has the power to transform. Not only the one being shown mercy, but the one who is merciful. This is how we start making a better world. Instead of retribution, we show mercy and grace. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. This one is a hard one, and lots of people have weighed in and I'm really not sure, but let's take a crack at it. This one makes me uncomfortable to begin with. Pure of heart sounds like, spotless, untainted, perfect. We immediately connect it to some kind of moral perfection. But what if it's something different? What if pure heart refers to an undivided heart? A fearful heart sees a threatening God. A shameful heart sees a condemning God. A controlling heart sees a micromanaging God. What if we dwelled on the divine and the things of the divine? Things that are true, noble, right, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. When we desire those things - desire the divine and the things of God suddenly the whole world becomes charged with the presence of God. Blessed are the pure in heart. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Let's talk about a whole lot of other blesseds. Blessed are those who are brave enough to shake up the status quo. Blessed are those who are courageous enough to speak truth to power. Blessed are those who are willing to jump into the fray and speak words of grace and peace. This is tough stuff. If we actually start living this way, we should expect pushback. But Jesus says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of me, for theirs is the kingdom." God is on our side - with us - near. Speaker: Aaron Vis Scripture: Matthew 5:1-12 http://bible.com/events/49559249