Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 5:7
A merciful person forgives the guilty and has compassion on the needy and the suffering. A meek person acknowledges to others that he or she is sinful, but a merciful person has compassion on others because they are sinful. [Note: John R. W. Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount, p. 48.] Notice that Jesus did not specify a situation or situations in which the merciful person displays mercy because he or she is characteristically merciful. The promise applies in many different... read more
Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Matthew 5:3-10
2. The subjects of Jesus’ kingdom 5:3-16Their condition 5:3-10 (cf. Luke 6:20-26)This pericope describes the character of the kingdom’s subjects and their rewards in the kingdom.Kingsbury identified the theme of this Sermon as "greater righteousness" and divided it as follows: (I) On Those Who Practice the Greater Righteousness (Matthew 5:3-16); (II) On Practicing the Greater Righteousness toward the Neighbor (Matthew 5:17-45); (III) On Practicing the Greater Righteousness before God (Matthew... read more