I am a Jesus pusher!!! The first four Beatitudes focus on our direct response to Jesus; the last four Beatitudes focus on the flow of Jesus through us to our world. The first one is mercy. Expressed through the child of the Kingdom is a compassionate, benevolent, and merciful involvement of thought and action, the heart of Jesus. The mercy of Jesus is experienced in the Kingdom; therefore the child of the Kingdom is merciful. This enables Him to experience more mercy.
The child of the Kingdom who has this heart interacts with his world in a state of holiness. He is pure in heart. This purity is not contained in laws or duty, but in condition and inner sincerity. Is it his personal holiness? Can he claim ownership to it as if he produces it? All the previous Beatitudes declare, “No!” He dwells in the state of the Kingdom, Jesus. The nature of Jesus is now his nature. His helplessness, poor in spirit, drives him to “mourning” over the devastation and destruction of his own self-effort. “Meekness” and hunger and thirst compel him to focus on Jesus. Mercy and pure in heart are his living experience.
This child of the Kingdom lives in “peace.” “Peace” radiates and permeates all his surroundings. It is not the absence of conflict, but the reigning of the King of Rightness. In fact, this dominates within the circumstances of “persecution.” This child does not respond from outward pressure and conflict, but reacts from the inner heart of Jesus, the state of the Kingdom. Jesus embraces him. I am Jesus pusher!!!