Since May 1, I have been preaching through the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 on Sunday mornings. It has been a very meaningful endeavor for me – and I pray for our church family. On May 22, we had made it to the fourth Beatitude – blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. The point of this proverbial statement is that as believers we should hunger and thirst for what is right and true. We should stand firm on God’s truth without vacillating or wavering. The problem that can arise when we do this is self-righteousness. Pride can make its way into our hearts through the smallest of spaces.
So the very next Beatitude Jesus gave us was, blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy. Jesus wanted to make sure that we strive to know and live by God’s truth but to do so with humility, love and mercy. He reminds us that we all need mercy, so far be it from us to withhold mercy from others.
This past Sunday, I felt it imperative to address the Orlando tragedy. I believe the Beatitudes we have been studying speak directly to our response to this horrific occurrence. The time to stand on a platform and push an agenda is not in the wake of a tragedy, but I have seen both sides of the LGBT issue do just that.
The bottom line is that human lives were lost – sexual preference has nothing to do with it. Every single life affected by this senseless act is a soul loved by God.
I am not suggesting that we should waver in our convictions on Biblical truth or compromise our beliefs. Scripture is clear in its exposure of same-sex activity as sin. But it is just as clear in its revelation of God’s love for every single human being.
Hold fast to God’s truth but do so with mercy, humility and love.
Father, I pray that my desire to know and hold to your truth will never cloud my vision of seeing others as you see them. May your love be evident in me today. Amen
Clay in the Hands 
Leave a Reply