Living in the Image of God M01S04
The second part of the Beatitudes (third through eighth) identifies four cardinal responsibilities of Living in the Image of God: Humility toward others, compassion (care for others and sensitivity to the needs of others), motivation for righteousness based on commitment to God’s purpose, and individual responsibility for peace and righteousness. The Beatitudes proclaim God’s promise of blessing for a person that commits to these responsibilities and lives according to the commitment.
In the first part of the Sermon on the Mount, referred to as the Beatitudes, Christ proclaims God’s promise of blessing for every person that performs his/her responsibilities of representing God in interactions with others. As we discuss under Resources for Living in the Image of God, the first three Beatitudes describe resources that God provides to guide us whereas the last six (i.e., Beatitudes 3–8) describe the human responsibilities. There are four cardinal responsibilities.
- Beatitude 3: Humility toward others.
- Beatitudes 4 and 5: Compassion (i.e., care for others and sensitivity to the needs of others).
- Beatitude 6: Motivation for righteousness based on commitment to God’s purpose.
- Beatitudes 7 and 8: Individual responsibility for peace and righteousness.
We discuss each of the cardinal responsibilities briefly in this bible study and provide more detailed discussion in future studies.
Humility Towards Others
Beatitude 3 provides a message of humility toward God (in relation to accessing the resources for Living in the Image of God) and humility toward other people (in relation to human responsibility in Living in the Image of God). Our discussion of Beatitude 3 in this study focuses on humility toward other people.
In Beatitude 3, Christ proclaims God’s promise of blessing for humility toward others: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” [Matthew 5:5]. Humility promotes an environment conducive to fulfilling God’s purpose for every person to represent him in interactions with others. Humility arises from recognizing that every person is potentially a channel that God may use to interact with you. Humility manifests as a promise of Godliness. A humble person is polite, attentive, responsive, peaceful, and truthful. In interactions with others, the person conveys a promise of care, diligence, appreciation, and obedience to authority; through spoken words, deeds, and over-all attitude.
Compassion: Care for Others and Sensitivity to Needs of Others
In Beatitudes 4 and 5, Christ proclaims God’s promise of blessing for a person that cares about others (i.e., desires to be good to others) and is sensitive to the needs of others: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” [Matthew 5:6] and “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” [Matthew 5:6]. Care for others motivates sensitivity to their needs.
CALL TO COMPASSION A “call to compassion” is when the need of others is brought to the attention of another person. Like in the Parable of the Good Samaritan when passers-by noticed that a man was down and needed help. As we discuss under Compassion—Sensitivity to Needs, God uses a “call to compassion” to invite a person to earn blessing by attending to the need of others. Beatitudes 4 and 5 proclaim God’s promise of blessing for a person that recognizes the need, cares about the needy, commits to doing what he or she can, and perseveres in seeking to alleviate the need.
Motivation for Righteousness
Beatitude 6 proclaims God’s promise of blessing for a person whose actions are motivated by commitment to God’s purpose: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” [Matthew 5:8]. Such a person is motivated to perform responsibilities in a call to compassion because he or she recognizes that providing service to alleviate the needs of others fulfills God’s purpose. Also, the person is motivated to make peace because he or she recognizes that peace fulfills God’s purpose. As we discuss in a previous study under Motivation for Righteousness, an act of righteousness pleases God if motivated by commitment to God’s purpose.
Individual Responsibility
Beatitudes 7 and 8 proclaim God’s promise of blessing for a person that performs his or her responsibilities in human interactions irrespective of others performing or failing to perform theirs: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” [Matthew 5:9] and “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” [Matthew 5:10]. Every person is individually accountable for his or her responsibilities in human interactions and relationships, independent of what others do or fail to do. Focus on doing the things that depend on you—the things you control, irrespective of the other party doing, misdoing, or failing to do the things that depend on them.
Apostle Paul amplified the message of Beatitudes 7 and 8 in his letter to Romans: “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” [Romans 12:18]. As we discuss in a previous study under Individually Accountable, a positive understanding of Paul’s message is that a person should explore possible options to find an approach for peace and righteousness and should focus on doing his or her part irrespective of other parties doing, misdoing, or failing to do their part.
Summary of What We Learned
The second part of the Beatitudes (third through eighth) identifies four cardinal responsibilities of Living in the Image of God: Humility toward others, compassion (i.e., care for others and sensitivity to the needs of others), motivation for righteousness based on commitment to God’s purpose, and individual responsibility for peace and righteousness. The Beatitudes proclaim God’s promise of blessing for those that commit to these responsibilities and live according to the commitment.
Study Guide with Notes
Study guide available: Link to Study Guide with Notes