A Life of Mercy

 

And he [Jesus] opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:2-7 ESV).

 

We now come to the seventh verse in Jesus’ teaching to his disciples. At first glance, it may seem that Jesus is saying we will be shown mercy because we have shown mercy to others. Then we might think we are accumulating “mercy points” every time we respond patiently to a screaming toddler, or we choose not to make fun of others at their mistakes. And when all is said and done, we think God will look at our tally and reward us with mercy for all the times we have been merciful to others. In that view, God’s mercy depends entirely on how well we perform. That view turns God into a vending machine… put something in and get something out. That is simply wrong.

 

Additionally, if that’s the case, the gospel is bad news for many of us (myself included). We haven’t put anything in and in no wat deserve the mercy of God. Thankfully, the gospel is the good news that God has freely shown us mercy although we don’t deserve it. Jesus came into the world to save sinners before they ever did something to earn it. God’s mercy flows out of his character. It’s part of who he is, and how deeply he loves his people.

 

We find that we are blessed when we show mercy, because it’s evidence that we belong to God. Mercy is proof that we have been changed by God’s mercy. It shows we realize that our own forgiveness does not rest on our ability to be merciful. Instead, our capacity for mercy is a sign that we understand God’s forgiveness, and that we want to show his deep and unconditional love. Be very careful if you hear others countering this principle. That is a dangerous false teaching.