The Beatitudes: The Merciful

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. " - Matthew 5:7

Showing mercy takes love, courage and compassion. Being able to completely forgive someone for what they have done and remove the guilt and anguish that is so often associated with unrighteousness requires mercy. I think you will agree that it is difficult. I have seen mercy, in legal terms, described as receiving an acquittal even though you yourself confessed and testified of your own guilt and the jury have found you guilty without a doubt. Can you picture in your mind a time when mercy has been shown to you? Likewise can you picture a time in which you were able to demonstrate a heart of mercy to someone else? Many people find it hard to demonstrate mercy in a world where an eye for an eye is the norm.

As Jesus portrays the image of righteousness for those present on that hill in Capernaum, He paints a picture of God's love and forgiveness. Through God's mercy our sins are forgiven and likewise we should strive to forgive others. We see additional references of this in the book of Luke, the 6th chapter and 36th verse, "Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful." This representation of God's love for His children is manifested throughout the scriptures, both in the Old Testament and the New. We are endowed with His blessing when we are able and willing to be merciful to others. This blessing though is caught up in the realization of God's mercy in our own life.

You see, we all need God's mercy in our life. For the redemption of our sins is required for eternal glory with Him in heaven. But it doesn't stop there. For you see, even though God's mercy washes away the guilt and shame of the sin, the very nature of our humanity is to sin again, and we will. It is God's grace that provides us with salvation. We don't deserve it, it is provided without warrant and there is nothing we can do to earn it. It is truly a gift without merit because God so desires for your presence in heaven with Him rather than seeing you condemned to the lake of fire for all of eternity. Grace and mercy go hand in hand. Grace, through Jesus Christ, is God's plan of salvation while mercy is His forgiving compassion for our transgressions.

I had a mother share with me this example of the difference. If Charlie threw a ball through the window, and his Dad forgave him with no punishment. That is mercy. If his Dad went one step farther and took Charlie out for ice cream afterwards, that is grace. Live as one with a heart of mercy and watch how God uses that love and compassion to mold you more into the likeness of His Son.