By Shirley Rosemarie Evans
God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Matthew 5:7 NLT
Mercy is a word not often used in general conversation. Perhaps the only time we hear it outside of the church is when we hear of someone who begged for mercy following a crime, such as one who commits murder in circumstances where they feel their own life is in danger and may appeal for the Judge to show mercy in delivering his sentence.
The dictionary defines mercy as “compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power or lenient or compassionate treatment.” Jesus began His famous sermon on Mount by teaching The Beatitudes, providing us with a blueprint for life in the kingdom. Showing mercy is a crucial characteristic of kingdom living. This was as revolutionary then as it is today. The pagan Roman world of Jesus’s time despised pity, considering it a real sign of weakness. They glorified manly courage, strict discipline and absolute power. The Pharisees in Jesus' day also had a poor view of mercy. They reserved mercy for themselves because they believed the suffering of others was a consequence of sin (Matthew 23:23).
So here comes Jesus outlining radical teachings then and now. He prescribes a new way of dealing with people. Life in His kingdom is marked by showing mercy. This kind of mercy—the unmerited kind—was a foreign concept. This was a prelude to what was to come, as Jesus would then demonstrate the greatest act of mercy in the history of the world in laying down His life to forgive the wrongs of all of humanity.
Mercy, as Christ taught and demonstrated, is an active virtue we live out in this new life in Christ, made easier by our being given mercy. Since God, through Christ Jesus, has forgiven our offences, we should forgive others and show mercy.
John MacArthur defines it as follows:
“Mercy is meeting people’s needs. It is not simply feeling compassion but showing compassion, not only sympathising but giving a helping hand. Mercy is giving food to the hungry, comfort to the bereaved, love to the rejected, forgiveness to the offender, and companionship to the lonely. It is, therefore, one of the loveliest and selfless of all virtues.”
We show mercy without questioning why a person is hungry or suggesting they return to their own country, and we feed them because of a need. We forgive others even when we have suffered the greatest wrong we can imagine because we have been forgiven. Kingdom living is not for those who think they can do this in and of themselves but for those who understand that we can only be true kingdom citizens as we place complete faith in Jesus and rely on His Holy Spirit living in us.
Ask: Why does the world at large have such a poor view of mercy?
Seek: How are you applying and showing mercy in your daily living?
Knock: Say a prayer thanking God for His mercies towards you and then ask Him through His Holy Spirit to show you new ways to demonstrate mercy to those in and around your community.
