Being Merciful

Most Bible dictionaries define the word mercy as “an outward manifestation of pity” (Vine’s Dictionary) or something along the lines of compassion or even sympathy that is shown when someone is suffering. There are aspects of our modern thinking and culture that struggle with mercy – both giving and receiving it – and therefore we may struggle with Jesus’ statement:

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” Matthew 5:7

A general way of describing mercy is when we aren’t given a punishment we deserve. The word “pity” is generally distained today (“I don’t want your pity!”) but receiving mercy requires that we humble ourselves to accept pity. We deserve something negative, but out of pity, compassion, or sympathy the negative thing is withheld. We are spared the consequence we deserve. Unless we see our own need for mercy, we will be reluctant to extend it to others.

Jesus often predicates what we receive from God on what we are willing to extend to others (compare forgiveness in Matthew 6:14-15). For this reason, we need to feel our own need for mercy in order to be willing to extend mercy to others. If we don’t feel the need for mercy or reject it then we will tend to think that others shouldn’t need our mercy (they can be “perfect” like we think we are or fix themselves like we think we have).

Extending mercy is difficult because it is hard to have compassion or sympathy for people who have gotten themselves in messy situations and are receiving the negative consequences of their actions. It can be especially difficult to extend mercy when people have done things against us, making us suffer, and we are inclined to want them to suffer in similar or even worse ways. Mercy says that people don’t have to pay for what they did. Mercy helps people avoid experiencing revenge and having to make repayment. Mercy says that things can go on without others somehow going back and making everything right again.

Mercy feels unjust. It seems unfair. Christians do believe in Divine justice, but we pray for the mercy we desperately need in Jesus. Our need for mercy and appreciation for it changes us and helps us be understanding toward people who need our mercy. We let God do the judging and carry out justice (and He will perfectly) and we look for ways to extend mercy. “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (Ja 2:13). Be merciful to someone today.  dd

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Mt 5:7).