For Mercy's Sake!!

Here’s an easy one - one we desperately need after the 2x4 that was yesterday’s beatitude about righteousness. Especially in today’s world, today’s beatitude is SO SIMPLE that it probably needs no explanation whatsoever. Today’s is also one that is embodied by everyone, so there’s really no need to spend a lot of time with this topic.

Oh, heck - let’s throw some caution to the wind and see if something (anything?) might come up that invites us into a little time of reflection and maybe development in our life as a disciple of Christ. Let’s get it out of the way early, shall we? Here’s Matthew 5:7 -

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.”

Blessed are the merciful. Told you it was simple. Who amongst us doesn’t like to think of themselves as merciful? On the other hand, who amongst us has not had at some point folks we know are not very merciful - especially to us - at all? 

Ah, yes…we know mercy when we know we need to be it’s recipient. Mercy is one of those things, I believe, that we know better not when seen or experienced but rather when mercy is absent. Mercy is one of those things, it has been my experience, we are better at looking at giving in hindsight rather than in the moment (‘I should have given them a break.’)

One thing about Jesus you will encounter in the whole of Matthew’s gospel is our’s is a Lord who calls the faithful into action. Matthew’s Jesus would not recognize the life of the faithful as being an intellectual debating society. No, indeed, Jesus as presented in the first gospel is definitely driven is not only hands-on but expects the faithful to be so as well.

To be merciful, then, is to be one who extends the hand of graciousness and righteousness to all in need. Notice, too, that Jesus is not promising something instantaneous for the merciful - here, again, we see passive language indicating the ‘reward’ is coming.

What’s really neat is those who show mercy will be the ones who receive mercy. I have a firm belief this truth of Jesus does not truly come alive in the heart of the believer until one wakes up to their desperate need for mercy from God. That is what makes not only this beatitude but all of them so truly transformative - when we awaken to how the attitudes and actions demanded here have blessed us because we so desperately needed them, then, too, we are desperate for others to encounter the same.

Mercy is not an easy topic to tackle. Nor is mercy easy to receive, because to be aware of a need for mercy we must realize that everything is not ok in our lives. Mercy, however, is the driving action that God has, is, and will show us all, for one cannot describe creating, redeeming, and sustaining creation as anything other than acts of mercy. Father, Son, Holy Spirit - they are merciful to us, so may we, for mercy’s sake, be merciful to others. 

Grace & Peace,
Lamar