Blessed are the Merciful
... for they will receive mercy.
Matthew 5:8
One of my favorite movies is the Lord of the Rings – well, as a trilogy, it’s technically three of my favorite movies, but that’s beside the point. In this movie, two Hobbits, Frodo and Sam, have a dangerous task – to take an evil, magical ring of power deep into enemy territory to destroy it. While they are on their way, Gollum, the creature who formerly owned the Ring, attacks them and tries to kill them. When they finally overpower him, Sam wants to kill him. Frodo won’t let him. Instead, Frodo shows mercy.
As it turned out, Gollum led Frodo and Sam to their destination. He did not show them mercy – this was his way to later try to steal the Ring for himself. But his actions eventually helped destroy the Ring and seal victory for good over evil.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Showing mercy is counter-cultural. Instead of going for the jugular, mercy gives second chances. This beatitude walks hand-in-hand with blessed are the meek – while meekness holds strength and power under control, mercy deliberately uses power for the good of others.
But why should we show mercy? This is a self-fulfilling beatitude – God watches the measure with which we dispense mercy and promises to give to us in the same manner.
Are we ready to accept that? This comes along the same lines as something else Jesus said, something we repeat every week. When he was teaching his disciples how to pray, he told them to pray like this: “Forgive our sins, just as we forgive those who sin against us.”
Are we willing to accept that God forgives us in the same measure as we forgive others? How would we act if that knowledge made it from our heads to our hearts? Might we be a little more forgiving of others?
Listen to what Jesus had to say in Matthew 18:23-35
God has already shown us great mercy. 1 Peter 2:10 tells us that “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
God has given us mercy in great measure. And what does he expect in response?
Micah 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Let me finish with a couple quick thoughts on mercy:
1. God gave mercy to us while we were still sinners. We were effectively his enemies when he poured out mercy on us. The implication of this is that we aren’t supposed to simply show mercy to our friends, but even to our enemies.
2. Mercy isn’t a payment for what God did for us – we could never repay that. It is simply our response. I will sometimes stop to help someone, and often they have tried to give me money for my help. Instead, I tell them, “Someone has stopped and helped me before, and I’m just passing that on. Instead of paying me, the next time you see someone in need, you can help them.”
3. The measure of mercy we give will determine the measure of mercy we receive.
Matthew 5:8
One of my favorite movies is the Lord of the Rings – well, as a trilogy, it’s technically three of my favorite movies, but that’s beside the point. In this movie, two Hobbits, Frodo and Sam, have a dangerous task – to take an evil, magical ring of power deep into enemy territory to destroy it. While they are on their way, Gollum, the creature who formerly owned the Ring, attacks them and tries to kill them. When they finally overpower him, Sam wants to kill him. Frodo won’t let him. Instead, Frodo shows mercy.
As it turned out, Gollum led Frodo and Sam to their destination. He did not show them mercy – this was his way to later try to steal the Ring for himself. But his actions eventually helped destroy the Ring and seal victory for good over evil.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Showing mercy is counter-cultural. Instead of going for the jugular, mercy gives second chances. This beatitude walks hand-in-hand with blessed are the meek – while meekness holds strength and power under control, mercy deliberately uses power for the good of others.
But why should we show mercy? This is a self-fulfilling beatitude – God watches the measure with which we dispense mercy and promises to give to us in the same manner.
Are we ready to accept that? This comes along the same lines as something else Jesus said, something we repeat every week. When he was teaching his disciples how to pray, he told them to pray like this: “Forgive our sins, just as we forgive those who sin against us.”
Are we willing to accept that God forgives us in the same measure as we forgive others? How would we act if that knowledge made it from our heads to our hearts? Might we be a little more forgiving of others?
Listen to what Jesus had to say in Matthew 18:23-35
God has already shown us great mercy. 1 Peter 2:10 tells us that “Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
God has given us mercy in great measure. And what does he expect in response?
Micah 6:8 He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Let me finish with a couple quick thoughts on mercy:
1. God gave mercy to us while we were still sinners. We were effectively his enemies when he poured out mercy on us. The implication of this is that we aren’t supposed to simply show mercy to our friends, but even to our enemies.
2. Mercy isn’t a payment for what God did for us – we could never repay that. It is simply our response. I will sometimes stop to help someone, and often they have tried to give me money for my help. Instead, I tell them, “Someone has stopped and helped me before, and I’m just passing that on. Instead of paying me, the next time you see someone in need, you can help them.”
3. The measure of mercy we give will determine the measure of mercy we receive.
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