Blessed Are the Merciful

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

The beatitudes as they are named are a list of traits or characteristics that should mark the people of God. It is not a “to do” list but rather a “to be” list. Right in the middle of this list is mercy. I want to be merciful. I think I am merciful but am I merciful in the way God is merciful. Of course I’m not God so the answer is no. This beatitude is clear that the motivation to be merciful is remembering the great mercy we have been shown in redemption.

First, let’s look at the word mercy itself. The word carries with it the idea of the misery of the human condition and the desire to do something to alleviate the suffering. It is much more than pity. It is pity in action. God has been confronting me lately with people in need of mercy…orphans, homeless, jobless. This beatitude does not give specifics of how I am to act only that action is required

So what does God’s mercy look like? As in all matters spiritual God is the gold standard by which we must judge ourselves. Well his mercy is always lavish. The Bible is full of examples of God being exceedingly merciful to his creation. Grace is always associated with God’s mercy. Again the Bible gives many examples of God being merciful to people who do not deserve his mercy. A great example of this is the healing of the 10 lepers. Not only did God pity our human suffering he entered into our suffering in the form of Jesus. God not only saw our need for a merciful Savior but he himself became that merciful Savior for us.

Now how does my mercy differ from God’s? My mercy is given sparingly. I want to know what’s the least I can do and still look merciful. My mercy is rarely mixed with grace. I want a person to “deserve” my mercy. My first reaction to a person holding a sign asking for money is judgment not mercy. My mercy is more about pity and less about entering in. It’s much easier to feel sorry for someone in need than to actually invest in doing something tangible to relive their suffering. Of course I can’t be anyone’s savior but does my mercy for them compel me to point them to the one true Savior? Sadly in most cases it doesn’t.

Those that have been shown mercy are called to be merciful. Lord, open my eyes to those in need around me. Open my heart to love people like you love them. Give me feet and hands willing to act in meaningful ways toward those who are suffering.