Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy."This Beatitude has a horizontal, people-to-people aspect to being blessed in addition to the vertical, people-to-God aspect. And don’t all of the beatitudes seem to have a conditional reward to them (if “this” way, then blessed and gets “that”). Mercy refers to an outward manifestation or showing of compassion. The concept of mercy assumes two things: first, that there is a need, and second, that you have the ability to meet that need. The question is: Who has a need, and who can meet that need?
Ephesians 2:4-7 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
The Bible says, God is love” (1John 4:8). We know that God is merciful and loving, gracious and kind, but the same Bible says that the same God is also just, holy and righteous. He must deal with sin, but God doesn’t want to punish us (the dead in trespasses and sins) because He is merciful. God, in His infinite wisdom, devised a solution; not by merit, but by His grace. God solved this problem in the atoning death of Jesus Christ in our place. We have the genuine need (salvation) and God has the ability to meet that need. Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace is getting what we do not deserve.
Joel 2:13 "So rend your heart, and not your garments; Return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of great kindness; And He relents from doing harm." Since we have received God’s amazing mercy, how should we respond to those around us who are difficult to get along with? Luke 6:35b-36 "He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful."
Matthew 9:11-13 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
What role does mercy play in our life? Matthew 23:23 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things." Not outward actions, but inward attitudes … beatitudes.
Does our passion for a “right” relationship with God translate into compassion for people? When asked, in Matthew 22:36-39, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ For most of us, there is a jarring difference between who we actually are and who we should be as followers of Jesus. We might say that we are merciful, but do we reach out in compassion to those who need help? Ask God to give you a passion, a hunger, a desperate thirst for righteous, and a passion for others. They don't care that you know, until they know that you care. Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."
Romans 12:1-2 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
2 comments:
Hi Brian,
Great post! I find that during this long walk that I am on that although on the outside I have mercy on the inside I can be frustrated, hurt and impatient. When you keep showing the same person over and over again mercy yet they return your kindness with deviousness.
My husband and I just had an experience like this. A carpenter friend of ours was down and out for work so we decided to have some cabinets built even though we really didn't want them, we wanted to provide work for our friend. A ceiling in the amount we were willing to spend was given to him. He built the cabinets and gave us the bill. Double what we told him we could afford to spend. We were not happy but what was done was done and we paid the bill. My husband was very mad so I went to God and had a good talk with Him and asked Him to please give us the money that went over the ceiling and less then two weeks later my husband came up to me and said he got an unexpected check with just the right amount and a little more to cover the expense. :)
It hurts my heart deeply knowing this friend of ours did this to us. Time and again we have shown them great kindness and mercy yet they return it by taking. These last days are really hard for Christians who follow the Word to walk without stumbling for man is lover of himself and looks out for #1. Even though it hurts, God does come in and reward us. Sometimes we need to ask Him and sometimes He just does it and we need to look for it.
God Bless you Brian,
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Thanks for the comment Child of God and the great conclusion that you reached. We are reminded every day of the fallen state of mankind in sin. Jesus' words of the Beatitudes address the Child of God living in a world that does not know God, for they are the attributes of our Heavenly Father, who saved us while we were still sinners. I, too, have been unjustly treated in respond to charity, but justice is not the goal in this life. It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment. We are called to display the glory of God in our life and everyone agrees that the repaying evil for good is frustrating and it hurts deeply because we authentically care. Reaching out with the love of Christ in mercy and compassion, meeting true needs is the motive, knowing the God is with us, despite the outcome. It doesn't mean being a person to be abused for your kindness. They know what they are doing and that it's wronging others for their self-gain, to their shame. Keep reflecting the light of truth in Christ to this lost and dying world. I'm glad that the Lord provided the funds and blessed your faithfulness. Thank you for writing. We all needed to hear your story.
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