Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Merciful
(Matthew 5:7)
The Psalms repeatedly refer to God as a God of “tender mercies.” Throughout the Bible God’s character is described as merciful. It is no wonder, then, that God would expect the same from His people. God not only expects mercy; He rewards it. Those who exhibit mercy will find mercy when they need it the most.
Mercy differs significantly from grace. Mercy is God’s withholding something we rightly deserve while grace is God’s giving us something we don’t deserve. In our self-aggrandizing, narcissistic world, these concepts easily confuse folks. In mercy God withholds the punishment we rightly deserve. In other words, we are not worthy of God’s goodness—only His wrath. In grace God extends His goodness to me even though I don’t deserve it.
Everyone needs mercy—from God and others. We’re too quick to judge the actions and even the motives of others. We’re too quick to condemn and too reticent to forgive. That’s too bad, because our receiving mercy depends upon our extending it. Jesus emphasized this truth in His teaching on forgiveness. Read Matthew 18:21-35 and examine your own attitudes.
How can I be assured that I will experience God’s mercy? Today’s Beatitude teaches that when I extend mercy to others, I bank it for myself. In other words, when I’ve been wronged, my first impulse should be to forgive. When it is within my power to exact painful judgment on someone, I should choose the more merciful route. In short I should “do justly,” but “love mercy” (Micah 6:8).
