BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL (PART 2 OF 2)

5th AUGUST 2022

Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” – Matthew 5:7

Today, my attention drifts to James’s chilling and fearful observations on the subject of mercy. James says, “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment”. (James 2:13) That means that mercy overrides Judgment! – But only for those who deserve to have mercy, because they had, in turn, at a point showed mercy to others. I do not know about you, but I am pretty terrified by the words of James above. The summary is that Judgment will be without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Therefore beloved, starting from today, imbibe a new culture of showing mercy to others when they least deserve your mercy – for such is what Jesus Christ expects of us believers. 

Further on this point, Jesus says, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” This declaration should be weighty enough and must not be emptied of its impact. All of us have received God’s mercy, and it is only proper to return mercy to others. But what we see these days is quite different from what is expected of us. For instance, the best way to show that we appreciate God’s mercy upon our lives is not by fasting, seed sowing or regular attendance at church service but by being regularly merciful to others practically and directly. That also means mercy is not just you desiring other people to do good for others – your desire that others could receive mercy without more is not enough. Instead, mercy is when we seek and act upon opportunities to be mercy givers, just like the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. Perhaps, this is one reason the prophet Micah declared to the people: “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8). One vital question that still begs an answer is, “Do you want to get what you deserve for how you have treated others? If others have been merciful to you despite your errors, why then do you shy away from returning mercy equally to them or others? Better still, how ready are you in getting others out of difficult situations? Some of us are not ready to stick out our necks to save others in difficult situations because we fear a backlash.

 Some would not show mercy because they think the person involved should not have put themselves in a mess in the first place! While we cannot show mercy to others, we pray to God to have mercy on us and not give us the punishment we deserve. That would mean asking for what we cannot give to others. That is the time to change! Let the vital spirit of mercy run through your veins always. The more mercies you give, the more mercies you receive.

PRAYER

Lord God, have mercy on me, for I have sinned. Keep me under the power of thy grace and envelope me in thy righteousness. Teach me to be like thee in showing mercy to others. Father, do not let my sin stand against me in your presence anymore. Thank you, Lord, for your redeeming power. AMEN.

FURTHER READING: Matthew 18:21-35; Matthew 5: 44, 45; John 8: 10, 11