Mercy

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)

The life of faith is interconnected. John Wesley said, “The Bible knows nothing of solitary religion.” God’s love is woven into the fabric of creation itself. God created us as a community and has loved us as His family. As we see the evidence of God’s love around us, we are inspired to love as God first loved us. This has been the story of our faith from the book of Genesis until now.

There should be no surprise that the Beatitudes feature mercy in the middle of the list that Jesus teaches as he shares about the kingdom of heaven. Jesus teaches, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) Mercy is at the center of the Beatitudes because mercy is the heart of God’s loving actions in our world.

The Greek word, translated as merciful, used in Matthew’s gospel is eleemon. It was a common word that was often thought to have a negative connotation. To be merciful was to show weakness, and soldiers, politicians, business owners, and local leaders did not want to be seen as weak. But that is not the story of how God has interacted with us across time. God is compassionate, kind, loving, forgiving, and merciful. God is gracious, generous, and faithful. God is many things, but God is not weak. The psalmist writes, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18:2) This is not the description of weakling, but a strong Creator who designed us in His image. (Genesis 1:27)

Not only is God strong, but Jesus teaches us that the character of God provides the strength to keep the community healthy and together. Mercy is reciprocal. We receive mercy from God, and we are then motivated to offer mercy to our neighbor. This is the blessed life. Mercy is not based on what we deserve, but on the loving-kindness of God. It is through mercy that God offers us the fullness of heaven. In the same way, our merciful actions show others the reality of God’s kingdom.

Just after teaching the Beatitudes, Jesus shared what we often refer to as the Lord’s Prayer. (Matthew 6:9-13) In this prayer, we are taught to ask, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” The kingdom of God is mercy. We pray that we learn to offer mercy as God has merciful us.

Mercy is at the center of the Beatitudes because mercy is the heart of the kingdom of heaven. God is with us and constantly works to be in relationship with His Children. God forgives and raises us to new life. God is so good. Our life should reflect God. Knowing we have received such mercy, let us show mercy. This will lead to a life of joy and peace on earth just as it is in heaven.

-Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship