Jesus’ words in the Beatitudes—“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7)—speak directly to what is desperately needed in our time. From Nice, France, to Istanbul, from Dallas to Baton Rouge, we see a world torn with resentment, hatred, and violence—a world that is woefully lacking in mercy.
Mercy (in Biblical Greek—eleos) has two main elements:
- Compassion—Jesus demonstrates the mercy of God as He constantly reaches out to people in need. Our church today continues to engage in numerous “acts of mercy,” as we are involved in intensive mission outreach locally and worldwide
- Forgiveness—This is certainly the most difficult aspect of being merciful! Yet as flawed human beings, who are constantly disappointing ourselves and hurting one another, we deeply need forgiveness. Such forgiveness is possible through Jesus Christ! In Christ we can experience God’s forgiveness for ourselves, and through Christ we can be empowered finally to show that same forgiveness to others.
Only through mercy can we find a life of true blessedness.
We deeply need forgiveness... Click To Tweet“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” So declares Psalm 103:8. Are these not the qualities that our world desperately needs? More than ever, we need the transformation that Christ can bring in human hearts. May we open ourselves to the Lord, and let His Spirit work in us, so that we ourselves may become “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.”
Sunday’s Scripture Readings:
Psalm 103:8–12
Matthew 18:23–35
Matthew 5:7
