Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
In the four beatitudes that we have previously studied in the past weeks, we saw that Jesus is teaching about our status or standing before God. Matthew 5:3-6, ver. 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit”, Ver. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn”, Ver. 5 “Blessed are the meek”, Ver. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”.
In the fifth beatitude “Blessed are the merciful”, Jesus changes the focal point and begins to teach us what we should be which reflects on how we treat others.
Beginning our study of this beatitude it is important for us to always keep in mind the definition of “merciful” which simply means, showing or exercising mercy. As “merciful” relates to a disciple of Christ, it means that this believer has the quality or characteristic of mercy. However, this person also demonstrates or intentionally gives mercy to others. Understanding this, it brings us to the next point, what is the secular definition of mercy?
Secular resources give us the following definitions.
Mercy – compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.
Mercy – compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power.
FORBEARANCE – a refraining from the enforcement of something (such as a debt, right, or obligation) that is due.
What makes these definitions of mercy standout is that the one who is exhibiting mercy has the choice and ability not to express it to the one who is receiving it. Also, the person to whom mercy is being given, is underserving and even more so because what they really deserve is punishment or a penalty.
However, there is a difference that the Biblical definition and its application in the scriptures gives us. Forbearance is not a primary factor to Christians being merciful, it is a factor many times not taken into consideration when being merciful.
Hayford’s Bible Handbook gives us the following explanation of mercy using the synonym compassion. Merciful is being, “actively compassionate”. “Mercy is not merely a passive emotion, but an active desire to remove the cause of distress in others.” Merciful “is a kind, compassionate, sympathetic, sensitive word, combining tendencies with action. A person with this quality finds outlets for his merciful nature.”
The Fire Bible gives us the following application to the meaning of “merciful”. “THE MERCIFUL. The “merciful” are full of sympathy and compassion toward those who are suffering either from sin or sorrow. The merciful sincerely want to help ease and eliminate such suffering by influencing people to depend on God for help and to entrust their lives to Jesus Christ. Merciful people also get actively involved in meeting people’s needs.”
Jesus teaches that forgiveness or being forgiving are also key ingredients to being merciful. An excellent picture and application of being merciful and or forgiving is found Matthew 18:23–34. Jesus in verses twenty-one and twenty-two answers Peter’s question about forgiveness, but goes on by telling him a parable that explains and adds to His answer.
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
The secular world many times has the tendency to qualify to whom mercy be given and to whom not. Politics, traditions, racial prejudice, and many other reasons many times influences or has determining factors why being merciful should not being given to another. With the absence of God’s love and experiencing His grace, secular society many times will have these prejudices and preferences influencing the expressing of being merciful.
Jesus in Luke answering a young man’s question, “And who is my neighbor?”, gives an example when religious piety becomes an influence of not being merciful. But most importantly we see in this story of Jesus’ answer, an example of mercy in action or as our definition states, “Merciful people also get actively involved in meeting people’s needs.”
Luke 10:29-37, 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
For some Christians being merciful can be challenging but not impossible. We all must seek God’s help to be able to see ourselves as He sees us and identify those things in our lives that would hinder us to be merciful.
The New Testament encourages us and gives us examples of being merciful which every believer in Christ should express to others because of our receiving and or experiencing mercy from God.
Jesus in Luke 6:36, very clearly tells us, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” The mercy we have received and experienced from God should be the foundation of our motivation to be merciful to others.
Foundations of Pentecostal Theology makes an important comment which applies to being merciful that we all need to know. “Just anyone cannot be assigned to a ministry to the sick and poor. One must have a spiritual burden for and a God-given love for the needy and afflicted. Human compassion (being merciful) helps, but to this must be added a Divine call and the Spirit’s anointing; for without such spiritual endowment, one will quickly become discouraged and critical. Besides, a ministry to the weak does not merely administer spiritual sedatives and stop-gap relief, it leads out of weakness to strength. For every kind of work which the Church must do, God has supplied a corresponding spiritual gift.
Even though the apostle Paul does not list mercy as one of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-24, we do know in many instances when dealing with others it is necessary to be merciful. We know that mercy is a key characteristic in many instances with, “kindness” and “goodness”. “22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.”
This is also true in 1 Corinthians 12:28, mercy is not listed but we know that without mercy, how heartless and uncompassionate would helping others be? “28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. This verse clearly tells us that helping others or being merciful is ordained or intended by God to function in His church.
Paul encourages the Roman congregation in Romans 12:6-8 about seven spiritual gifts which we receive from God and also the application of these gifts to others, which mercy is one of them. “6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”
Being merciful to others also requires discernment, wisdom and love that comes from God. James tells us in James 3:17 how important mercy is to wisdom. “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
Peter also in 1 Peter 4:10-11 does not mention being merciful. However since mercy or being merciful is a gift given to us, God’s church, then what Peter tells the churches “scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia” also applies to us.
Please notice how the following passage from the New Living Translation so clearly applies to what Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful…”
10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.
Now knowing what the New Testament teaches concerning being merciful and when reading 1 Peter 4:10-11 we can easily understand that in order to have the “gift of helping others” we also must be merciful.
Pastor John
