Mercy is the showing of compassion or forgiveness toward someone whom it is within our power to punish or harm. My first thoughts when I hear the word mercy turns toward God. It was His mercy on my soul that gave me the opportunity to escape eternal Hell. Because of His mercy, I do not get what I deserve. In our society, we think we deserve a lot of things. We often say of a person who seems to be mistreated by others is not deserving of the treatment. However, in God’s economy, we all deserve Hell. We have sinned against a holy God, a God that created us and gives us many opportunities to enjoy His mercy. Because of His mercy, He can extend His grace. He gives us what we do not deserve, which is Heaven. In Matthew 5:7, Jesus says those who are merciful will be given mercy. They will seek out ways to help and love those who are oppressed. They will extend forgiveness to those who have wronged them instead of seeking vengeance. The Bible makes it clear that if we want mercy, and we do, we must extend mercy.
Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”
Jesus speaks of showing mercy in Matthew 10:42. When we do even the smallest thing for those who are in need, we are showing His mercy to others. This verse also speaks of a reward for showing mercy. Our reward mentioned in Matthew 5:7 is gaining mercy for ourselves. The feeling gained from this is also rewarding. We will be “blessed,” or better understood as fully satisfied.
Matthew 10:42 “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”
There is also a warning for those who will not extend mercy. In Matthew 23:23 Jesus speaks to the scribes and Pharisees about not showing mercy. They were keeping the “rules” of their religion, but had omitted the more important aspects of living a life for God. One of those matters was not showing mercy. Jesus says, “woe unto you.” A woe is a warning, and a woe from Jesus is profoundly serious. In the context of our devotion, it is a serious thing to not extend mercy! An outgrowth of mercy is forgiveness and Jesus also teaches if we will not forgive others we will not be forgiven. I have heard many people say they can’t forgive certain people, but that is a lie! God will never require you to do something that He will not empower you to do. Certain aspects of the Christian life may be hard, but God will help us and empower us to do whatever he requires. The root problem of the person not being able to forgive or show mercy is their lack of love for God. In John 14:15 it says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. You can’t get any plainer than that.
Matthew 23:23 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.”
Matthew 6:15 “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Today, examine your own heart and seek to show mercy to someone in your path. Don’t retaliate or seek vengeance on those who have wronged you. Do not react to others the way they react to you, react the way Jesus would.
