“Blessed are the
merciful for they shall be shown mercy”
First, what mercy is not: it is not allowing people the pleasure of
kicking you when you're down. This is a spreading misconception in
believing circles, that followers of Christ are not to stand up for
themselves, that somehow pretending to not feel pain is keeping in
line with turning the other cheek. This is not mercy, this is
cowardice and masochism.
To better understand mercy, take a look at Deuteronomy 4:25-31. Mercy
does not stand in the way of discipline. Mercy does not tell us to
let abusers run rampant in our lives, it reminds us to show
compassion to the repentant.
Mercy implies a position of power. A teacher can show mercy to their
students by making the next test a bit easier, a police officer can
show mercy to a speed demon by choosing to give a warning over a
ticket, these instances occur less often than they should because
compassion is not our default.
Mercy implies an awareness of our strength and power over people. We
each have abilities accessible at the slightest whim that others do
not. We should be cautious not to use these abilities to the
disadvantage of others.
The one with a quick tongue should show compassion to those with
impeded speech, the athletically gifted should be kind to the awkward
in movement.
There is no action that better reflects the personality of God than
honest mercy. God shows his kindness for humanity though He could
crush us with a word. We could never put up an adequate fight against
the Lord of Hosts, but mercy is his chosen expression toward us.
Questions:
- Describe a time in your life in which you were shown mercy?
- What are your two greatest strengths? In light of that, how can you show mercy when expressing them?
- Is there anyone specifically you may need to show mercy this week?
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