Blessed are the merciful , for they shall receive mercy

I must confess that this scripture prompts me to examine myself deeply. I look back over my life with this scripture in mind, and there are moments where I cringe a little, and sometimes a lot.

Strong’s definition of merciful is compassionate. The Internet definition of mercy is: compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone who it is within one’s power to punish or harm.

My mind and heart are drawn to the many places in Scripture where it says that Jesus was moved with compassion. Just like God is love, He is merciful. It is part of who He is.

I believe this is why He is so patient with us and why He has not come back yet.

Mercy and I have a love/hate relationship. My testimony has places in life where I trusted everyone and wanted to be good to all, until people aren’t good to you over and over again. Then the heart begins to harden.

Can anyone else relate?

A few years ago, I was struggling with unforgiveness in my heart, and God led me to these scriptures. You know when the Word becomes alive in a way you need it; this was one of those moments for me.

Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus *said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.
“For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made. So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt. But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed. So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord *said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” Matthew 18:21-35

I love how Jesus used parables to teach us. This scripture reveals God’s heart and ours in a remarkably transparent way. This man owed 10,000 talents. To put this into perspective, one talent was worth about 20 years in labor. It would take lots of lifetimes to repay this. The truth was that this man couldn’t repay what he owed; it was too great a debt.

When this man pleaded with the King for mercy, the King’s heart filled with compassion, and He forgave the debt and freed him.

The next thing you know, this man, who has been forgiven and freed of his debts, starts going after someone who owes him money, much less than what he had just been forgiven for, and when that man pleads with him for mercy, none is given.

The King heard about it, and he brought that man back and gave him what he deserved for the way he had treated the other man.

This is a good place to pause.

This is what comes to mind when I hear this beatitude.

May I share with you what I’ve struggled with along the way? Showing mercy and grace has felt like it has led me to a lot of pain. I struggle to feel like I have allowed people to get away with hurting me, and just accepted it like it’s ok. I wrestle with the Lord about why it’s okay for others to treat me the way they have and to hurt me the way they do sometimes.

Then God brings to remembrance all the ways I have hurt His heart, the ways I have turned my head and walked the other way. He reminds me how, in my pain, I have hurt others who didn’t deserve it either.

How do we live in mercy without allowing people to walk all over us, or accepting bad behavior?

I don’t believe God expects us to be doormats, but I do believe He expects us to depend on Him for wisdom and discernment to handle each situation, and to allow Him to be our defender. I believe He expects us to remember the debt He took for us, the one we couldn’t pay even if we tried, and the freedom He has bought for us.

Sometimes, I have had to desire the other person’s freedom more than my justification.

I believe God is serious about this. After reading through these beatitudes, I am convicted even more about how serious He is about this way of living. It goes against our human nature and our flesh.

If we want to live like Jesus, we have to live mercifully.

Without God’s mercy, I would be stuck in that prison today. But God’s heart was compassionate towards me, and He gave me life and freedom. This is who I want to be with others; it is how I want to live. It is not easy, and it is truly a narrow road kind of living.

I pray that we would examine our hearts in light of God’s Word today. I pray that we would seek Him for the strength and help to live the way He has called us to. I have had to ask Him to heal those places in my heart that hinder me from living mercifully. I have had to ask Him for discernment not to be a doormat. I have had to die to my flesh daily to live this one out, and I am not fully there, but there has been an incredible amount of softening and progress.

I am grateful for God’s priceless mercy in my life. He has saved me, released me from a debt I was incapable of repaying, and He has brought freedom to my life, which I had only dreamed about. I pray my life reflects that in every way, in every day I have breath. I pray that this is true for all of you, too!