“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” Jesus was a teacher who understood the importance of one liners, those short sentences crafted with such care that they stick like Velcro in the memory.
We don’t use the word mercy much these days, more’s the pity. Actually, the word pity is at least part of what it means to be merciful, so yes the world would be a lot safer and less harsh if there was more pity. Compassion is another alternative word, mercy as feeling for and with others, caring about other people’s hurt, their daily struggles to make ends meet financially, emotionally, or socially. All four Gospels tell stories of Jesus being merciful, having pity for those who are suffering, showing compassion to the hungry, the wounded, the lonely, those on the margins, the easily overlooked.
The Psalm-writing poet links our ability to be merciful to the character of the God we believe in and worship. “You Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” (Psalm 86.15) That is what God is like, and Jesus shows us what that looks like in practice when mercy becomes a way of life.
We could do with a rediscovery of mercy, a word in danger of falling out of our daily vocabulary. Mercy is the tilt of the heart towards those whose lives can be made better by our kindness and generosity. Mercy is compassionate practical caring about what is happening to folk who are struggling. By the way, Jesus says “Blessed are the merciful!” God blesses merciful actions. Indifference, selfishness, carelessness, not so much! Hearts closed to mercy are closed from the inside.
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