Matthew 5:7
”Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy”
Blessed are the Merciful – The foundation for mercy as christians is that God already first showed us mercy. On the cross, we were forgiven a debt too large to calculate, on a daily basis we somehow fall short of God’s commands, instructions and promptings but yet on a daily basis, God has mercy on us, forgives us and purifies us. We don’t deserve mercy, yet we receive it because we need it.
Mercy identifies with the needs of others. It is the reverse of self-centredness and selfishness even when we think others do not deserve it. It is a conscious effort to see things through the eyes of the other person and to feel what they are feeling.
Hosea 6:6 says “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings..” Being merciful cannot be achieved by our own power as humans naturally want to dish out vengeance as we see fit. However, God wants us to grow in this important characteristic so that He will choose to extend His mercy to us as we strive to become merciful to others.
