“The one who is not merciful is inevitably so unaware of his own state that he thinks he needs no mercy.” (D.A. Carson)
For a long time I struggled with understanding today’s beatitude. It always came across to me as a works driven message, as if only those who display mercy (works) will receive mercy (reward). After all, that is how it seems to read.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7, NASB)
So do we show mercy to others just to earn God’s mercy? Of course not! It is by grace we are saved. There is nothing we can do to earn the favor and salvation of God. We can understand this beatitude when we understand the purpose of the beatitudes in general.
In giving the beatitudes, Jesus is not giving a checklist for earning the kingdom. I, for one, am glad that is not the case. Who can measure up to all of it? When you take the beatitudes and then zoom out to see the Sermon on the Mount as a whole, you will see that this is the point. No one can measure up. That is why Jesus will end the sermon noting that only those who have Him as their foundation will survive. It is not primarily the quality of the house that determines its perseverance, but its foundation. However, the foundation does naturally enhance the quality of the house itself.
So the beatitudes are not a program to earn salvation. Rather, they are a description of those who have already graciously received it. We must put the foundation first. When you are reading the beatitudes a systematic pattern emerges. Each one follows this pattern. First, we see the word “blessed.” Then there is a description of the person who is blessed. Then there is the reason why they are blessed. Let’s use our current verse to apply this pattern.
“Blessed” - Why are these people blessed?
“they shall receive mercy” - How do we know who these people are? What characterizes them?
They “are the merciful.”
Do you see that their merciful behavior is not the reason they will receive mercy, but a characteristic by which they may be known? This, as well as the other beatitudes, is a description for how to recognize who are the blessed ones. Because they are recipients of mercy they will be known as those who show mercy themselves.
There are two quick things to mention about this.
Christians should be known by their mercy. Being recipients of Christ’s saving work should fundamentally change our lives. Just as our love for Him is a response to His love for us, and our forgiveness for others flows from His forgiveness for us, so also our mercy should extend to others because His mercy was extended to us. The world is severely lacking in mercy. The Christian should stand out in that environment.
Christians should regularly evaluate themselves. If mercy is a characteristic that marks a Christian, it only makes sense to keep an eye on yourself in this area. Though we are not to walk around doubting our salvation, we are called upon to test ourselves in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5).
Do you show mercy? Have you received the mercy of Christ for your sinfulness? Once you taste of that mercy you will desire to extend it to others as well.
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