Mercy

“God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matt. 5:7).

 

In Christ’s parable of the Good Samaritan, we have three people with contrasting views of life. The robbers say, “Everything that is yours, is mine - I take it.” The priest argues, “Everything that is mine is mine - I keep it.” The Samaritan’s outlook on life is, “Everything that is mine, is yours - I share it.”

 

Mercy or compassion comes from God and is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. He takes a sinful, self-centered person and gives him a new heart - a heart like God’s that truly cares, feels and loves. God would like to see that we are merciful, like Him. According to Antonie Ruler, mercy is generosity, compassion and a forgiving nature. It means that God’s children feel for others because they love a God who does the same.

 

This beatitude (see Matt. 5:7), one of eight statements made by Christ about people who are blessed, teaches us that in the kingdom of God it is all about people. Christ laid sown His life because He cared for people and He also expects it from His followers. He even expects that we should love our enemies, because, “If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much” (Matt. 5:46). It is a demand unique to Christianity that we must love our enemies.

 

Mercy or compassion is to look through other people’s eyes, think with their minds, and feel with their feelings. It is identifying with them and having compassion for them.