(Week 15/2024)
A word fitly spoken is like APPLES OF GOLD in a setting of silver [Proverbs 25v11]
I trust that those who have been following this series of the Beautitues [Matthew 5] have been blessed, encouraged and challenged. Today we consider number 5 found in verse 7: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy”. At first glance, it seems that we receive mercy from God if we are merciful. That we know is not true because the definition of mercy is “undeserved favour” which is what the Lord bestows on us when we surrender our lives to Him and receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life. We cannot get more mercy than not being punished for our sins.
This beatitude is all about perception – if we have little appreciation of God’s mercy that will be reflected in the measure of our mercy to others. On the other hand, the more we appreciate and are thankful of God’s mercy to us, the greater our mercy to others and that will result in God giving us more understanding of His mercy to us which will result in even more mercy to others and so on. Jesus explained this in the story of the sinful woman who washed His feet “But whoever has been forgiven little, loves little” [Luke 7v47].
In conclusion, Jesus makes the promise in Matthew 10v42: “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward”. What is the reward? More revelation, appreciation and thanksgiving for God’s mercy to us – not only in our spiritual way, but the daily blessings of food, shelter and all the necessities we take for granted.
God Bless
Graeme Greenwood