MERCY

MERCY

Matthew 5:7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

This is pretty straight forward. If you are merciful you will receive mercy. So what does it mean to be merciful? It is refusing to give a person the punishment they deserve. It is showing kindness and forgiveness to one who has mistreated you. It is to overlook insults and slights to find a way to bless the offender.

Years ago I heard a pastor relate this story. He was on his home from a preaching engagement far away from his home town. He was driving through the night and decided to stop at a road side truck stop and restaurant. When he walked in he was the only patron. He seated himself and waited several minutes for a waitress. When she approached his table she asked him abruptly, “What do you want?”

He replied that he’d like a Danish and a cup of coffee. She returned several minutes later and practically threw the plate with the Danish and the cup and saucer on the table. The Danish slid off the plate onto the table and some of the coffee sloshed out of the cup into the saucer and onto the table.

He had every right to demand to speak to the manager, but instead he calmly ate his Danish, drank his coffee and left a $50 tip on the table. As he was exiting the door the waitress ran up to him and said, “Mister, you’ve made a mistake. I don’t think you meant to leave this on the table.”

He said, “Oh, but I did.”

She said, “You couldn’t have. I treated you awful.”

He said, “I just figured you were having a bad day and I wanted to bless you.”

She began to sob and shared that she was a single mom who had just gone through a terrible divorce. This was the only job she could find and working nights wasn’t bringing in much money.

He stood there and shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with her and she became a child of God that night.

That is “Mercy.” God showed His love to us while we were still sinners by sending His Son to the cross for us. That is “Mercy.”

Micah 6:8 No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what He requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. (Emphasis added)

Do you love mercy? Oh I know you love it when others don’t get even for something wrong you’ve done, but do you love mercy? Do you love to show mercy to others? As a disciple of Jesus Christ we are called to be merciful. That means that we are not to be looking for ways to get even with others who’ve hurt us. Do you love mercy?

Father in heaven, thank You for the amazing mercy You’ve shown to us. May we be filled with mercy for others. When we are wronged, quickly remind us to be merciful, kind and forgiving as You have been and are daily to us. In Jesus Name, AMEN!!!