The Blessing of Mercy

This morning we are back in our study of the beatitudes, and we come to the fifth beatitude, which we find in Matt. 5:7. From this beatitude I want you to see two points: The Nature of the Merciful, and the Necessity of Mercy.

First, consider the nature of the merciful. At this point in the beatitudes, things begin to get a bit tougher. Up to this point, it has been easy to see that the blessings of the kingdom of God are for the repentant, the sorrowful, the humble, and the seeker. But, at verse 7, the beatitudes seem to take a turn from those who can do nothing to earn their salvation to those who should do something. After all, this beatitude seems to say that you will not receive mercy unless you show mercy to others. We could easily read this to be a works righteousness: as long as I am merciful, then I will be saved, but if I fail to show mercy, I will lose my salvation. Many, especially in the Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions read it just this way. But, to understand this beatitude well, we need to remember a few things.

First, remember the interpretive principle that I’ve mentioned before from Charles Spurgeon. The beatitudes are like rungs on a ladder. They are not separate attributes that we must gin up within ourselves in order to be accepted into God’s kingdom. Rather, each beatitude builds on the previous one. If we understand the beatitudes in that way, then we understand that the person who is merciful was first a person who is poor in spirit. He is broken and repentant. That same person is mournful of his own guilt and the impact of sin on this world. That guilt and repentance leads him to humility and meekness. It also leads him to yearn for God’s righteousness, which he knows he can only have through faith in Jesus Christ. All of that is true before we ever get to this blessing. In fact, you could say that the steps up this ladder of the kingdom is a picture of salvation, from the conviction of sin to conversion to sanctification and even resurrection.

Second, in a real way, there is a connection between showing mercy and receiving mercy, but we tend to get the cause and effect reversed. We tend to think, I can do the work of mercy, and God will then be merciful to me. But, that is backwards from the way that Jesus means it. You see, true mercy and forgiveness can only come from a heart that understands it. In Matthew 18:21, Jesus tells the parable of the unforgiving servant. In that parable, a king brings in one of his indebted servants, and he forgives his massive debt. The servant is grateful, but when he leaves, he makes a b-line for a fellow servant who owed him a small amount (about 600,000 times less than his own debt). When this fellow servant couldn’t pay, the unforgiving man put him in prison. When the king heard of this, he summoned the unforgiving servant back and said: “You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt… and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” The lesson of this parable is clear: the mercy of God for sinners should change us. It should call us to repentance. It should cause us to yearn for righteousness. It should make us humble. And, it should motivate us to show mercy to others. If I believe that God sent his only begotten son to live the perfect life I could not live and die the death that I deserved to save me from eternal damnation in Hell, then surely, I can forgive my brother or sister in Christ for the off-handed comment. Surely, I can forgive my family member who, in my mind, has soiled the family name. Surely, I can treat my co-worker with respect and human dignity. Surely, I can judge my neighbor, not based on the color of his skin but on his worth as an image bearer of God.

So, the nature of the merciful is rooted in a right understanding of the mercy that we have in Jesus Christ. Understanding that, let’s consider my second point: the necessity of mercy. What is this blessing of mercy that the kingdom of God brings to those who are merciful? Consider three truths about the mercy of God.

First, our God is a merciful God. We find this from the first page to the last of the Bible. In Genesis 3, after cursing the serpent, woman, and man for their sins, God kills an animal, tans its hide, and makes clothing to cover the shame of the man and woman. In Genesis 4, after cursing Cain for his murder, God marks him with protection against revenge. After allowing the nations of Israel and Judah to be defeated and lead away into exile, God would show mercy by bringing them back. In all of this, the constant witness of the OT is that God is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”  

Second, the word for mercy here can also mean “compassion.” It’s used that way in Hebrews 2:17, where the writer says that Jesus was made to be like us so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest. Let that sink in for a moment. Jesus, who, as Phil. 2:5 says, was in the very form of God, became nothing. He was made to be in every way like every other human. He was born to peasants. He worked a labor-intensive job. He fished, hunted, and gathered for his food. He slept on the ground during his ministry. He ate with sinners and tax collectors. He gathered the poor, outcasts, and rebels for his disciples. He was unjustly tried, mocked by aristocrats, punished by his government, and condemned to die on a cross between two criminals. He did all of this so that he might be the high priest that we would need. He did this so that he might identify with our weakness and pain under the oppression of this sinful world. He did this so that he might show mercy! He did this so that he might advocate for us before his Father in Heaven. And, because he did all of this without sin, we can know that his Father will hear him.

Finally, mercifulness reflects God’s character. Micah 6:8 says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Isn’t it ironic that so often we allow our sense of justice to get in the way of showing mercy. Because we hate the welfare state, we refuse to care for the poor right in front of us. We claim to value life while throwing a woman and her child who was conceived out of wedlock out on their ear. We say we love all of humanity while threatening to shoot anyone who approaches our door. But, Love of mercy is the good that God requires of us because God loves mercy himself. Be careful about prioritizing principles over people. God’s laws are meant for our good, and for the good of humanity. May we not use them for harm.

Hos. 6:6 says, “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” This statement is interesting, because again, it is counterintuitive to how we think about sacrifice. In Hosea’s day, the priests of Israel carried out the sacrificial rites with fervor. They kept the Levitical law to the T. And, they did all of this while robbing from the poor to pay for their lavish lifestyles. I hope you see in this that we can carry out all of the right actions with respect to worship while our heart is far from God. We can faithfully attend every time the church doors are open. We can sing all our favorite hymns with gusto. We can take sermon notes with veracity. And, we can do all of that with an unforgiving, merciless heart. May we, instead, have the heart of God and worship faithfully while showing mercy and forgiveness. Instead of scowling at the noise of children, may we praise God for the next generation of our church. Instead of frowning at new faces, may we welcome and disciple new members.