Blessed are the Merciful
/The Wednesday Recap
By Pastor Jason Crabbe
Welcome to my blog!
The purpose of this blog is to recap the discussion from the previous week’s Local table gathering. Each week, The Local meets in various homes around a table to eat, worship, read and discuss the Bible, and pray for each other and our community. Living on mission is our response to the grace and love Jesus has shown us. We share the Gospel and show love to those we encounter where we live, learn, work, and play.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
Mercy is compassion for people in need. In this Beatitude, Jesus does not specify who we are to be merciful toward. We might think it easy to be merciful to people who are nice or kind–good people. Perhaps we find it easy to be merciful to those who have shown us mercy. But what about people who are mean? What about people who do not share our political viewpoints? What about bad people? Does Jesus call us to be merciful to only the beautiful ones? The ones who look like us. Talk like us. Act like us. Just those folks? No. God makes His sun shine on the evil and the good. He extends mercy to ALL people. So should we.
“For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good.”
Jesus called us to show radical love to our fellow humans. He didn’t command us to just love those who are our friends or who love us. He expects more from His disciples. He even commanded us to love our enemies in Matthew 5:43-48! Popular culture teaches us that it is ok and even pleasurable to see harm or “justice” come to people who wrong us or speak or act in a way that is contrary to our beliefs. People love to see the fall of their political adversaries or to see “instant karma” happen to people who act out. Think of Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. Both the Levite and the priest chose to withhold mercy from the victim who had been mugged and beaten. It was the terrible (to Jesus’ audience) Samaritan who chose to show mercy. Let’s look beyond our preferences and show compassion to everyone around us who needs it.
When we read the parable of the wicked servant in Matthew 18:21-35, we learn that we cannot receive mercy and forgiveness from God unless we repent, and we cannot claim to have repented of our sins if we are unmerciful toward the sins of others. In the context of what we have been studying, it is “the meek” who are also “the merciful” because to be meek is to acknowledge to others that we too are sinners and to be merciful is to have compassion on others, for they are sinners too. When we keep our eyes on Jesus and live each day in gratitude for the mercy and grace He has shown us, it is easier for us to show mercy to those around us–no matter who they are or how they act.
“God extends mercy to ALL people. So should we.”
Things to ponder and act on this week
Consider God’s mercy (compassion) towards you–be specific in your consideration. Express gratitude to Him for His great love for you.
Who might you show mercy to this week? Examine your thoughts lately when seeing current events unfold online or on TV. How might you be more merciful in your thoughts or speech? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you with this.
Thank you for reading! If you are new to The Local, welcome! I hope you decide to stay. If you have stumbled onto this blog somehow, and you have gotten something out of these words, please share it with me. You are welcome at our table.