What Jesus means when he says "Blessed are the merciful."
1 of 2 
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." —Matthew 5:7, ESV
At first, Matthew 5:7 seems to imply that Jesus is making a deal with us: If we go out and show mercy to others, God will show mercy to us.
And it seems like a good deal. I mean, how hard could it be to show mercy to others? So we'll practice a little mercy, and then God will act the same toward us, and all will be well with the world. And for eternity.
Except that it's not that easy to be merciful.
Your brother borrows your iPod, and when he gives it back, it doesn't play. He says, "Sorry."
You say, "'Sorry' doesn't cut it. You need to replace what you broke."
He says, "OK. That's fair. But I don't have any money till next week. And then I need to buy a gift for Mom's birthday, and I need to start saving money for the prom."
You say, "I don't care. You ruined my iPod, and you need to replace it."
He says, "I know. I'm sorry. But things are tight right now. Can't you give me a break?"
And that's when it's really hard to forgive. To let it go. To be merciful.
[Today's Memory Verse]
""Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." (Matthew 5:7)
댓글0개