The English poet, Alexander Pope, is well known for his quote, “To err is human, to forgive divine.”
Although we planned to begin a new series, I believe we can gain a deeper understanding of God’s mercy by learning to be merciful.
In His sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave several characteristics we should all strive to live by. One of them was to be merciful.
Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7
Jesus not only taught His disciples to be merciful, but He also fully illustrated this virtue by receiving publicans (tax collectors) and sinners (Mark 2:15-17) and ultimately giving His life on the cross to take the punishment for our sins.
Even in the Old Testament times God expected His people to show justice and mercy.
He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8
The New Testament warns us to show mercy so we can receive mercy.
For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13
Being merciful does not mean we never hold anyone accountable for their wrongdoing or trespasses against us. It just means we are ready to withhold punishment or justifiable revenge.
We are all the recipients of mercy; therefore, we must not only be thankful for this unmerited favor, but we must also learned to be distributors of this same virtue.
If you are like me, you probably have room to grow in showing mercy to others because we usually judge everyone by what they do but judge ourselves by what we meant to do. We give ourselves the benefit of the doubt but want to execute the maximum penalty upon anyone else doing the same thing.
For example, have you ever been changing lanes on the freeway,
only to realize you accidentally cut the other driver off because they were in your blind spot? Of course, the other driver has a right to be justifiably angry, and you have probably seen that demonstrated in one way or another.
However, when the tables are turned, do you automatically think the other driver inadvertently crossed into your lane, or do you assume it was deliberate and so you let them know by honking your horn and giving them a piece of your unrenewed mind?
There are many opportunities for us to show mercy every day, if we choose to realize them. It could be with a spouse, a friend, coworker, neighbor, or family member. We all need mercy because we are still being formed into the image of Christ and that process will be ongoing until we die.
Again, the longer I walk with the Lord, the more I realize my own imperfections and appreciate the mercy God has shown me over the years. Hopefully, you will too, and in turn show mercy to others.
We’ll begin a new topic next time. Until then, may the Lord’s goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your life (Psalms 23:6) and may you “keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” (Jude 1:21)
James Brown
CST 10/22/2024