Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Very much like the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Except, in this case, the one doing unto us is God. So if we show mercy to other people, then God will show mercy to us. That's the fifth beatitude.
Blessed are the merciful is article #7 in the series: Beatitudes. Click button to view titles for entire series
It's probably not very well understood anymore either.
When I looked for pictures having to do with mercy, I was amazed how many of them had to do with saying, "I'm sorry".
You may not realize it, but like love, showing mercy is kind of like not having to say you're sorry.
When we're merciful - the kind of Mercy Jesus spoke of - there's nothing to be sorry for.
Why not?
Because we did the "right" thing.
Summary
Discusses concept of mercy as presented in the fifth beatitude, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." It emphasizes that showing mercy is not about saying “I’m sorry,” but rather about doing the right thing without needing to apologize. The article explores the Greek words related to mercy found in Matthew’s Gospel, highlighting the actions associated with being merciful, such as helping those in need. It also references a passage from Matthew 9:9-13, where Jesus expresses his desire for mercy over sacrifice, connecting it to the Old Testament book of Hosea, which criticizes the Israelites for their lack of mercy and superficial sacrifices. It also underscoring the importance of mercy in both the Old and New Testaments, and how it is integral to Christian faith and action.
Mercy in Beatitudes: Emphasizes action over apologies.
Greek Words Explored: Analyzes the meaning behind the original Greek terms.
Jesus’ Teaching: Connects mercy with Jesus’ preference for compassion over ritual.
Old Testament Context: Links Jesus’ message to Hosea’s criticism of Israel’s superficiality.
Love and Mercy: Emphasizes that loving God entails loving others, including enemies, and showing mercy as God has shown us.
Be Merciful: Encourages being merciful to everyone without exception, as commanded in Luke 6:36.
Beatitudes Progression: Describes a spiritual progression leading to showing mercy, influenced by the Holy Spirit and God’s righteousness.
Building on Rock: Uses the metaphor of building a house on rock, representing a strong foundation based on Jesus’ teachings, to stress the importance of practicing mercy in one’s life.
The conclusion of the current page emphasizes the profound significance of mercy, not only as a divine attribute but also as a virtue that humans are called to embody. It highlights that mercy involves action and kindness towards those in need, reflecting the biblical principle of “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” The page calls for a deeper understanding of mercy, urging readers to extend it to others as a reflection of God’s mercy towards humanity. This call to action is rooted in the belief that mercy triumphs over judgment and is integral to living a life that honors God and His teachings.
What is mercy - secular definitions?
First of all, here's the dictionary.com definition:
-
compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence:
Have mercy on the poor sinner. -
the disposition to be compassionate or forbearing:
an adversary wholly without mercy. -
the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment, especially to send to prison rather than invoke the death penalty.
-
an act of kindness, compassion, or favor:
She has performed countless small mercies for her friends and neighbors. -
something that gives evidence of divine favor; blessing:
It was just a mercy we had our seat belts on when it happened.
Even here, there's nothing of saying, "I'm sorry". It's odd then that so many of the pictures are of exactly those words.
What is mercy - Biblical definitions?
Let's see what the Greek word from Matthew's Gospel was all about.
First, the word mercy, as in blessed are the merciful:
1655 ἐλεήμων [eleemon /el·eh·ay·mone/] adj. From 1653; TDNT 2:485; TDNTA 222; GK 1798; Two occurrences; AV translates as “merciful” twice. 1 merciful. 1Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
Honestly, it's not all that useful. Very not useful. So let's look at the root word from which it comes:
Footnotes
- 1Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
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