Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:1-7
Key Verse: Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy (Matthew 5:2).
Meditation: In beatitudes one through four we have observed that the listener is pronounced blessed without making any special preconditions. That, however, is not true of the next four beatitudes. The disciples would now be held accountable for the “working out” of God's gift to them. The call to be merciful is really a response to a call to become a more tender and sensitive person. Mercy is best illustrated for us in the example of the Good Samaritan who not only volunteered to meet the immediate needs of the wounded man, but also volunteered to provide for the follow-up care as well.
Christ himself modeled mercy from the beginning of His public ministry to His death on the cross. He touched the lepers to show them compassion. He healed the multitudes, most of whom He did not know not because strong faith was present or for some deep theological reason, but simply because He felt compassion for them. The mercy He freely showed to others was rarely reciprocated. As His last gesture of mercy on the cross He assured the penitent thief that "Today you shall be with me in paradise.”
While Christ personally demonstrated mercy and commands His followers to be merciful, He also strongly condemns the merciless people. In His kingdom parable, recorded in Matthew 25:41-44, He severely upbraids those who neglected to lift a helping hand to those who were needy. This is also a parable of God’s judgment on the church for her lack of being socially involved with the hurting people in her immediate community. God is not impressed by what we do for the significant people, the “big’ people around us, if we overlook the little people.”
Thought for the Day: While being a merciful person may not be a precondition for salvation, it is, however, a necessary consequence.
Mercy does make the world a better place. But mercy is more then only giving and doing.
It can be defined as the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment.
God has already shown us mercy in the death of the passover Lamb, Jesus. It is his blood that makes us whole and not our acts.
Key Verse: Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy (Matthew 5:2).
Christ himself modeled mercy from the beginning of His public ministry to His death on the cross. He touched the lepers to show them compassion. He healed the multitudes, most of whom He did not know not because strong faith was present or for some deep theological reason, but simply because He felt compassion for them. The mercy He freely showed to others was rarely reciprocated. As His last gesture of mercy on the cross He assured the penitent thief that "Today you shall be with me in paradise.”
While Christ personally demonstrated mercy and commands His followers to be merciful, He also strongly condemns the merciless people. In His kingdom parable, recorded in Matthew 25:41-44, He severely upbraids those who neglected to lift a helping hand to those who were needy. This is also a parable of God’s judgment on the church for her lack of being socially involved with the hurting people in her immediate community. God is not impressed by what we do for the significant people, the “big’ people around us, if we overlook the little people.”
Thought for the Day: While being a merciful person may not be a precondition for salvation, it is, however, a necessary consequence.
Mercy does make the world a better place. But mercy is more then only giving and doing.
It can be defined as the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment.
God has already shown us mercy in the death of the passover Lamb, Jesus. It is his blood that makes us whole and not our acts.
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