Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”
Last week we began our discussion on mercy by concentrating on the mercy that God has given and continually gives to each one of us. The fact that we are alive is the mercy of God; the air we breathe, the world we live in, anything and everything we have is simply the mercy of God. James wrote “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17 ESV). The incredible promise that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever is a promise that His “mercy endures forever”. As the great hymn says “Great is Thy faithfulness . . . there is no shadow of turning with Thee . . . Morning by morning new mercies I see . . .” The character of God is that He is faithful, He does not change. Faithfulness has benefits and difficulties. One of the benefits of faithfulness is the reality of immovable relationships; faithfulness does not move on quickly, does not cast out or cast down quickly and does not look for an easier way. The difficulties are actually the same as the benefits, how they are viewed is dependent upon which side you are on, giving or receiving mercy. The faithful nature of God is the source of His mercy. To remain faithful God had to be merciful. He created us knowing we would fall, His faithfulness determined that He would be merciful when we did. But in that, don’t think that God is only merciful to protect His faithfulness that would mean that His mercy toward us was selfish when in fact it is completely selfless. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2 that by nature we were all children of wrath, that means that we were deserving of death because we were born in sin, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. God’s faithful character caused Him to show us mercy that has been born out of His everlasting love. Mercy has an incredible cause, the immovable faithfulness of God’s character and God’s love. Mercy must also have an incredible effect in those that are receiving it, we must become merciful. John Piper wrote that “mercy comes from mercy”, I agree, but I believe that we must also add that mercy comes for mercy. In Romans 9:23, as Paul was teaching the church about God’s covenant with Israel and His purpose for the Gentiles he wrote: “And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of His mercy . . .” The word vessels here, in the Greek describes something holding something else, a container, a tool, a utensil, it has purpose and provides toward an accomplishment. So when Paul refers to Israel as “vessels of mercy” he is revealing that mercy is not only poured out for those that are receiving it, it is poured out so that the vessels can be used to pour more out. In Matthew 10:8 when Jesus sent out the disciples for “ministry” in telling them to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers and cast out demons, He said: “Freely you have received, freely give.” Mercy does not only save from wrath, it prepares for service. We receive mercy so that we can pour out mercy. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”