Fifth Beatitude

" Blessed are the merciful , for they will be shown mercy " ( Matthew 5:7 ). The pagan Roman world of Jesus's time despised pity , likewise the Pharisees doled out mercy with extreme prejudice because they saw the suffering of others as a consequence of sin . ( Matthew 23:23 ) . But Jesus prescribed a new way of dealing with people. This kind of mercy - the unmerited kind - would have been a foreign concept , yet it opened the door for Jesus's ultimate example of mercy to be revealed in the form of His saving grace. While God's work of creation demonstrated His mighty power , God's work of redemption revealed His marvelous love, shown through His mercy and grace. This very love of God is indispensable for existence of life and the salvation of humanity. What is the difference between grace and mercy? In Webster's 1828 dictionary grace is defined as the free and unmerited favor of God , favorable influence of God , the application of Christ's righteousness to the sinner. Mercy is defined as the benevolence, mildness or tenderness of heart which deposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; the disposition that tempers justice, and induces an injured to forgive injuries and to forbear punishment. Wow! I know that this can be a difficult thing for us sometimes. Mercy and forgiveness go hand in hand as demonstrated by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. After all that He has done and is doing for us, should we not also be just as merciful? I know that we have a sense of self importance and many times mercy is not at the forefront of our minds when we perceive that we have been wronged. It seems to be human nature to want justice and dare I say it "revenge".Christ would have us to rise above that human nature and follow His example by showing mercy. Mercy is an active virtue that Christians can show to others because we have been given mercy. Scripture says to whom much is given, much is required. Since God has so abundantly and freely given us mercy and grace, shouldn't we freely forgive others? I realize that there are circumstances when either we don't want to forgive or find to be an insurmountable task to forgive, but we need to measure that against the grace and mercy that was granted to us by God . We must always remember that Scripture also says that if we withhold mercy and grace to others then it will be withheld from us. We can't even phathom the cost that was paid for our freedom and salvation. Mercy and Grace are of eternal importance. My brothers and sisters this kind of " Mercy " is life changing. As we begin to show mercy our disposition with our Lord becomes richer and fuller. When we show mercy we receive mercy. Scripture also requires us to hold others in high regard, to consider others more important than ourselves. It seems like a lot, but we can be sure that our Lord who has shown the way through His own life and sacrifice of His life will be there to take our hand and lead us in our endeavors to show mercy and grace. May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ be with you all. James says that if we draw near to God , He will draw near to you. I will not fail to mention you all in my prayers. God bless you and keep you safe.