Fresh Studies in Matthew: Matthew 5:7

“Blessed are the merciful for they will attain mercy.”  This one is a little easier to understand on the surface but still hard. We think of mercy as forgiveness and forgiveness is part of mercy, but I believe it is a sustained quality of life, not just an occasional act toward others.

Mercy is (cliché alert) “not giving people what they deserve and grace is giving them what they don’t deserve.” Mercy can be proactive, not just after the fact.  I can be merciful before a person does something “bad.” I can be understanding of their reasons for being who they are, while not excusing bad behavior. 

A merciful spirit then, is also returned in kind, I think.  Also, of course, we cannot expect mercy from God is we are unmerciful as a rule of life, a very hard commandment/teaching and one not lived very much.

So that does that mean we are walking around without mercy and forgiveness from God because harboring ill in our hearts?  Could be.  We don’t get a pass on this, so we might as well get over ourselves and forgive people and extend mercy.  For me that’s every day with certain people because I’m so easily frustrated with them, even when they are just being themselves.