River of Mercy

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” 
Matthew 5:7 (NIV)  

There was a mother who approached Napoleon Bonaparte, pleading for the life of her son who had been sentenced to death. The French commander said to her, “Justice says your son should die.” She responded, “I didn't come to ask for justice, I came to beg for mercy.”

 Napoleon looked at the woman and said, “But he doesn't deserve mercy.” She said, “Sir, it would not be mercy if he deserved it and mercy is all I'm asking for.” Napoleon replied, “Well then, I will show mercy.”

Jesus spoke the beatitude of Matthew 5:7 in a Roman culture, where mercy was a sign of weakness. In Jesus’ time, much like ours, people valued power, domination, and strict justice. You might identify with this at times: holding a grudge or judging another is what you may think someone deserves.

But what is Jesus’ way of mercy? To put it simply, mercy is not giving people what they deserve. We all deserve death. We all deserve retribution. We all deserve punishment for our sins. But Jesus offers us mercy.

What does it look like for you to show mercy? Mercy in a nutshell is sympathy. The word “sympathy” comes from two Latin words that mean “to feel with.” It means getting into someone's skin and feeling the hurt that that person feels. 

That's exactly what Jesus did for you. He got into human skin, so he could experience the pain you experience, see what you see, and feel the hurt you feel. He took it all upon Himself at the cross, carrying your grief, sorrow, and sin, so that mercy might triumph in and through you. 

You, like me, may be quick to pray “Lord have mercy on me,” but slower to pray “Lord have mercy on others.” The good news is that Jesus’ mercy toward you is everflowing, even when you feel like you are at the end of your rope. When your reservoir of mercy runs dry, His river of mercy rushes to meet you. Receive His mercy, and you will have mercy to give. 

The Holy Spirit lives in you, extending new mercy each day, offering what you desperately need and what others don’t deserve. Then you will receive Jesus’ promise to you: as you are merciful, He will keep showing you His mercy – and you can rest in a river that never ends.  

Prayer: Good Father, Thank You for Your river of mercy flowing to me today by your Holy Spirit. I receive what I don’t deserve. Thank You that You continue to show me new mercy each day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.