This is a series on the Lord's "Beatitudes" (Mt. 5.3-12). Click on the following links to explore the various installments (part one, "Spiritual Beggars," contains an introduction to the Beatitudes):
Mercy is a quality every Christian should embrace. It has the power to heal not only those to whom it is given, but even those who give it generously.
Let’s unpack the Lord’s fifth beatitude.
“Congratulations to the merciful-ones, for they shall be shown mercy” (Mt. 5.7).
The Condition: Mercy
Mercy is deeply rooted in Christian teachings, embodying compassion, forgiveness, and loving-kindness to others, especially “to those in need” (Mounce, p. 448).
Christians ought to be merciful in two areas of life.
The Suffering Of Others
First, when others are hurting, we cannot remain indifferent. Instead, the merciful will feel their pain, take pity on them, and attempt to alleviate their suffering if possible. Mercy is about being “actively compassionate” (Vine, p. 404).
The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) remarked:
“We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer” (Bonhoeffer, p. 45).
To be clear, we should never ignore the actions of others. But we should at least attempt to view those actions through an empathetic lens.
Jesus embodied mercy in this sense. At Jericho, two blind men begged Jesus to exercise “mercy” on them (Mt. 20.30). They wanted him to “open” their “eyes” (Mt. 20.33).
“So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him” (Mt. 20.34).
“Compassion” (splagchnizomai) means that Jesus was “moved in the guts” for them. Their suffering affected him viscerally, and his pity was the sort that moved him to action (cf. Mt. 15.22f; 17.15f; Mk. 6.34).
When Epaphroditus was ill, Paul wrote that “God had mercy on him” (Phil. 2.27) — i.e., he felt sympathy for his misery and made him well again (cf. Jm. 5.11).
In like manner, Christians are to clothe ourselves with “compassionate hearts” and “kindness” for others (Col. 3.12, ESV). Being clothed with compassion doesn’t mean we should always feel gloomy or distraught over the pain of others. On the contrary, Paul urged us to “show mercy with cheerfulness” (Rm. 12.8). A jovial disposition can do much to uplift the spirits of the forlorn, and there is more happiness in giving than in receiving (Acts 20.35).
Sometimes mercy is as simple as offering a listening ear to someone in distress.
Other times being merciful means being ready to give financial aid to those who need food or drink or clothing, etc. In this regard, John asked a poignant question.
“Whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 Jn. 3.17).
John qualifies this question by addressing those who “have this world’s goods” — i.e., they have enough “material possessions” (NIV) to render assistance. God does not expect from us that which we are physically incapable of doing.
But if we are capable, when our “brother” is “in need,” if we should turn our heart to stone and ignore our poor brother’s plight, we have shut out God’s love from our hearts as well. This is merciless. It is ugly. And it fails to honor the mercy God has shown to us.
Mercy can also apply to more mundane situations. Consider the following scenarios:
When a waitress appears to be having a bad day and seems overwhelmed, mercy can be as simple as choosing not to add to her burdens with our own complaints about the food or the service. Instead, we can cheer her up with a joke.
When we are in the checkout line at the grocery store and the person in front of us is taking forever because their card isn’t being read properly or their child is acting up, mercy sets aside irritation — avoiding the grunt or sigh of disgust — and patiently pities that person’s difficulties. They don’t want to be there that long anymore than we do.
On the road, if someone in front of us has car troubles or has been in a wreck, mercy will stop to offer assistance. And if assistance is already being given and we are stuck in traffic because of the incident, mercy will patiently wait for others to help the unfortunate soul in need. Patient pity is our way of helping the situation (by giving them room to work). On the flip side, it is merciless to grow angry, resenting the disruption to our day, while our neighbor up ahead is enduring far more difficult circumstances than we are.
In short, the merciful are in tune with the hardships of others, even if that means we are inconvenienced by them.
However, mercy should always be exercised with balance to avoid emotional instability. Some become obsessed with feelings of anguish and heartache over misfortune. They live in the world of misery. And they may even accuse others who do not share their level of angst of being uncaring or pitiless. This is neither healthy nor godly. Nor does this exhibit the quality of mercy the subject feigns to have.
Greek grammarian Ceslas Spicq (1901-1992) noted that eleos (mercy) can be taken to extremes.
“Such a sensitivity to misery is unacceptable without controls or objective motives” (Spicq, p. 471).
Indeed, while God is merciful, he is not in constant anguish over the plight of others. He is “rich in mercy” (Eph. 2.4), but selective in its distribution (Ex. 33.19; Rm. 9.15-18; cf. 1 Pt. 2.10). And there is a limit to his mercy (cf. Hos. 1.6).
That said, on the whole Christians should exercise compassion toward those who are suffering and in need. If we can do something to help, we are morally obliged to do so (cf. Jm. 4.17). And if we can’t do anything to help, mercy will at least exercise a patient understanding toward those who are inadvertently imposing upon us.
The Sins Of Others
Second, mercy is not only applicable when others suffer, but also when others sin.
For sake of clarity, sometimes we conflate mercy with forgiveness. While related, the two are somewhat different.
Forgiveness is about absolving wrongs — wiping the guilt away as if it never existed and letting go of resentment for the infraction.
On the other hand, mercy for sins is principally about foregoing punishment or harsh treatment, especially when it is in our power to inflict it.
The book of Hebrews describes Jesus as a “merciful (eleemon—the same adjective used in Mt. 5.7) and faithful High Priest,” for he is able “to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Heb. 2.17). Though we sin against him, he pities our weaknesses and desires to waive the punishment we are justly due (cf. Neh. 9.16-18; Rm. 5.8-10). Indeed, he is “not willing that any should perish” (2 Pt. 3.9) but “desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2.4; cf. Eze. 33.11).
Jesus’ “merciful” character must be mirrored in our own life as well. In his Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, Jesus taught that since we are recipients of his mercy, we in turn “should…have mercy (eleao) on” those indebted to us (Mt. 18.23-35).
In Luke 6.36, Jesus stressed that God “is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.”
This is a summons to strive to be like God.
Therefore, we must treat those who wrong us according to a higher standard than the world. Jesus observed that worldly people are friendly to their loved ones but tend to be harsh or indifferent to their enemies. There is nothing commendable about loving only your loved ones, for “even sinners love those who love them” (Lk. 6.32). However, if we give mercy to our enemies who wrong us or those we love, then our compassion will stand out all the more to the Lord (Mt. 5.43-48; cf. 1 Pt. 2.19-23).
But when must we extend mercy to those who wrong us?
In the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant, the king gave mercy in response to the penitence of his servant — i.e., when he pled for it.
“I forgave you all that debt because you begged me” (Mt. 18.32).
Hence, mercy in that case was given when it was asked for. It was taken away when the petitioner proved himself unworthy of it.
But what about when the sinner does not ask for mercy? May Christians treat their enemies harshly — i.e., without mercy — as long as the wrongdoer remains impenitent?
Perhaps God’s example will help us with the answer, for God’s kindness is the standard by which our own actions should be measured (cf. Eph. 4.32).
God’s kindness to sinners — whether in mercy (forgoing punishment), forgiveness (removing guilt and anger), or in grace (unmerited favor) — has both an unconditional and a conditional aspect.
First, God unconditionally offers his mercy, forgiveness, and grace to everyone “apart from works” (cf. Rm. 4.6; Eph. 2.9; Rm. 11.5-6).
Paul noted that even “while we were still sinners” and “when we were enemies” (i.e., while we remained impenitent), “Christ died for us” (Rm. 5.8, 10). His desire to forego punishment (mercy), put away guilt and anger (forgiveness), and bring us back into his favor (grace) are each made freely available to the entire world (cf. Jn. 1.29; 1 Jn. 2.2; Rom. 3.24; 1 Tim. 4.10; Lk. 3.6; Tit. 2.11). God did not wait for sinners to repent before he extended his kindness to us (cf. Tit. 3.4-5). On the contrary, “we love Him because He first loved us” (1 Jn. 4.19), even though we do not deserve that love.
Second, however, only those who willingly accept his kindness with a compliant faith shall receive it (cf. Gal 2.21; Eph. 2.8; Rm. 5.1-2; Jn. 7.17; Rev. 22.17). In this sense, mercy, forgiveness, and grace are conditioned on the response of the sinner (for more, see “Salvation: A Free Gift”).
Therefore, when someone sins against us, let us follow God’s example. If the sinner comes pleading for mercy, we ought to give it (cf. Lk. 17.3-4; Acts 8.22). However, mercy is not necessarily dependent on the sinner’s penitence.
If the sinner does not come to us first in penitence, we ought to be the bigger person. While it is right to “be angry” when someone does wrong — for justice has been thwarted! — we must not hold on to that anger (Eph. 4.26; Ps. 4.4; 37.8).
Instead, we must offer the sinner our mercy, forgiveness, and grace, regardless of whether the sinner asks for it or not. This means we must set aside harsh treatment (mercy), let go of the grudge and go to the offender to offer him our pardon (forgiveness; cf. Mt. 18.15ff), and extend our friendly hand of favor to him (grace). This is how God treats us. And it should be how we treat those who wrong us too.
But what if they should reject these kindly overtures? Consider the following:
First, no Christian can forgive anyone in an absolute sense — i.e., absolve sin in the courts of heaven. Only God can do that (cf. Dan. 9.9; Mk. 2.7).
Second, man does have the power to forgive people in a relative sense — i.e., by no longer holding the sin against them in our hearts.
Third, even in a relative sense, no Christian is obliged to regard someone who refuses to repent as guilt-free. It would not be righteous to do so, for God himself does not absolve the guilt of any sinner who refuses to repent (Lk. 13.3; Rm. 2.5; Rev. 18.5).
Therefore, if an impenitent wrongdoer has chosen to remain in his guilt, we have every right to regard that person as in the wrong until they make it right, for that is how God himself views the matter. As Jesus put it, if a sinner refuses to listen to the remonstrations of the righteous, then we should regard him “like a heathen and a tax collector” — i.e., outside of the blessings of God’s covenant (Mt. 18.17; cf. Rm. 16.17; 1 Cor. 5.9; 2 Th. 3.6, 14; 2 Jn. 10).
Fourth, even though we can withhold forgiveness to an impenitent wrongdoer — in the sense of regarding them as still in the wrong — yet we must extend mercy, forgiveness, and grace to them in other ways. Consider:
(1) Mercy. We must not treat them harshly or punish them. Rather, we must give them our mercy. This is where God’s role and man’s role slightly diverge.
Unlike God, Christians are not permitted to “avenge” the wrongdoer — i.e., give them what they justly deserve. Instead, we must leave punishment to God. Paul instructs us to “give place to wrath” — i.e., step aside and let God administer punishment when and how it is due (cf. Rm. 12.19; 1 Th. 4.6).
(2) Forgiveness. Though we still regard them as guilty of wrong — i.e., unforgiven — we can still forgive them in two other senses.
First, we can “let go” (the meaning of forgiveness [aphesis] in the Greek Bible [Spicq, p. 238]) of resentment or anger over the wrong. Guilt may linger, but that doesn’t mean bitterness should linger too. Paul instructed:
“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice” (Eph. 4.31).
Second, we can also remain ready and willing to put away the sinner’s guilt when they finally do repent. This is the attitudinal posture God maintains as he waits for sinners to come to their senses:
“They refused to obey, And they were not mindful of Your wonders That You did among them. But they hardened their necks, And in their rebellion They appointed a leader To return to their bondage. But You are God, Ready to pardon, Gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, Abundant in kindness, And did not forsake them” (Neh. 9.17).
Hence, we can forgive an impenitent sinner by (1) letting go of hostile feelings toward them and (2) staying ready to change our attitude toward them as no longer in the wrong — i.e., with a posture that is eager to forgive.
(3) Grace. Finally, Christians must also be kindly disposed to the impenitent — i.e., be full of grace (favor). Instead of bitterness and grudging, we must “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4.32). In fact, one biblical word for “forgive” (charizomai) means to bestow a favor on someone or to show kindness to them — literally, be gracious to them (Col. 3.13).
Hence, when others are rude, ungrateful, or just plain evil to us, mercy is willing to exercise a kindly forbearance toward them. It does not return insult for insult or injury for injury (cf. 1 Pt. 3.9).
It does not say: Let’s give them a taste of their own medicine; let’s make them suffer as they made us suffer; and, then — after they have felt our wrath and are made sorry for it — we’ll show them mercy. That was the attitude of the unmerciful servant. That is the way of the world.
Rather, the merciful seek to “do good to those who hate” them (Lk. 6.27). They “bless” and “pray for” the wellbeing of their enemies who mistreat them (Mt. 5.44; 1 Cor. 4.12-13). If punishment is justly due, the merciful will “give place to wrath,” leaving such in God’s hands (Rm. 12.19-21; cf. 1 Th. 4.6; Heb. 10.30). God will afflict them in his own time and way (cf. Deut. 32.35).
In short, mercy sets punishment aside, both when the sinner asks for mercy and when he does not. It makes every effort to heal and rescue those enslaved by sin with all kindness and charity. And if the sinner remains impenitent, proves himself unworthy of mercy, and punishment is due, then the merciful will not inflict it but will simply leave such to the just providence of God.
The Blessing: Shown Mercy
In the second half of this beatitude, Jesus implores us to consider the law of reciprocity — the idea that what we give, we shall receive in return. What goes around comes around, both positively and negatively.
By extending mercy to those in need — whether they need compassion for suffering or for sin — we open ourselves up to receiving mercy in our own lives. Indeed, the way we treat others will be the way we shall be treated.
“With the same measure that you use, it shall be measured back to you” (Lk. 6.38).
First, if we are merciful to those who are suffering, that mercy shall find its way back to us when we are suffering. David put it like this:
“Blessed is he who considers the poor; The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble” (Ps. 41.1).
Second, if we are merciful to those who sin against us, the Lord shall extend his mercy to us when we sin as well (cf. Mk. 11.25).
Conversely, if we don’t give mercy to others, God shall withhold his mercy from us in return.
“Judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy” (Jm. 2.13; cf. Mt. 18.35; Mt. 6.14-15).
Conclusion
In a world that often struggles with strife, division, and indifference toward others, Christians can be beacons of light by exhibiting mercy to those who suffer and to those who sin.
This beatitude reminds us of the transformative power of mercy. For in showing mercy, we certainly bless others. But we also cultivate a spirit of generosity and joy within ourselves, which heals our spirit when it is wounded by the sight of suffering or by the slight of sin. In turn, we open ourselves up to being recipients of mercy — whether from God or man or both — if we should ever suffer or sin.
Let us heed the Lord’s words, striving to live a life marked by mercy. In doing so, we are aligning ourselves with the divine will and experiencing the abundance of blessings that flow from a merciful heart.
