The Merciful

"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." Matthew 5:7 KJV

Backstory: In the previous chapter, Jesus traveled with His disciples to teach the gospel, heal, and deliver the people. He grew a multitude of followers. Now as He sees the multitude, Jesus goes up to a mountain and once set is joined by His disciples. The rest of the chapter are scriptures spoken by Jesus Christ. As with today's scripture, Jesus teaches those who heard how to live a life that is pleasing to the Father, God. Today we focus on God's desire for us to be merciful to our Earthly neighbors; this type of heart brings upon mercy from God in return.

Response: Mercy is defined as compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within another individual's power to punish or harm. Consider the relationship of a judge and a criminal. It is up to the judge to give the final verdict of what the criminal shall endure according to their crime. There are laws set in place for various crimes that give standard punishments. However, a judge may feel merciful based on the testimony of the criminal or just by the grace of God touching their heart, giving a lesser than usual punishment. This is the same concept between God and mankind. Our sins deserve death, but God's mercy sent Jesus Christ to die on behalf of our sins. His extended mercy gave us a chance at salvation through Christ. How merciful can it get?

Let's pray for our hearts and those that we encounter. We must first understand the concept of mercy and see how merciful God has been to us. Then we shall implement the practice into our lives. We are disciples and as we learn the will of God, we will spread the gospel as Jesus Christ.

In Jesus mighty name,
Hallelujah, Amen!

Photo Credits: @unsplash @bill_oxford