Blessed are the Merciful

For the past two weeks we have attended church at LOGOS. It has been amazing, and the pastor there has been speaking on the beatitudes. For those of you who don't know what they are look in Matthew 5:1-12. This pastor is someone I have come to admire and respect just by listening to two of his sermons. The way he preaches is very humble, and you can see the fire and passion he has in his heart for God. He cares so much about his congregation as well! Today he spoke on Matthew 5:7: "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." It was really good to hear him expand on this. Although these beatitudes are simple things, there is more to them than just the words. There is context, and there are other Scriptures to back it up.

What is mercy? Anything good that comes to us from God is mercy, and every human being on this planet is a recipient of God's mercy! "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." --Romans 6:23 We all sin, so every breath we take, and every moment we live is mercy given to us by God! Mercy is not justice! Mercy, unlike justice, can never be deserved or earned. The merciful will be shown mercy. Jesus wasn't explaining how to receive mercy, but He was speaking of those who were already merciful.

In Matthew 18:21-35 we have the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant. This servant owed his master ten thousand talents. It is said that Rome taxed a small city 600 talents. So you can only imagine how much money it was, millions of dollars. This servant was shown mercy, yet he did not show mercy to another servant that owed him only a hundred denarii. This was nothing compared to what he owed, yet he sent the other servant to prison. Just because you receive mercy does not mean you are merciful! In Matthew 18:32-35 it tells us:

Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Verse 35 literally shook me to the core when I heard it. It scared me. I thought about the times I haven't truly forgiven those who have wronged me. I may have said I have forgiven them, but truly I didn't. It is not enough to do merciful things though. These beatitudes are not just a checklist, but we should make them apart of who we are in Christ!

GOD HAS BLESSED US WITH EVERY ONE OF OUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS! IF WE ARE NOT GROWING IN MERCY, WE HAVE FAILED, NOT GOD! These messages are so simple, yet so deep and something that we forget about every day! It is so humbling to be reminded of these things. God is alive! Father I praise you for your wonderful servant, and thank you for the words You spoke through him. They were definitely Your words, and not his. I praise you for the Truth that you spoke and continue to speak through him. Thank you for showing up and speaking to me. Thank you for challenging me in this! Continue to challenge us everyday!

--Discerning the Call
Chase Fallin