“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7)
“And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'” (Luke 23:34)
As we think about the subject of mercy we are drawn to Jesus and specifically to the cross. There has never been nor will there ever be an act of mercy greater than the mercy that Jesus showed us on the cross. What does mercy look like? We must go to the foot of the cross and look up into the face of our dying Savior. We must listen closely to the words that He speaks as He sheds His blood for our sins. Yes, it is our sins that He died for. It was for those who were there mocking Him…those who were gambling for His only worldly possessions…those who had spit in His face and humiliated Him…those who had called for His death shouting, “Crucify Him”. Yes, it is these that He came to save. Unworthy. Rebellious. Sinners destined for destruction and death. A people living in darkness…lost…
And then…mercy appeared. The Almighty Judge, the Everlasting God, the all Loving Father came and showed us mercy. Instead of cursing us from the cross, He initiates forgiveness. Mercy. We did not deserve it…we did not even think we needed it…but, that is what mercy is. It is being given the love and forgiveness that you need in order to be free to be reconciled to God and experience the fellowship with Him that you were designed to enjoy. The path has been cleared. The barriers have been removed. The chains of the sin that has held you captive have been broken and you are free to come to Him. The darkness that has paralyzed you in fear has been chased away by the shining light of God’s love for you.
This is mercy. And you are called to embrace it!
Why spend time today thinking of the mercy of the cross? One truth about mercy in the Scripture is that it is impossible to express mercy if you have never received it. Being merciful is the natural result of experiencing mercy. Over and over in Scripture our personal forgiveness is directly connected to our forgiveness of others. Jesus said in the prayer He taught His disciples, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” (Matthew 6:12 KJV).
Mercy is a contagious characteristic of the disciple of Jesus. He is the one who gave it to us and now we are the carriers who are tasked with spreading it to those around us. Before you can truly be “merciful” you must first come and receive the mercy that Jesus made possible for you. Today, hear His prayer from the cross for you,
“Father, forgive them…”