““Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (Matthew 5:7, ESV) Mercy is not giving what the person deserves. Mercy is what God greets us with every morning: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22–23, ESV) A woman appeared before Napoleon to plead for mercy for her son who had been condemned to death. Napoleon, having been made familiar with his case said, “Madam, your son is not entitled to mercy.” The lady responded, “Sir, if he were entitled it would not be mercy.” Mercy is us not getting what we do deserve. If we had any true sense of just how merciful God has been with us – we would, of necessity, fall on our faces never to seek to avenge or punish anyone ever again. God is merciful and we are blessed when we are merciful because we are trusting, and obeying God and we are enjoying the fruit of how God is at work in us. Amen.
