God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7 NLT
Meditate
on mercy.
 |
| Don't be prickly like a cactus. Be merciful. |
Don't tear your clothing in your
grief, but tear your hearts instead. Return to the LORD your God, for he is
merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing
love. He is eager to relent and not punish. Joel 2:13 (Underlined for emphasis.)
In the
New Testament, we have an example of Jesus as our merciful High Priest.
Although He was not of the tribe of Levi, the usual Jewish priestly family
unit, Jesus became a priest in Heaven.
Therefore, it was necessary for him
to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could
be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a
sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Hebrews 2:17
God
promises to bless those who have shown mercy to others. What is the result of not
showing mercy? James writes that there is no mercy, which is compassion, pity,
understanding, grace, kindness, or leniency, for those who are not merciful to
others.
There will be no mercy for those
who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be
merciful when he judges you. James
2:13
When I
was in grade school, there was a girl who accidentally got hit in the face with a
tetherball. Accidents happen. I was the one who had hit the ball, so she felt
like I had slapped her in the face. She had just heard the verse stated by
Jesus about turning the other cheek, and she was determined that I needed to hit
her again. Wrong. I just couldn’t do it, but she kept nagging me and wouldn’t
resume our tetherball game until I slapped her other cheek. Well, I finally
tossed the ball, lightly at her other cheek, and we laughingly resumed the game
just as the recess bell rang. Was it merciful? I felt like it could only be
merciful if she would just forgive me for the ball hitting her in the face.
But I say, do not resist an evil
person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. Matthew 5:39 (Jesus words.)
Let them turn the other cheek to
those who strike them and accept the insults of their enemies. Lamentations 3:30
Many of
Jesus’ teachings were based on Old Testament statements that He clarified and
made practical to the people of that time.
Prayer
– Lord Jesus, You were merciful to so many around You. I particularly think of
the Pharisees, who, although some believed in You, like Nicodemus and Joseph of
Arimathea, were often challenging evil people, but You listened politely. Ultimately,
You were merciful to all of mankind by obediently taking our sins to the cross.
Thank You. You are such a good example—we should certainly be merciful to
others around us!
Verse
of Salvation ~ So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. Lamentations 3:26
© 2026 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
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