Mercy: Give and Take

January 17, 2007

Dear Friend,

This morning I was reading Matthew 5:7: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." What's the mental picture you have when you hear the word mercy?

I have this mental picture of young lady named Mercy. Yep, that's really her name! When I was visiting in the Philippines some years back, there was this girl who was in charge of the kitchen at the hospital I was visiting. She was always cheerful and bubbly, a delight to be around. Frequently she would be heard singing away as she, with her assistants, prepared the meals for the staff and the patients. Not only did Mercy have a very likable personality, she was also quite attractive. I remember commenting to some friends with me that whoever got Mercy as a wife would be pretty fortunate.

Well, one day, as we were getting off the bus in front of the hospital, Mercy came running over to us. "Pastor, pastor, my sweetheart is here, and I want you all to meet him!" Her fiancé, who lived many miles away in another city, was visiting. Wow, were we lucky! As we hurried over to the cafeteria, I remember forming a mental image in my mind of this guy who was fortunate enough to get Mercy's attention. I'll never forget my reaction when Mercy pulled us into the kitchen, and proudly introduced her sweetheart.

You see, standing there was an average-looking man who was deaf; and as Mercy proudly introduced us, we found he couldn't speak very well either. A few days later, while we were eating breakfast, Mercy was proudly talking about her sweetheart (which she did pretty much all the time), and she told us that she had been praying ever since she was a little girl that God would bring her a husband whom she could minister to and help out, and she felt that God has answered her prayers in bringing her fiancé to her. Strange way of looking at it, isn't it? Most single people are looking for a mate who will help them out, who will compliment them, and who will be there for them. But not Mercy. She wasn't looking for a husband to help her; she wanted to marry someone whom she could help.

So when I hear or read the word mercy, that's the image that comes to my mind. A person who wants--no, rather a person who prays--to help other people in need. And Jesus promises that when we are merciful (which simply means "full of mercy"), that's when we will obtain mercy.

Think about mercy for a few minutes, and ask God to show you how unmerciful ("not full of mercy") you might be. Then practice giving mercy to others, especially those who don't deserve it.

Have a great week, and remember, I'm praying for you!

Mark