Oh Mercy, Mercy Be!

The Greatest Sermon Ever Preached Part V
Reflections on the Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5-7

(Commentary by Guy Glass and Scott Hescht)

Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."

Scott: When you think of a fruit bearing Christian, what comes to mind? Maybe there is a mental picture of a person who loves God and as a result they read the Bible daily, go to church regularly, don't use vulgar language and aren't caught up in pornography, the lust of money, or anything else worldly. If life were a pie, this person would be filling it with the choicest apples of the fruit of his or her salvation.

But what if God preferred coconut? (I choose coconut because people either love it or hate it). Peter Lord once pondered, "Suppose you were to spend your entire life trying to make the best apple pie to give to God (only to find that) God does not like apple pie."
Unlike Peter Lord, in this scenario I'm not suggesting that God hates apple pie, but just that He prefers coconut. Wouldn't it be disappointing to find out when we got to heaven that we had never used God's favorite ingredient while baking this pie called life?

Several times God is quoted in the Bible as saying, "I prefer mercy. Not sacrifice."
The Christian life isn't all about us. It isn't just a bunch of dos and don'ts. In fact, if it were than we are no better than the religious people Jesus condemned in His day. They were great at following rules but they had no love for others. They were too busy being caught up in their own self righteousness. Jesus told his critics, "Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Matthew 9:13).

Now some of us would consider ourselves "others focused" because we share the Gospel (and for that I applaud), but is that all that Jesus meant when He said to love others? What about that passionate Christian who is willing to share boldly the Gospel message to the homosexual, but is not willing to have dinner in the homosexual's home? What about the one who loves enough to proclaim the Kingdom of God, but does not love enough to drive 10 minutes and pick a neighbor up for church. What about the zealous evangelist who is willing to make a convert but has not the love enough to follow through and make them a disciple of Christ. After all, that is the great commission right; for every Christian to make disciples and not just converts. Making disciples may take more time than some are willing to give. It requires real relationships. It requires us to have mercy and overlook the flaws of an individual in order to love them and point them to God's mercy and Grace.

Sadly the last 2,000 years has been marred with those who were unmerciful while claiming to work in the name of Jesus Christ. However, mercy is the Gospel in action and God promises to bestow mercy upon those who are merciful.

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 5:31-46)