“Blessed Are the Merciful, For They Shall Receive Mercy” — Matthew 5:7
Photo Credit: Unknown Master, German (active 1560s in North Germany, Parable of the Unfaithful Servant; image from Wikimedia Commons; {{PD-US}}.
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This painting above captures a key moment in one of Jesus’ most striking parables, the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matt. 18:21-35).
A servant owed his king hundreds of billions of dollars. The king commanded that he and his family be sold as slaves to repay the debt. The servant fell on his knees, begged for mercy, and asked for more time to repay, something he couldn’t have done in a hundred lifetimes.
The merciful king showed mercy. He forgave the man, cancelled his debt, and set him and his family free.
That same servant went straight to someone who owed him a few hundred dollars and began choking him. “Pay back what you owe me!” When his debtor begged for mercy and asked for more time and promised to repay the debt, the servant refused and had the man thrown into prison.
The state of our heart is revealed when we refuse to show mercy to others.
The poor man’s friends were shocked. They told the king.
The king was outraged: “‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’” (Matt. 18:32). Jesus said, “‘And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers until he should pay all his debt’” (Matt. 18:34).
The lesson is obvious.
We have sinned and committed high treason against our infinitely holy Creator:
All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:23)
We’ve broken God’s laws and owe him an infinite debt of punishment: hell for all eternity.
Yet God in his astonishing kindness has given his only Son to take the punishment that we deserved:
He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities. (Isa. 53:5)
God has forgiven our unpayable debt.
Christians should want the best for those who have sinned against them.
The Christian knows that God has forgiven us a hundred billion dollars of debt. How can we not forgive the much lesser debts: the wrongs and harms inflicted upon us by others?
This should be so obvious that anyone who does not show mercy to those who have harmed them proves that they have not themselves asked for and received God’s mercy.
“Blessed are the merciful,” said Jesus. Those who show mercy are the happy ones in God’s eyes. Why? “For they shall be shown mercy.” Let us first receive Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins and his abundant love and mercy. And may we then show that same mercy to others, praying for the best for those who have caused us the worst.
This article is adapted from “Blessed Are the Merciful, For They Shall Be Shown Mercy” at campbellmarkham.substack.com.
Related Articles:
- “Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness, for They Shall Be Satisfied” — Matthew 5:6
- “Blessed Are the Meek, for They Shall Inherit the Earth” — Matthew 5:3-5
- When Extending Mercy Is Hard to Do
- The Active Nature of God’s Mercy
- Justice and Mercy United in Christ
- Finding God’s Mercy When You Fail
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Campbell Markham is pastor of Scots’ Presbyterian Church in Fremantle, Western Australia. He is married to Amanda-Sue and they have four adult children. Campbell holds an M.Div. from Christ College in Sydney and a Ph.D. from the University of Western Australia. His dissertation centered on a translation and theological analysis of the letters of Marie Durand (1711–1776), a French Protestant woman imprisoned for her faith for thirty-eight years. Besides his passion for languages and church history, Campbell enjoys playing the piano and daily swims in the Indian Ocean. You can read more of Campbell’s content at campbellmarkham.substack.com.
