Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy
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We all know the sayings:
— Credit where none is due.
— Don’t get mad, get reconciled.
— God helps those who are helpless themselves.
— Every lunch is a free lunch.
— It’s a dog help dog world.
— Survival of the feeblest…
Alright I made those ones up.
But if they sound ridiculous, they’re only as “ridiculous” as Christ’s beatitudes in which all our assumptions about earning, deserving, paying and paying back are turned on their heads. In Christ’s Kingdom mercy and not merit is the currency.
According to Jesus there is a future coming in which His followers own the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3), are comforted by God Himself (v4), are filled with righteousness (v5), see God (v7) and are called His children (v9). And on what basis do they receive such blessings? Verse 6: Mercy – sheer unmerited kindness from the overflowing heart of our Heavenly Father.
How should kingdom people respond? Well, won by mercy, we become merciful. Does our human mercy earn divine mercy? Not at all – or else mercy is not mercy.
Instead divine mercy wins human mercy. The forgiven forgive. The graced become gracious.
In Christ’s Kingdom it’s mercy that makes the world go round.
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