Think back on a time when you were shown mercy…

Maybe you owed someone money, but they decided to cancel your debt. Maybe you hurt someone you love, but they gave you another chance. Maybe you made a huge mistake, but you received forgiveness instead of punishment.

In the fifth of the beatitudes, a series of promises Jesus made about God’s Kingdom, Jesus said this:

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
Matthew 5:7 NIV

Because we are imperfect sinners who have all fallen short of God’s glorious standards, we all deserve death. We all deserve punishment. We all deserve to be eternally separated from God.

“But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ NLT‬‬‬‬‬

Jesus is passionate about justice and righteousness while simultaneously fervent about grace and mercy.

That’s why He paid the ultimate price for us—so that we could truly live. That’s why He conquered the grave—to mercifully save our souls. That’s why He sent His Spirit—so that we could also show mercy.

To be clear, grace and mercy, while similar, aren't the same. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve (an unwarranted gift) while mercy is not getting what you do deserve (judgment and wrath).

And while it’s easier said than done, His people are called to be merciful. Even when someone has wronged you. Yes, even when they don’t deserve your kindness. Yes, even when you don’t feel like being merciful.

Jesus has shown us mercy. And now? We can offer it to others.