By Roy B. Blizzard
Continuing with our look at the Beatitudes, our next Beatitude is Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.
There is only one place in the Biblical text that speaks of giving mercy. That is in Lamentations 4:10 and here it is only in the feminine form. But, there are several places in the Biblical text where it refers to the receiving of mercy. For example:
Hosea 14:2
Return unto the Lord, say unto Him forgive all iniquity and accept that which is good.
Proverbs 28:13
He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
As is obvious in these passages, mercy is synonymous with forgiveness. One might say, "Blessed are those who are forgiving for they, in turn, receive forgiveness."
This is a theme stressed in what we commonly call the Lord’s Prayer. "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." In other words, if you want to be forgiven, you, in turn, must be forgiving. If you want mercy instead of justice, you must show mercy.
The rabbis love people who are merciful. I, too, say how blessed are those who give mercy for they are the ones who receive God’s mercy in salvation.
