“God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7
Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, we see Jesus highlighting different variations of the "Golden Rule" - that is, treat others how you want to be treated. You will see more variations of this as you continue on this 31 Day Journey of Learning the Upside Down Kingdom. But for now, let’s focus on this one.
The reality is that God judges us based on how we treat others. In Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus says, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” If we want to receive the mercy of God, we must first extend mercy. If we are to be citizens of the Upside Down Kingdom, we must adopt the heart of the King first. Jesus doesn’t just want us to act like Him, He wants us to be transformed by Him, He wants us to think like Him, and to become like Him. We are to do nothing out of selfish ambition, but in humility to consider others more significant than ourselves (Ephesians 2:3). Ephesians 2 goes on to say that we should not just look at our own interests, but also the interests of others.
Imagine you and your friend were caught cheating on a test. It would be nonsensical for you to expect your friend to get in trouble while you walk away with an A, even though you both cheated on the same test. Likewise, it’s also nonsensical for us to believe that others are worthy of judgment for their sin while we think we are worthy of mercy for ours.
When we show mercy to others who have hurt us, we actually participate in the heart posture that God has for all of mankind. Think of all the times humanity has rejected, disrespected, or insulted God – and God still wants to give us mercy! The Bible says that God DELIGHTS in showing mercy!
Matthew 5-7 lays out the culture of the Kingdom that we get to live out on the earth. We need to see others the way JESUS sees them. When we see people the way God sees them, we participate as true citizens of the Upside Down Kingdom. WE no longer look at others through the lens of pain, rejection, hatred, anger, but through Jesus’ eyes of LOVE!
Questions for Application
- Who is someone that you should extend mercy to? Ask Jesus to help you see them the way He sees them.
Prayer
"Father, help me to extend mercy to ____. I understand that in order for me to receive mercy from my transgressions against you, I must first extend mercy to those who transgressed against me. Help me to see them the way you see them.”