SHIFT - Part 5
THE MERCY THAT GIVES MERCY - The Boomerang Blessing
MATTHEW 5:7 & MATTHEW 18:21-35
INTRODUCTION:
Maybe you have noticed, in reading through the beatitudes, that they fall into 2 distinct categories? The first 4 deal with our relationship to God. We are "poor in spirit," admitting our need for Him. We "mourn," we see our sin in light of what Jesus sacrificed for us. Then we surrender to God’s control. We empty ourselves of self-sufficiency and exhibit Christ dependency. We are "meek." The result of the first 3 steps? Hunger. And what you hunger for is righteousness.. You want more of His Word, of Christian influences, you find you’re happiest when around fellow believers. You hunger and thirst after a right relationship, and you are filled.
So, now that we know how to build a right relationship with God, Jesus turns our focus to the second four - how we can be right with one another. He begins by giving us the "Law of direct return" or as some call it: “The Boomerang Blessing.” He says, "You’ll be happy many times over when you show mercy to others, because then mercy will be shown to you." Jesus is making the point that the amount of mercy you show to others will be directly proportionate to the amount of mercy that you will receive. So many people are bound in a dungeon of resentment. And when a blanket of bitterness covers your soul, it sours your outlook and suffocates your joy. Since that’s the case, let’s look closely at what Jesus says about being merciful.
I. THE DEFINITION:
First, we need to make sure we understand fully what Jesus means here when He says, "Blessed are the merciful." Like we have in most of other phrase studies let’s begin our definition by seeing what Mercy is NOT. It is not just referring to sentimental feelings. Feeling sorry for someone, being sympathetic, is a good quality, but it does not express the proper depth that Jesus is referring to. In fact, James 2:15-16 teaches us that when we see someone in need and only acknowledge the need, that is, feel sorry for them, but do nothing to help them, we’ve really done them no good at all. Mercy is also not just helpful deeds. Some people equate mercy with kindness. And although being kind to one another is a Scriptural mandate, once again it does not express the true meaning of mercy. And mercy is certainly not justice. Justice is getting what we deserve. We talk in legal circles about "placing ourselves on the `mercy’ of the court." In other words, we know we deserve a certain punishment but we are hoping that there will be a relaxing of the penalty, a lesser verdict. But even that does not fully explain the depth of mercy, as Jesus describes it.
The word Jesus uses for mercy is "eleos," and it is full of great meaning. It’s used to describe an attribute of God. God is said to be "rich in mercy." (Eph.2:4) Titus 3:5 tells us that we are saved by His mercy. And Peter tells us that: “In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope...” (1 Ptr 1:3)
“Eleos,” in it’s root carries the meaning, "to wash over." In the Greek culture, wherein Jesus lived, it was used in the context of "whitewashing" a wall or "wiping out" an impurity or "canceling" a debt. You see mercy goes beyond sympathy to empathy. It is "love in action." You not only wash out the deed that was done against you but, and here is the real challenge, you find a way to help the person.
You see mercy is an action, not a reaction. "Eleos," has it’s greatest meaning in our key word for this beatitude: we are to be forgiving. But even forgiveness can be too weak unless we understand that we not only are to wipe out the injury done to us by another but we are to also help them to recovery. And that’s the rub isn’t it? It’s one thing to say you forgive, it’s another to become actively involved in mercy.
Mercy’s clearest definition is Jesus Christ. Our Lord didn’t just sit up in heaven and passively say, "Okay, okay, whoever, believes in Me, I’ll forgive them." Jn 3:16 doesn’t say, "For God so loved the world that whoever believes in his son will have everlasting life." It says, "For God so loved the world that he..” what? "..gave (sent) His one and only Son." 1 Jn 4:9 repeats the thought- "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might have life... This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." By action He demonstrated mercy, His “Eleos,” the white washing of our sins, with His blood.
II. THE APPLICATION:
How do I apply this principle in my everyday life? How do I practically demonstrate this action word, this mercy? Well, here are some marks of mercy. Four ways to evaluate yourself and see how merciful you really are.
(A) If I am merciful, I’ll be patient with the unique. Now, that’s a nice way to say, be helpful even to oddballs. Rick Warren, a preacher in California, says, "I believe into every life a few weirdo’s must fall." I’m not sure that’s as true in Kingsland as it might be in Los Angeles, but all of us come in contact with those who we see as peculiar. And you can evaluate yourself on how merciful you are by asking: "How do you treat those who are different? Those who are a little odd?" You see mercy produces tolerance. 1 Thess. 5:14 says, "...encourage the timid, help the weak, and be patient with everyone."
Now, what if their uniqueness is not odd but offensive? How can you be patient with the obnoxious? Well, I think the best way is to understand that a lot of people who are out of step are really in a lot of pain. We need to stop focusing so much on their external behavior and look more closely at their internal hurt. Because usually behind every peculiar action there is a need for attention, caused by loneliness, hurt, or depression. Merciful people are accepting people. Rom. 15:7- "accept one another in the Lord, as Christ has accepted you." They’re not quick to criticize or to judge, they realize that hurtful people are hurting people. So, be patient with the unique.
(B) If I am merciful, I’ll forgive those who have fallen. Ask yourself this question: “When someone makes a mistake, do I rub it in, or rub it out?” Col. 3:13- "Be gentle and ready to forgive; never hold grudges. Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others."(LB) It’s an interesting thing about forgiveness that when you are called to receive it, it is so easy and feels so right. But when you’re called to give it, it is so hard and feels so wrong. When we are sinned against it’s not natural for us to show mercy, we want justice.
Now, sometimes the question becomes, “How many times do you show mercy?” How many times do you forgive those who have hurt you? That’s exactly the question Peter asked in Matthew 18. It is interesting that Jesus has just finished talking about how to handle personal conflict. In vss: 15-18 of this chapter He says that if someone sins against you, first you go to them personally, then take others with you. Now, that’s counter culture. "You mean, I’ve got to go to the one who has hurt me? No way! They’re the ones that have done wrong, they should come crawling to me on their hands and knees, begging for forgiveness. Why should I initiate anything?" But Jesus says, "...if someone harms you in some way go to him or her." So, after this discussion, Peter apparently understands what he is to do, he just wants to know how many times he has to do it! You know, "Okay, Lord, I’ve got to work this out with the one who has done me wrong, but after he wrongs me, say, 7 times, I don’t have to forgive them do I? Time for the eye for eye, tooth for tooth, right?" The Rabbi’s taught that you were to forgive 3 times and on the 4th there was no forgiveness. So Peter must of thought to himself as really big-hearted, volunteering to forgive 7x. But Jesus says, "No, not seven times... but seventy times seven!" And the reason that blows Peter away is that Jesus is not putting a quantity on the times a person should forgive. He uses numbers that the disciples understood as infinite. Peter clearly understands that a merciful person does not limit the times he forgives.
So a merciful person is one who can forgive the fallen. And that doesn’t just apply to those who have sinned against you but to those who have made mistakes that you just cannot understand. All of us have vulnerable areas to temptation. And maybe you can’t understand how someone can have an ego problem, but they don’t get why you struggle with gossip. Maybe you cannot conceive how anyone could ever takes drugs, but they can’t fathom your inability to deal with greed. How do you treat the fallen? Merciful people don’t point a finger, they lend a helping hand.
(C) If I’m a merciful person, I’ll help those who are hurting. Prov. 3:27- "Do not withhold good from those who need it, when it is in your power to act." Remember, mercy is practical assistance. It’s love in action. When we only feel sorry for someone, when we have the power to help, we are not being like Christ. 1 John 3:17-18: "Now, suppose a person had enough to live on and notices another in need. How can God’s love be in that person if he doesn’t bother to help? Dear children, we must show love through actions, not through empty words."(GW) I don’t know about you folks, but those verses stab me like a dagger. It says, you don’t have God’s love when, if you have opportunity, you don’t show it! I like John Wesley’s motto: "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, to all the people you can, as long as you can." That’s biblical- Gal. 6:10- "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people..." When someone is hurting a merciful person doesn’t mind getting involved! Flip Wilson was asked once what religion he professed and he said, "I’m a Jehovah’s bystander!" A merciful person is not a Jehovah’s bystander, they see a person who is hurting and if they can help they do. Jesus is saying, "Happy are those who get involved."
(D) There is a 4th mark of mercy, and this is the hardest of all. If I am merciful, I’ll do good to my enemies. Now, you might say, "Oh, no, Tim, can’t we skip this one?" Jesus says this: "If you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the most high, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your heavenly Father is merciful." (Lk. 6:33 & 35 ) A tangible mark of spiritual maturity is when you can do good to your enemies.
Now, that is exactly the opposite of what the world says. The world says, "When people hurt you, hurt them back." "I don’t get mad, I get even." God says, "No, that’s being a reactor. Mercy is action, not reaction." And He says, not only are we to forgive them, we are to do good to them. Now, I know this is easy to talk about but hard to do. Jesus says that one of mercy’s identifying marks is doing good to those who hurt us. Paul echoes Jesus’ words in Rom. 12:17-21- "Do not repay anyone evil for evil... do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: `it is Mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary: `if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good." Do you know the best way to destroy an enemy? Make him your friend. You can do that by doing good to them in spite of what they do to you.
So, how do we apply this beatitude? We are patient with the peculiar, forgiving of the fallen, helpful to the hurting and good to those who hurt us. That’s mercy. But that’s a tall order and we need some powerful motivators to help us accomplish this. Here’s two: 1) reason to be merciful is because God is merciful to me. That’s the whole point of the parable of the unmerciful servant. Let’s read it: “The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts with his servants. 24As he got under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a hundred thousand dollars. 25He couldn’t pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, children, and goods, to be auctioned off at the slave market. 26“The poor wretch threw himself at the king’s feet and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ 27Touched by his plea, the king let him off, erasing the debt. 28“The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, ‘Pay up. Now!’ 29 “The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ 30But he wouldn’t do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt was paid.” (MT 18:23-29 Message)
And as you read on you’ll learn that when the merciful King finds out how unmerciful this servant was... well, let’s just say it didn’t go well with the servant. You see, this parable assumes that there are going to be people who mistreat you, who owe you and won’t pay, who are really jerks. There are some jerks in the world. Would you agree with that? There are jerks... don’t look around for them, but we all know it’s true.
But listen, when people are jerking you around and you are having a hard time dealing with them, remember this: The times we’ve been jerks with God. When I think of all the flack that God has taken from Tim Smith. All the times I’ve done things my own way, all the dumb stunts I’ve pulled, all the ways I’ve sinned; and yet God still loves me. If He can be merciful to me, with all I’ve done, can’t I be merciful to others? Thank God for His mercy & pray “Make us merciful.”
A 2nd motivator in giving mercy is understanding that I’m going to need mercy in the future. You know, I don’t expect to be perfect until I die, or Jesus returns do you? So, I know I’m going to need mercy. Not only have I needed it in the past, I’ll need more in the future. James 2:13- "...no mercy will be shown to those who have not been merciful." In other words, "you get what you give." Mercy is not getting what we deserve, but what we need. And we ought to be motivated to give because we will need it.
III. THE SATISFACTION:
And that, says Jesus, is the satisfaction part of this beatitude. Blessed are those who are merciful, for they shall receive mercy." Edmond Dantes has just escaped from the impenetrable Chaetu D’lf prison where he’s been unjustly held. He makes a miraculous get-away and swims to an island only to find more unmerciful treatment.
{Video Clip: Count of Monte Cristo = 3:01}
If you are familiar with the story of The Count of Monte Cristo you know that as a result of this kind act, Edmond won a friend for life. Jacopo was not innocent, he was a thief and a smuggler, a betrayer of his crew. Yet in sparing his life, not taking what was his due as the winner, Edmond won his undying friendship and later Jacopo even saves his life. That’s one of the blessings of being merciful. That when you need it you’ll get it. That’s why this is called Jesus’ “Boomerang Blessing.” You give mercy, and by being known as a merciful person when you need mercy, you’ll more often than not have the satisfaction of receiving it.
But you know, there is a more sobering principle that Scripture gives, besides receiving mercy if you’re merciful? The Bible says it works the other way too. If your not merciful you won’t receive mercy. Or as Jesus puts it: the unforgiving are unforgiven. And this doesn’t just apply to the world. Look at the last verse in the parable of Matthew 18. Vs:35- “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” The servant that refused to forgive was in turn refused forgiveness. Jesus said the same thing in Matthew 6:15: "If you refuse to forgive others, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins." (NLT) I don’t know about you but that, to me, is a sobering thought. Being merciful is obviously mighty important to God. And it should be mighty important to us too. Maybe that’s why Prov. 11:17 says: "The merciful man helps himself." (GW)
You see, when we’re merciful, we enjoy God’s mercy. And this is very important- when we’re merciful, we’re able to forgive others and ourselves. Do you understand that principle? Let me ask you. What do you do when you’re hurt? Do you put the fire out or do you heat it up? Do you get over it or try to get even? Do you let your hurts heal or do you let your hurt turn to hate. That’s probably a good definition for resentment: hurt turned to hate. One author says, "Resentment is when you allow what is eating you to eat you up." Resentment is the deliberate decision to nurse the offense until it becomes a growling grudge. Grudge is one of those words that defines itself. It’s very sound betrays it’s meaning- Say it with me slowly-- GRRR-UUU-dge. Like a bear awakened early from hibernation or a mangy mongrel defending his bone- GRRR. Come to think of it, being resentful and petting a growling dog end up equally enjoyable. Don’t you just love being near a resentful person? Aren’t they delight? They are always so optimistic, so full of hope. And let’s say you get even, let’s say you get them back. Imagine yourself standing over the corpse of the one who hurt you so deeply. Happy now? Will you now be free? Listen, without forgiveness, bitterness is all you have left. But mercy can set you free. If you are resentful today I beg you to allow the hole in your heart to heal. Forgiving others allows you to forgive yourself and remember how much mercy God has shown you.
Robert Schuller tells this story about Bernice Schug. He met Schug when she needed work and they hired her as a housekeeper. She was a lovely woman, showering the Schuller’s with love and poppy-seed rolls. But he says that no one knew of her hidden hurt. One day she came to Schuller and said, "Bob, I was reading the bulletin and I noticed that you are having a guest speaker next Sunday who was a Kamikaze pilot." Schuller nodded telling Bernice that this particular pilot had a tremendous story about finding Jesus. "That may be true, but my boy was killed in WWII by a Kamikaze pilot and I don’t think I could handle it." Schuller understood and told her he didn’t think it would hurt her to miss one Sunday. Schuller writes: "The next week the Japanese pilot shared his story. His love and gratitude for Jesus shone from his black eyes. You could feel the love and release he had found. People were moved by his testimony. And when the service was over, I walked with him back down the aisle to the rear of the Church. Suddenly, as we approached the last pew, an older woman stepped out directly in our path. She stood firmly in front of the Kamikaze pilot and blocked his exit. She looked him squarely in the eye and said, "My son was killed by a Kamikaze!" It was Schug. We all held our breath as she continued, "I have seen how God has forgiven you your sins, and tonight, for the first time in 40 years, I’ve allowed Him to forgive mine. Will you forgive my hatred for your people?" With tears in his eyes the young pilot said, "Will you forgive me for what my people did to you?" She threw her arms around this little Japanese man and they stood there holding each other, both of them crying and crying." Weeping with peace and release. Tears of joy. Because:
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
