Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7
As we in humility recognize our “poverty of spirit,” God in His mercy
forgives and equips us. Having received mercy, we are expected to show it to
others.
The biblical term merciful is related to the word for empathy, which means
the ability to get right inside another person’s skin until we see things with
his eyes, think things with his mind and feel things with his feelings. This is
what Jesus did for us in His incarnation. Thus:
Blessed are those who empathize with others until they are able to see
with the eyes of others, think with their thoughts and feel with their
feelings. The one who does this will find others do the same for
him or her and will know that God did this for them in Christ Jesus.
How do we see our non-Christian friends? Can we see Muslims, for example, as
real people groping in the semi-darkness, under the mere glimmer of light that a
crescent moon provides, thinking that is all the light there is?
As we see them, mercy would be an appropriate word to describe our feeling
and attitude as well as actions toward them. Just as we would go to the aid of a
blind man heading in the wrong direction, so mercy should similarly drive us to
go after them and show those who are willing to listen, the way to more complete
light.
If we are secure in the knowledge that Christ is the Sun of Righteousness,
then we do not need to prove anything but patiently and gently show others the
way.
A relatively young man decided to work for the Lord in China. His father was
not a Christian and very strongly opposed him. The son decided to attend a
series of Christian meetings in one of the areas where he was serving. His
father opposed so strongly that they quarreled before he left for the meetings.
Then the son suddenly died while he was at the meetings.
The Christians there prayed and showed much concern. They knew that the news
of the death would be hard for the father, so they asked a doctor to be there
just in case the father needed him. When the father arrived and saw the love of
the Christians, he gave his life to the Lord.
RESPONSE: Today I will see others as Jesus sees them and I will empathize
with them as though in their skin.
PRAYER: Lord, help grow closer to You so that I will act like You,
forgiving others and being sympathetic.
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