The Be-Attitudes: Mercy Me!

 

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."

Matthew 5:7 New International Version

Not happening, I thought to myself. Not after what I just went through. My whole intent at that moment was to demand action, no matter what it would cost or the correction it would require. Shamefully, but in all honesty, this was my attitude not for a couple of minutes but instead for a couple of days before my carnality was suppressed by the supernatural. I did not want to give in. I deserved some satisfaction, some closure, some retribution.

Have you ever been there? A time in your life when you felt so grossly wronged that reacting rationally or sane was clearly outside your ability? If so, that says two things about you. You are honest in admitting such a thing, and you are human, though neither is enough to justify your demands, both were clearly a means to an end. Within each of us is the desire to protect and defend ourselves from wrongs committed against us. I was there that particular day. My emotional forecast had no rationale, forgiveness, or reconciliation. I know it's pretty "not Christ-like" for me to have had such an attitude, but pushed to the limit, I gave in and let this hurtful situation get the best of me. The repercussions changed my life.

You are in good company if you have ever felt this way with me. In the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel Chapter 24, David, at this time, is a soldier in King Saul's army. While under Saul's authority, no matter what He does or how well he performs, Saul is out to get Him. The king is so determined to get rid of David that he seeks to take his life on more than one occasion, so David is always on the run, looking over his shoulder, hiding out, and even going so far as to live in a cave to get away from the evil antics of the king. One day, David and his men watched Saul enter the cave. With no public restrooms available, he stepped inside and used David's home as a latrine. While taking care of his personal business, David crept up behind him and cut off the corner of his garment. As if to say, "See there. I got you, and at a most vulnerable time!" However, David's satisfaction of getting one up on Saul diminished within minutes. Reminded of the mercy He had received from God on so many occasions as Saul set repeated traps to take his life, David obeyed the Lord. He dropped his sword, rebuked his men for encouraging him to do evil, and chose to spare Saul's life.

I wonder. Did David struggle with obedience to follow the Lord and let Saul live? Maybe. After all, He was human and very tired of running from the schemes of King Saul. Yet, David understood and recognized the mercy he had repeatedly received from his Father, God.  A good story would end with Saul recanting, and he did, but it only lasted for a short time. Saul never understood David's mercy towards him and continued to seek David's demise for the rest of his life.

Why is it often - not always, much easier to offer pardon or forbearance when wrongdoing or acts of evil against us happen once? Yet, as with Saul's actions, calculated, intentional, and continual evil against us tests our ability to extend mercy repeatedly. This may be where faith and fire or mercy and revenge meet for a showdown. It's where the survival of the fittest is determined by who gets the upper hand, and we choose either forgiveness or the fear of forgiveness. Can I afford to extend mercy? Could it happen again? We get caught in the trap of calculating our risk and forget that God never sees us as a risk, not worth taking.

Jesus expressed the importance of extending mercy to others based on His command and not on whether or not people deserve it. Yet, we are called to extend forgiveness again and again. We may have to remove ourselves from the situation. However, we are still called to forgive others with the same mercy upon them extended to us through Christ. Jesus understood that his disciples would be going into less-than-optimal conditions to share the Gospel of Christ. Today is no different. We, too, face the world's hostility when offering them the peace that Christ offers. As modern-day disciples, just as the early disciples, we need unwavering faith, which includes extending mercy when it is not deserved, in our opinion.

In living a life that extends mercy, we have a captive audience, the ones who wrong us. Such a life that practices mercy is a mark or indication that we have taken hold of and embodied the truth most foundational in a changed life - the gift of mercy when we did not deserve it. 

Lord, teach me to run, not walk to opportunities to show mercy.