The Retribution of Mercy

“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7).
The person who is merciful is described as being “kind,” or “forgiving,” or “people who take pity on others,” and “who show mercy to others.”

What motivates “the merciful” is the reception of mercy. Next, what motivates “the merciful” is the reward of mercy. We cannot give mercy until we have first received mercy. It is not a quality of the natural man. It is received as a gift of God. It is something I experience in my heart. Because I am a forgiven sinner who has experienced God’s mercy at Calvary, I can now choose to extend mercy to the unmerciful.

Then, what motivates “the merciful” is the retribution of mercy. Each person gets back what he gives. We learn this from the parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:23-35) and footnotes of the Model Prayer (Matthew 6:14-15). Jesus said, “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” John 6:36