Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7
It is common that those who mess up want mercy. If I am ready to change lanes and almost hit someone but pull back in time because the other person honked, I don’t want that person to hate me for life. It was a mistake. I appreciated the honk as it saved both of us pain. Not only physical discomfort but the pain of dealing with insurance companies, maybe lawyers and doctors too. I’m not sure which is less painful. I hope that the other person doesn’t go home and tells their family about the idiot that almost ran them off of the road. They might bring up the question of where they give out driver’s licenses now days? Most of the time I drive to work and play with no issue, no safety violation, but these things do happen.
Now when I am on the other end of the need for mercy, how do I act?
I rant and rave, and for the next several weeks when I see that idiot driver, I avoid them like they have Covid-19 or something. I wish harm on them and pray for God to wake them up.
We all know that we need to give mercy to others. Most people in the world are not out to harm us. In fact, most people are not even aware that we exist. Yet when we cross paths with others, if they slow us down or seem to ignore us, we hold a deep resentment. This is an area for growth.
The question that was common in the era when I first became a Christian was What Would Jesus Do (WWJD). Some are fairly easy. When someone cuts Jesus off in traffic, what would He do? I can say what He would not do. He would not give the other person the finger. He would not glare at them as they pass each other later. His message would be to give them grace and mercy. He might nod knowingly at them and give an expression that says, “No harm, no foul.” He would not hold a grudge.
Other situations are more difficult. What would Jesus do with a loved one trapped in addiction or trapped in an abusive relationship? I am sure that He would advise, and as needed, defend. But He never takes away our free will, though I believe this would be the ultimate mercy. My challenge to you this week is to simply ask the question, not to give you answers.
When it comes to mercy, the question that I desire that you consider is what am I going to do the next time that I need to show mercy? My hope is that you will rejoice and be exceedingly glad. This is a golden opportunity to be an example of what Jesus would do. First, He would consider how He would like to be treated in a specific situation. Second, He would engage in a conversation with that person and hear their version of the story. Maybe they do need some driving lessons. Maybe they need to simply pay more attention. Mercy is giving them the benefit of the doubt. If it is more serious like they are driving illegally, you might advise them to go, make it right. That, too, is mercy. Third, help them make the next steps to make things right.
The promise of God is that if we do this for others, then God will do the same for us when we find ourselves in need.
