“For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy; yet mercy triumphs over judgment.”
James 2:13 (RSV)
Mercy is the most unusual gift, it is both awesome and frightening. It’s awesome because it’s given freely to all of us who are undeserving. As freely as we receive it, we are expected to show mercy to that person we know who is also very undeserving. Its easy to show mercy to someone who we genuinely like, or feel true pity and compassion for. It’s the hardest virtue to live out, when we come up against a person who mistreats or betrays us, or hurts our loved ones, for no reason. Jesus spoke about mercy, not only in parables like the Good Samaritan, the merciful master and unmerciful servants, but He mentions it in the beatitudes sermon, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy”. When we stop to think about it, receiving mercy or showing mercy leads to eternal consequences. It’s a very real issue for the day of judgement. We are invited to freely receive His mercy to be saved, and we also need to show it to others, or we are accountable to God on that day. If there has ever been a person who didn’t deserve your kindness, but you showed it anyway, that is mercy. Mercy is the first lesson we experience in life. Without mercy, we are born as cold, helpless, naked and hungry infants. It’s the mercy of God that we are nurtured, fed, clothed and loved by at least one or two parents. As we grow in the faith, mercy is the best kept secret of Satan. He doesn’t want humanity to know how great God’s mercy can be, because we would then discover how much He really loves us. Instead of surrendering our lives to a merciful God, Satan would rather see us live a defeated life with unresolved guilt and feelings of unworthiness. Satan doesn’t mind that we regularly attend church, as long as we refuse to receive the fulness of God’s mercy or to show mercy to others. A death bed conversion is mercy at its highest power, forgiving the undeserving of all sin just before their death. While Jesus was forgiving one thief on the cross, He never answered the other one, who was cursing Him the whole time. God pours out His mercy and love to all people, but He searches the earth for anyone who will receive it, like the thief on the cross did. Mercy does triumph over judgement and it snatches souls before they head straight for the flames of hell. After we receive His mercy, Jesus simply desires that we show it to others. Every father wants his children to reflect his traits and mercy is how we show that we are children of our Father in heaven. If mercy means that much to Jesus, let’s pray to have more of it. Lord, thank you for your boundless mercy that searches in the world’s darkest places to find the cold, wretched blind and naked souls to save. Grant that we, who have received your mercy, can show your mercy to others.