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Mercy is often confused with grace. The simplest distinction is this: grace is receiving what we do not deserve; mercy is not receiving what we do deserve. Mercy cuts against our natural inclinations, especially when we’re asked to extend it, but Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful” (Matt. 5:7).
In one sense, to show mercy means to pardon those who have wronged us. That is what Joseph did when he said to his brothers after they had wronged him (see Gen. 50:19–21). Mercy is the perfect antidote to the poison of bitterness.
Mercy also means to reach out to those who are in need. James wrote, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress” (1:27).
To give mercy is to receive mercy. If we have received the mercy of God through the crucifixion of His beloved Son, then we must be willing to give mercy—and it will return to us in our own time of need.
In Jesus’s next blessing, He said: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). In Jesus’s day, the Pharisees focused on their external appearance, wanting people to see their best side. (Sounds a little bit like today’s obsession with image consultants and Instagram filters, doesn’t it?) Later in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus lowered the boom on these religious leaders by calling them dirty dishes and “whitewashed tombs” (23:27) who were interested only in appearing righteous, not actually being righteous.
The word for heart in the Bible includes not only your emotions but also your intellect and your will. Jesus said the heart God blesses is one that is pure—singularly devoted to God in thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Those with impure hearts see in every situation nothing but sin, sexual innuendo, and dirty jokes. But those who are pure in heart see the hand of God, whether it’s in nature (Ps. 29:3–4, 7–10), in the face of a child (139:13–16), or in the ever-deepening intimacy we experience with Him (1 Cor. 8:3). This is the pure vision that receives the blessing of God.
Mercy and purity are two attitudes that go against the expectations of the world. Why do showing mercy and being pure in heart lead to joy?
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About this Plan
In the face of loss or fear, we might wonder how we could ever be joyful. Jesus told his disciples about eight key attitudes that lead to joy, no matter our circumstances. This passage in Matthew, called the Beatitudes, includes some of the most familiar but misunderstood verses in the Bible. These verses can teach us to experience a joy unlike any other!
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