Mercy Encountered

Matthew 5:7-8 (NIV)

‘Blessed are the merciful, 

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, 

for they will see God.’

If you have ever lived in a 'sharehouse' situation you will know that the communal kitchen is a place where bacteria and passive-aggression thrives. My housemate once left their dirty plates on the side for about a week. In true christian loving fashion, I deliberately left my dirty dishes in an inconvenient way as a monument to the inconvenience caused to me. To my surprise when I arrived home that evening, they had cleared not only their plates, but mine too! I desired justice; they showed mercy. The next day when I saw their dirty dishes on the side, I immediately washed them because I knew Jesus’ words were true. My housemate showed me mercy and my heart couldn’t help but reciprocate. 

My anger and selfishness stopped me seeing what Jesus wanted me to do. All the time my dishes were left out, I could hear the gentle whisper of the Holy Spirit saying, 'C'mon Tim, really?! Just be kind' but I kept ignoring him. I turned my heart away. Once the heart has changed focus, the eyes soon follow suit. Sin and disobedience stop us from seeing God: they cause shame and that stops us looking Jesus in the eyes.

But if we are in Christ there is no condemnation. We have already been shown mercy when Jesus died on the cross in our place. This mercy leads us to repentance and his Holy Spirit daily purifies our hearts. When our eyes are cleared of the dirt, we can see God. You don’t need to convince him to ‘show up’, if you get the eyes of your heart ready, he will appear before you. Ephesians 1:18 'I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance'.

Prayer – God I want to see you today. I want to see where you’re leading me to show mercy to the people in my world. Purify my heart today. I choose to remove the distractions so I can see your glory, your beauty and just sit in your presence, deeply grateful that Jesus calls me his friend.