Blessed are the Merciful

In Matthew 5:7, Jesus is giving his Sermon on the Mount and he presents his fifth beatitude which says “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (NLT). The Merrium-Webster dictionary defines mercy as compassionate, forgiving, or lenient treatment shown to someone who is in your power or who has wronged you. It basically means withholding punishment from those who deserve it. In Romans 6:23, the Apostle Paul gives us a good example of the greatest act of mercy that is for all of us. He says “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. What a beautiful reminder of what Jesus did for us on the cross. God’s mercy doesn’t stop there though, does it? I’m sure that if I were to ask you to tell me about a time you were shown mercy that you would have to pause and decide which act of mercy that you’d tell me about. Every time we sin and don’t receive punishment we are being shown mercy. I’d like to share about a time when I was recently shown mercy. I love this example because it serves to show that there are good people doing good things in this world.

It was a Saturday morning and I was reporting to the Bargain Barn, a thrift shop that supports the women’s fellowship ministry at my church. On this particular Saturday, there was a memorial at my church and parking was a problem but there was one spot at the end of the row where I could squeeze in so I took it and reported to my shift. After my shift, I returned to my car to discover that I had been given a parking ticket. It was only thirty bucks but I felt as if I had been wronged. How could they say I was parked in a travel lane when I was clearly in the church parking lot? I was advised by one of my friends to go to the town hall and dispute the ticket but I read the back of the ticket and it confirmed what I already knew through experience, that by putting myself at the mercy of the court, I ran the risk of an increased fine. In this case, fifty bucks in the event I was found guilty during the appeal. I decided to pay the ticket, but I included a note protesting the charge. “I was on LCC property, not in a travel lane.” I put the check in the mailbox and let it go. Before I continue the story, I’d like to point out that ignorance of the law doesn’t mean we’re not subject to the law. Even if we break a law unknowingly, we still break it and we face the consequences. I found out that though I was on church property, the church driveway was actually a public throughway. I was wrong and I deserved that ticket but…

It was the following Friday and I woke at 3 AM and wasn’t able to get back to sleep so I eventually got out of bed and started my day but I was so tired. The thought of dealing with complex spreadsheets overwhelmed me and I actually prayed for mercy. I asked God to save me from being called upon to do anything that required more than I felt I have to give. I found myself singing a line from Mercy by Matthew Redmond. “Mercy! Mercy! As endless as the sea.” As the morning went on it became clear to me that the data I was waiting for wasn’t coming and God had shown me mercy and I could breathe. What happened next still gives me chill bumps.

My dog, who almost never barks, started doing the little bark that I know from experience leads to a longer and louder barks. I can usually prevent that from happening if I get up to investigate so I humored Vader by looking through my front window. There was a police car in my driveway. I went to the door and there was an officer there. When I opened the door and he said “Mr. Holbrook?” I felt as if I was once again standing in front of the principal of my elementary school- in other words, I was in trouble.

The officer pulled out his phone and when I saw the familiar shade of orange on the photo he was showing me, I couldn’t help but think that I was about to be handcuffed and carted off for my little protest. The officer showed me that though I was in the bounds of the church property, my car extended into the “driveway” of the church. It turns out that what I thought of as a driveway was actually a 2-way public road. I had been wrong and I deserved that ticket. Ignorance of the law is never an excuse but what the officer said next really made my day. “Since you didn’t know it was a public road, I am returning your check to you.” He handed me the check that I had written and wished me a good day and went back to protecting and serving. Not only did I “get away with it” but I received a very important reminder- blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy. Some people would call it karma, but I call it God and I know that what we sow, we will reap. Recently, I had made a decision to show mercy to some folks who had really hurt me and I extended them forgiveness. I honestly believe that if I hadn’t made my decision to “let it go” than I wouldn’t have “gotten away with it”.

What about you? When have you experienced mercy? Is there an act of mercy that you have committed that comes to mind in light of the mercy you have received?