Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
My favorite hymn growing up was an old gospel tune called "Love, Mercy, and Grace." Its chorus includes these phrases:
It was love that took my place on the cross of Calvary.
It was grace, redeeming grace, that paid my ransom full and free, over sin.
The thing was, I was always confused by the word "mercy," as the lyrics never included mercy in the song except when wedged between love and grace.
Recently there has been controversy over a plea for mercy. What exactly is mercy when compared to grace? Simply put, mercy is about punishment that is withheld, while grace is about a favor that is given.
The word "mercy" occurs nearly 250 times in the Old Testament, referring to God's loving patience with the people of Israel and his kind readiness to withhold retribution and forgive their rebellion. In the New Testament, mercy tends to describe a loving pity for those in need. Jesus is a great example, as the Gospels frequently describe his pity or compassion as he responded to people's needs with mercy.
In both Testaments, the word "grace" indicates God's goodness as expressed in his desire to shower us with good gifts even though we don't deserve them. This is most clearly seen in his gift of Jesus, who "died for us while we were yet sinners." (Romans 5:8)
Gluing these concepts together into love, mercy and grace, love is what motivates God to provide mercy that allows us to escape punishment for our sins and grace to give us salvation and eternal life although we don't deserve it. Mercy withholds punishment; grace hands us a gift.
As Christians, we are called to grow into the character of Christ Jesus, who perfectly replicates the nature of God. May we provide love, mercy, and grace to others as God does. In the case of mercy, Jesus's equation stands as truth; if we act mercifully, then we will be shown mercy ourselves. Let us follow Jesus's command to be merciful.
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