This essay continues a sequence. Read the previous one here.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
— KJV, Matt 5:7
Changes in behaviour are not the same as changes in nature…
Click here to receive new essays from The Word, (Re)Discovered every week
In this series on the Beatitudes (which began with “The Beatitudes: The Big Picture“), we have made frequent reference to a fact stated in an earlier essay: that to understand The Word we must re-orient our mindset to the fact that Christ speaks from a viewpoint that is higher than that of a human being (ref. “We Don’t Understand The Word“).
Sowing & Reaping ≠ Quid Pro Quo
Otherwise, we might interpret the statement above as indicating a transactional relationship between us and our Creator. Something like: “I will show you mercy on this matter because you showed mercy to Mr X on that other matter“.
Such transactional thinking may appear to accord with the Law of Sowing and Reaping (ref. “The Spiritual Shapes The Material“), but it does not. In their interaction with human beings, the Divine Laws work in a much more holistic and far-reaching manner than the human intellect can comprehend.
Mercifulness: An Aspect of Being Born Anew
The statement does not refer to “those who have shown mercy”; but to “the merciful“. So it is referring to those who have made mercifulness a personal characteristic. It is not a reference to spiritual rewards from specific acts of mercy.
To have mercy is to forgive. Forgiveness in the true sense involves ignoring or disregarding the perceived faults of the other. It means that, in the event of conflict, we would seek for the faults primarily in ourselves and not in the others.
Mercifulness as a personal characteristic therefore means the habit of looking within ourselves, rather than outside, for the root causes of conflict and imperfection. Such a habit would naturally lead to a very high level of self-awareness, which would in turn lead to spiritual development and purification.
Click here to receive new essays from The Word, (Re)Discovered every week
The Word states this in a number of ways, including:
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye,
but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
–– Matthew 7:3
Love Is The Answer
The key to cultivating the habit of mercifulness is love. To always look within is a form of self-sacrifice. It involves a level of humility and self-discipline that is impossible to attain unless one is actively and strongly cultivating love for one’s fellow man.
In effect, this statement refers to those who have advanced towards the ultimate goal of “Love thy neighbour as thyself“. It presents another formulation of Christ’s commands “Love thy neighbour as thyself” and “Forgive thy neighbour“.
As with all the Beatitudes, it presents a human ideal that every human being must aspire to.
Mercy Is Contained In Divine Law
If we sow evil we must reap evil, because that is demanded by the Creator’s Laws. But the same Divine Laws contain forgiveness (ref. “Judging You, Judging Me“). The Laws of God always contain both Justice and Love (ref. “A Divine Quantum Entanglement“).
The explanation given in “Judging You, Judging Me” clarifies how the spiritual nature of one who has strongly cultivated love within himself will be so pure as to weaken the spiritual or material effect of any incoming evil arising from earlier misdeeds. He will be granted mercy in the natural course of events.
The Word contains eternal Truth, and must be interpreted accordingly (ref. “We Don’t Understand The Word“). Both the mercifulness and the mercy obtained are natural, ongoing spiritual processes and not random events.
Today’s Resolution:
- We shall seek God’s Mercy through evidencing that great love that only seeks for faults in ourselves.
Click here to receive new essays from The Word, (Re)Discovered every week
Leave a Reply to Mercy Over Sacrifice: Cultivating Love in Our LivesCancel reply