The Beatitudes: How to Cultivate a Merciful Heart

This article is based on Pastor Adrian Rogers' message, The Magnificence of Mercy.

The word “blessed” as found in the Beatitudes, found in Matthew 5, is hard to translate. We could say that it means “happy,” but it means more than that. Blessed means fulfilled, with joy, to be congratulated, complete. All of those things and more are wrapped up in this Greek word, makarios.

Another way to put it is that Jesus taught these Beatitudes as attitudes that ought to be.

Let’s consider the fifth Beatitude.

Blessed Are the Merciful

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (Matthew 5:7).

Mercy is a godlike characteristic, one that is in the heart and mind of those who have been born again. Those who have received mercy will show mercy.

What Is Mercy?

How are we to show mercy? The answer is in the mercifulness of God.

Mercy is not just softness. There are some people so soft, they would not kill a snake in a nursery. Mercy is not mere sentiment. It is not seeing somebody hurting and shedding crocodile tears.

Mercy means compassion in action.

The quality of mercy is one of the most beautiful characteristics of God. And when you are merciful, you are acting like God.

Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness (Lamentations 3:22-23).

God links mercy with compassion. Every morning you can wake up and greet the mercy of God.

Have you ever thought about the fact that for you to die, God does not have to take your life—all He has to do is stop giving it? Every day is a gift from God. Do you know how God counts His riches? Not in silver or in gold, but in His mercy.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)…(Ephesians 2:4-5).

The Bible says, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children” (Ephesians 5:1), so you must be merciful.

Jesus’ Example of Showing Mercy

In the Gospel of Luke, there was a lawyer who came to Jesus.

And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ” And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:25-29).

This lawyer was looking for a loophole in the law. Did you know that you can be one hundred percent right, and still go to Hell?

This lawyer asked Jesus, "But wait a minute—who is my neighbor?” In other words, I don't want to show mercy to anybody I don't have to.

Jesus responded by telling Him the story of the Good Samaritan. (Read Luke 10:30-35.) He told of the priest and the Levite who refused to help a stranger in trouble, and the Samaritan outcast who showed him mercy. Jesus asked the lawyer:

“So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:36-37).

There are three classes of people:

First, the beater-uppers. Those who rob and destroy. These are the pornographers, the abortionists, the extortionists, the abusers, etc.

And there are plenty of their victims—those who are bruised and battered, physically or psychologically, or caught up in cults and false doctrine.

Second, there are the passer-uppers. Far too often, these have their names on a church roll somewhere. “What’s mine is mine, and I’m going to keep it.”

Third, there are the picker-uppers. “What's mine is mine, but you can have it if you need it. I am here to share and to minister." Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy!

Mercy is not softness, nor sentiment, but compassion in action. It is not the indifference of the priest and the Levite, but the involvement that life calls for as we serve the people around us.

The Basis for Showing Mercy

There has to be a basis for mercy. Here it is: there can be no mercy without truth. All real mercy is rooted in truth.

Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed (Psalm 85:10).

What this means is that to show mercy is not to minimize sin. Mercy means withholding judgment—and when you withhold judgment, that means that judgment was really needed and expected.

The Mercy of God

God is not fair. Do not expect Him to be fair. When you expect somebody to be fair to me, that means you think, I have it coming to me. I deserve this. When a man is looking for fairness, he is not happy when he gets what he “deserves,” because he figures that he deserves it anyway. He is only mad because he did not get it sooner, and doubly mad if somebody else gets more.

God does not deal with us on the basis of fairness, but on the basis of mercy. We do not deserve anything. No, God is not fair—God is just and merciful.

Justice Makes It Possible to Show Mercy

The justice of God says that sin must be punished. That is truth. Once you see that truth, then you cry out for mercy.

God is not some maudlin sentimentalist who says, “Tsk tsk… yes, you have sinned, but I am a merciful God, so that's all right." His justice demands that mercy be based on something.

If you refuse the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no hope for you.

When you come to the final judgment, you will not stand before God and say, "Yes, God, I denied you. I refused you. I cursed you. I ignored you. I went my own sinful way. But have mercy, Lord." Do you think you would get mercy?

What Blessing do the Merciful Receive?

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (Matthew 5:7).

This beatitude does mean that we are forgiven because we show mercy. It means we show mercy because we are forgiven. And the more mercy we show, the more mercy we will be shown. It is a cycle.

There are some who will come to the judgment seat of God and get no mercy. “For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). The cycle works the other way, too: if you show no mercy, you will receive none.

There is judgment, but mercy will triumph over judgment—as Jesus modeled for us.

Mercy Over Judgement

Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (John 8:3-11, Emphasis added).

Practical Ways to Show Mercy

Probably the first place we need to start in learning how to show mercy is to replace our critical spirits. The need for this is made obvious by the warnings above—if we do not show mercy, we will not receive mercy ourselves.

But then, how do we actively show mercy? The disciples asked Jesus this question, and He answered them:

Matthew 25:35-40

“…For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.” Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” And the King will answer and say to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:35-40).

Look for the broken and bruised around you. Instead of responding first with criticism and condemnation, look for tangible, practical ways to heal and serve.

List of Scriptures Referenced in This Article

Matthew 5:7, 25:35-40; Lamentations 3:22-23; Ephesians 2:4-5, 5:1; Luke 10:25-37; Psalm 85:10; James 2:13; John 8:3-11

More Bible Verses About Showing Mercy

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32).

He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8).