Beatitudes – BradRiley.Org

For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

James 2:13

As a kid I loved watching court room dramas like Perry Mason. I always thought it would be cool to grow up and be a judge. However, as I matured and began to realize how difficult and dangerous it can be to judge someone’s intentions, I changed my mind. Judgment is a two edged sword that can cut right or wrong; judge wrong, and the innocent are hurt.

Jesus never said we shouldn’t judge in this world. I know, He did say, “Judge not that you be not judged” (Matt. 7:1). But, He also said we are to take the speck out of our own eye before we judge another for the log we see in theirs (Luke 6). I think Jesus was telling us we better be very certain of the truth before we make a judgment of someone. It’s pretty much impossible to be certain of someone’s intentions when you don’t know their heart, and only God sees what’s in the human heart.

So, rather than judge our neighbor, why not show them mercy? Why not give them the benefit of the doubt? Certainly we still need laws, courtrooms and judges if we are to live in a civilized society, but most of us are not judges, and we don’t have all the evidence needed to know the truth of someone’s actions.

Like Jesus said in the Beatitudes, St. James tells us there is no mercy for one who has shown no mercy. And for the one who has shown no mercy, their own judgment will be harsh. I don’t know about you, but I want all the mercy I can get on my judgment day. God’s mercy flows in waves but when we judge our brother or sister wrongly, we build a dam to block it. Let’s stop building dams and let the waves of mercy flow.

Grace and Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Father of all mercy, help me not to be judgmental of my brother or sister and forgive me for the times I have been. Help me not to be dam that blocks the flow of your mercy. Amen.

Image credit: https://projectwarmsb.org/2013/12/16/mercy-triumphs-over-judgement/

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

Matthew 5:7

As Christians, we talk a lot about grace. We’re saved by grace, and we couldn’t make it through a day without grace so it’s only natural that we think a lot about it. Brennen Manning, author of The Ragamuffin Gospel, a few years before his death said, “All is grace”; I love that thought. Grace is everything we receive from God. That means even the mercy of God is grace.

Mercy and grace are like flip sides of the same coin, though we often fail to see them that way. Not only is grace mercy, but mercy is grace. Grace is God giving us what we don’t deserve, and mercy is His not giving us what we do deserve, and that’s a whole lot of mercy when you consider what it is we deserve – death. St. Paul teaches us in Romans three that we’ve all sinned and that the wage of that sin is death. Isaiah 53 reminds us that we’ve all gone our own way. At our core we’re all selfish.

But, into our selfish, sinful lives Jesus comes in to save us with waves of mercy. He brings forgiveness and love that can’t be earned. But, He doesn’t stop there. He tells us to take His mercy to the world around us. In fact, he says it’s not an option for the believer to be merciful to others. Jesus said, if we want mercy, we better show mercy, because only the merciful “shall receive mercy”.

I don’t know about you but that really hits home to me. I don’t want to come to the end of my life and not see His mercy waiting there for me; I’m not good enough for that and I’ll bet you feel the same way. So, in view of our need for mercy, let’s all be servants of His mercy to the world around us. Let’s let those waves flow through us.

Grace and Peace,

+Pastor Brad

Prayer

Merciful Father, thank you for another day of life and the grace to live it well. Help me to be a servant of your mercy to all whom I meet. Amen.

Image credit: http://forthisverymoment.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-strength-of-mercy.html

Tag: Beatitudes

Stop Building Dams

Servants of Mercy