The words of Jesus
What Did Jesus Say About Mercy?
Jesus made mercy central, receiving it and giving it. He said the merciful are blessed, and He calls us to show others the same compassion God has shown us.
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.”
Jesus, in Matthew 5:7, King James Version
Mercy given opens the hand to receive mercy.
“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”
Jesus, in Luke 6:36, King James Version
Our mercy is meant to mirror the Father's.
“I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.”
Jesus, in Matthew 9:13, King James Version
God prefers a merciful heart over religious display.
“Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?”
Jesus, in Matthew 18:33, King James Version
Having been forgiven much, we are to forgive.
“the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith.”
Jesus, in Matthew 23:23, King James Version
Mercy is among the weightiest things in God's law.
What Jesus is really saying
Mercy runs like a thread through everything Jesus taught: God delights in it more than in ritual, the merciful receive it, and those forgiven much are meant to forgive. He is not asking us to generate mercy from nothing but to pass on what we have already received. We show mercy because we have been shown mercy first.
Who these words reveal Him to be
He shows the mercy of God with His own hands and says the merciful will obtain mercy, for He is its source. Jesus is not merely merciful; He is Mercy come near, the Lord who delights in it above sacrifice and the Savior who poured it out at the cross. All the mercy we are called to give is mercy we first received from Him. To meet Jesus is to meet the boundless mercy of God in person.
Come to Him
You do not have to earn God's mercy; you only have to receive it. Come to Jesus, taste how merciful your Father is, and let that mercy soften your heart toward everyone around you.
His words were always meant to lead you to Himself. You can begin with Jesus here, ask someone to pray with you, or read His words in the Bible.