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Blessed Are the Merciful – Reflection on Matthew 5:7

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Matthew 5:7

This Bible verse tells us that blessed are the merciful. The Lord Jesus teaches us to be considerate to others and forgive others. If we all really follow this, then when we transgress, we will receive others’ consideration and forgiveness. Just as we are before the Lord, though we are deeply corrupted, He saved us with His great love. We all have weakness and shortcomings, so if we can’t get along with others based on the foundation of loving one another and understanding one another, we can’t achieve harmony. That is, without a heart of love and commiseration, we can’t get along well with others, which is the last thing that the Lord wants to see. However, in real life, we always become estranged from others due to some little things and always demand consideration and indulgence as our due, instead of sympathizing with others’ weaknesses. How can we have a normal relationship with others? I think of a passage of God’s words, “This way, these relationships aren’t established on the flesh, but on the foundation of God’s love. There are almost no interactions based on the flesh, but in the spirit there is fellowship as well as love, comfort, and provision for one another. This is all done on the foundation of a heart that satisfies God. These relationships aren’t maintained by relying on a human philosophy of life, but they are formed very naturally through the burden for God. They don’t require human effort—they are practiced through the principles of the word of God. … A proper relationship between people is established on the foundation of giving their heart to God; it is not achieved through human effort. Without God in their hearts, interpersonal relationships between people are merely relationships of the flesh. They are not proper, but are indulgent of lust—they are relationships that God detests, that He loathes.” From these words, we can see that if we want to have a proper relationship with people, we should first have a normal relationship with God. All is done on the foundation of God’s love rather than on the human philosophy of life or flesh. This way we can gradually love others and show consideration for others, and get along well with others.