Mercy is a wonderful concept isn't it? Mercy means "kind and forgiving treatment of someone who could be treated harshly" (along with another couple definitions, all of which are relevant, but not to this post). I love this idea so much. To be treated with kindness when it is undeserved is one of the best and most wonderful feelings. It is a gift that shows love more than any other, I believe.
The scripture at the top illustrates another concept, one that the Savior spoke of during His ministry. The merciful shall obtain mercy- it's kind of like the Golden Rule, isn't it? Do unto others as you would have done unto you. Treat others how you want to be treated. Be merciful and receive mercy. It's a beautiful concept, but one that I sometimes feel the world does not grasp.
I believe everyone in this world has been told at one time or another to "suck it up" or to grow up and stop acting like a child. Sometimes this is justified, sure. Sometimes the emotion they show is just the tip of the iceberg. This is where the concept of treating others with mercy comes in. Sure, they might deserve to be treated harshly. They may be acting like a child. But think what effect kindness could have. What if it was just the tip of a huge iceberg? What if your harsh treatment, deserved or not, was the last straw? And what if it wasn't? I honestly don't believe that it matters. All people need mercy, even if we don't deserve it. Imagine, put yourself in their place. How would you react to harsh words, honestly? How would you react to kindness? Thinking back on my own past, I've found that harsh treatment has destroyed trust and caused me to hurt even more than I had been. It did not have the effect that it intended. Saying "suck it up" has only ever made things worse. But then, in those rare moments when I received kindness and the gift of mercy, I was able to truly release whatever was built up inside and feel better. Mercy made things better for me.
What if we were kind? What if we were merciful always, gave the benefit of the doubt, treated all around us with kindness even when it seems that harsher treatment has been earned?
The Savior was the perfect example of mercy. My dad has a painting in his office by Liz Lemon Swindle titled "He That Is Without Sin." The painting is of Christ and the woman taken in adultery. The woman's accusers stand around them. The woman herself is avoiding the Savior's gaze: she knows what she has done. It is a beautiful painting, and a wonderful story of mercy. The Lord said to the accusers "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" (John 8:7). No stones were cast, and gradually those that had accused her left. The Savior asked, "Where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?" When she sees that none are there, she responds "No man, Lord." The Savior of the world, in His infinite mercy, says to her "Neither do I condemn thee; go and sin no more."
Now, looking at this story from the outside, it's easy to say that the woman deserved to be punished. The sin of adultery is a serious thing! Why was the Savior merciful; why did He not condemn her? She had earned any consequences that came of it. But He showed mercy. In my mind, I imagine that the woman was truly remorseful, that she realized what she had done. I imagine her resigned to a punishment that, had justice held all power, she would have received. Yet she received mercy. Imagine what a life she would have lived after this! A righteous life, most likely, a life that testified of the mercy of God and of His power. The Savior showing mercy saved this woman.
Mercy saves souls, hearts, and lives. This I believe more than anything. Justice has its time and place, and blunt words do too, but not towards hearts that are hurting, hearts that are penitent, and/or hearts that are willing to change.
The merciful shall receive mercy (going back to the first scripture). If the merciful receive mercy, should we not be merciful? Do we not all need mercy, not only from God but from the people around us? Are we not all the woman taken in adultery- have we not all sinned and been condemned? But we can change, and the Lord knows that. The Lord knows our hearts, and if we are sincere when we fall before Him, I believe we will hear those words: "Neither do I condemn thee; go and sin no more."
Let us give those first words to others. Let us say to others "Neither do I condemn thee." We must be merciful for our sake and theirs. What right have we to judge and condemn? "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone." In our dealings with our fellow men, we must be merciful, or mercy will fail us at the last day. Let us be merciful as He was merciful.
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| He That Is Without Sin |
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