“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy”
Matthew 5:7
There are three elements to the fifth beatitude that need explaining: (1) the meaning of “blessed,” (2) the meaning of “to be merciful” and (3) what it means to receive mercy. This article will look at each element individually and then (4) bring everything together for an explanation of the meaning of the fifth beatitude (click the hyperlinks to jump to the section you desire).
I. The Meaning of “Blessed”
The term “blessed” that occurs at the beginning of all the beatitudes is μακάριοι, the plural form of the adjective μακάριος. Although it has become common to hear μακάριος translated as “happy” (such as in the CEB), the term “happy” is much too shallow and superficial. In the New Testament and especially in the Gospel of Matthew, μακάριος is best understood as being the privileged recipient of God’s favour which results in a deep-seated joy. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature (BDAG) states the focus of μακάριος can either be on happiness/joy because of one’s circumstances or the focus can be on privilege that results in happiness/joy (BDAG, s.v. μακάριος).
In the Gospel of Matthew and in the beatitudes, the focus of μακάριος is on being the privileged recipient of God’s favour, rather than the joy or happiness, which is a result of God’s favour (also see Charles Quarles, Sermon on the Mount, 42; Donald Hagner, Matthew 1–13, 91).
We see this idea of being the privileged recipient of God’s favour that results in a deep-seated joy in many passages throughout the New Testament and the Gospel of Matthew. Note the following two passages from the Gospel of Matthew: 13:16–17 and 16:15–17.
In Matthew 13:16–17, Jesus tells his disciples that they are “blessed” (μακάριοι) because they have seen and heard Jesus, his mighty works and his teaching:
“But blessed [μακάριοι] are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.”
—MATTHEW 13:16–17
Jesus is not simply saying that his disciples are “happy,” but that they are the privileged recipients of God’s favour in that they get to see and hear Jesus and understand what it is that they see and hear! This seeing, hearing, and understanding results in a deep-seated joy of seeing, hearing, and knowing God’s messiah who is in the process of setting up the Kingdom of Heaven.
Another powerful passage that demonstrates Jesus’ understanding of μακάριος is Matthew 16:15–17:
“He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter replied, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed [μακάριος] are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.’”
—MATTHEW 16:15–17
After asking his disciples who they think he (Jesus) is, Simon Peter answers that Jesus is the messiah (“Christ”), who is “the Son of the living God.” Jesus then tells Peter that he is “blessed” (μακάριος). Jesus is not telling Peter that he should now be happy that he got Jesus’ question correct; rather, Jesus is telling Peter that he is the privileged recipient of God’s favour in that the Father himself revealed to Peter the identity of Jesus. This revelation will result in a deep-seated joy because now Peter knows who Jesus truly is.
Thus, we can conclude that the term “blessed” (μακάριος) in the Gospel of Matthew means to be the privileged recipient of God’s favour that results in a deep-seated joy. Regarding the fifth beatitude, Jesus says that those who are “merciful” are the privileged recipients of God’s favour, resulting in a deep-seated joy. Let us now turn to the meaning of “merciful” and then we will discover how they are privileged recipients of God’s favour.
II. The Meaning of “Merciful”
The adjective “merciful” (ἐλεήμων) means one who shows or exercises mercy. Thus, we need to understand the term “mercy” (ἔλεος) and its verbal cognate “to have mercy” (ἐλεέω) in order to understand “merciful.” Thankfully, there are two passages in the Gospel of Matthew that illustrate what it means to show mercy: 6:2–4 and 18:21–35. Let’s look at both.
A. Mercy: Generously Giving to the Needy (Matthew 6:2–4)
In Matthew 6:1–18, Jesus speaks about practicing righteousness. His first example is showing mercy to others:
“Thus, when you give to the needy (ἐλεημοσύνη), sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy (ἐλεημοσύνη), do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving (ἐλεημοσύνη) may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
—MATTHEW 6:2–4
What should be apparent in Matthew 6:2–4 is that the term referring to giving to the needy (ἐλεημοσύνη) shares the same root (ελε) as the terms for “merciful” (ἐλεήμων), “mercy” (ἔλεος), and “to have mercy” (ἐλεέω). This indicates that giving to the needy (ἐλεημοσύνη), or “alms” as it is accurately translated in the KJV, is an act of mercy.
In Matthew 6:2–4, Jesus assumes that his disciples are exercising mercy to the poor by generously providing for their needs. The main point of Matthew 6:2–4 is that one’s almsgiving (providing for the needy) should not be a public affair, but should be done secretly out of the public eye.
Thus, one aspect of exercising mercy is generously giving to the needy.
B. Mercy: Forgiving Others for Their Sins (Matthew 18:21–35)
The second aspect of mercy is found in Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21–35:
“Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy (ἐλεέω) on your fellow servant, as I had mercy (ἐλεέω) on you?’ And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
—MATTHEW 18:21–35
The main point of Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant is verse 33: “And should not you have had mercy (ἐλεέω) on your fellow servant, as I had mercy (ἐλεέω) on you?” The servant failed to show mercy by failing to forgive his own servant of the debt owed him after the king had forgiven the servant of a much greater debt owed to him. Jesus is clear that this parable is about forgiveness of sins (Matt 18:21–22, 35).
Thus, we discover that a second aspect of exercising mercy is forgiving others of their sins, just as God has forgiven us of our own sins.
C. The Meaning of “Mercy” and “Merciful”
Based on Matthew 6:2–4 and 18:21–35, we can conclude that “mercy” is generously giving to the needy and graciously forgiving others of their sins. The “merciful,” then, are those who generously give to the needy and graciously forgive others of their sins. Charles Quarles succinctly defines merciful well:
“The merciful are those who relate to others with a forgiving and compassionate spirit.”
—Charles Quarles, Sermon on the Mount, 62
III. What It Means to Receive Mercy
In the fifth beatitude, Jesus claims that those who are merciful, who show and exhibit mercy, are blessed “because” (ὅτι) “they will receive mercy” (Matt 5:7). Those who show mercy to others will be shown mercy by God. Jesus promises that those who generously provide for the needy and graciously forgive others of their sins will be generously provided for by God and will be graciously forgiven of their sins by God. This is the principle of lex talionis, which is the idea of “an eye for an eye” or “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matt 7:12), an idea found throughout the Sermon on the Mount (for some examples, see Matt 6:12, 14–15; 7:2, 12).
The fifth beatitude is not advocating a works-based salvation. It must be remembered that the Sermon on the Mount, including the beatitudes, is given to disciples of Jesus, those who have already received salvation. Rather, Jesus is saying that those of his disciples who treat others with mercy, can expect the same level of mercy granted to them; they will be the privileged recipients of God’s mercy!
IV. The Meaning of the Fifth Beatitude (Matt 5:7)
Now that we understand (1) what it means to be blessed, (2) what it means to be merciful, and (3) what it means to receive mercy, we are able to understand the meaning of Jesus’ fifth beatitude: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
In Matthew 5:7, Jesus says that those who generously provide for the needy and graciously forgive others of their sins (those who are the merciful) are privileged recipients of God’s favour (blessed) in that God will generously provide for their needs and graciously forgive their sins (will receive mercy).