Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:36 NIV)
The first great commandment is to love God with all our might, mind, heart and soul. The second is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Are we growing in love with God and with our neighbors? If we grow in love with God, we try to imitate Him. He is merciful. He forgave our sins when we were still His enemies. We offended Him in our previous life. Because of His mercy, we are honored to become children of God. As children of God, we should be like Him, merciful, compassionate and forgiving. If we grow in love with our neighbors, we seek what is good for them. We may even love those who offend us. The command is to love even our enemies. Loving the enemies makes us different from the world. We are unique in the sense that we go against what is common and natural for most men. They love only those who love them. Can you love your enemy? The answer may be a big “NO.” It is hard to do that is why it is a command. You have to love them instead of hate them. What is the reward of being merciful? We shall receive mercy because we showed mercy. We shall gain favors from God and from our neighbors because of our loving kindness.
