What Goes Around Comes Around

If we expect to experience consideration from others, we need to show consideration to others. Jesus put it this way in Matthew 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy." Later in Matthew 7:12 he added, "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them..." Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, ""We are not meant to control our Christianity; our Christianity is rather meant to control us." When we establish a relationship with God then that relationship will change us so that our relationship with others will be right.

Jesus illustrated this whole point in a parable in Matthew 18:21-35. Peter asked him how often he should forgive someone and suggested that maybe seven times would be reasonable. Jesus responded by saying seventy times seven meaning an unlimited number of times. Then Jesus explained the reasonableness of showing mercy. He told of a master who forgave his servant a huge debt. The servant then refused to forgive a debtor a very small debt. Jesus then indicated that our willingness to forgive and show mercy to our brothers had a direct connection to our experience of forgiveness from the Father.

This attitude of mercy directly builds from the previous beatitudes. If we have become poor in spirit and received God's gift of salvation, if we mourn over sin, if we are meek, and if we hunger and thirst for righteousness then we will find it easy to show mercy. To do otherwise would make us like the servant who having been forgiven much refused to forgive another. As we face conflicts with others today let's remember that what goes around comes around. If we are unwilling to show mercy then we can expect that we will not experience mercy either.