In receiving God’s mercy Jesus asks that we also forgive those who trespass against us (Matt 6:12) Jesus himself lived out these words which He gave to us in the Sermon on the Mount: He said “If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matt 5:39) Jesus was struck many times during His Passion and He would never have thought to retaliate. Jesus also told us, “If any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well.” (v:40). We know that during His Passion Jesus was stripped of all His garments. Jesus also tells us, “If any one forces you to go 1 mile, go with him 2 miles.” (v:41) This is a reference to the law of the Roman occupation: During this period Roman law demanded that if a Roman citizen asked a Jew to carry something for him, the Jew was obliged to do so, up to the distance of 1 mile. During His Passion Jesus was forced to carry His own cross. Jesus also tells us “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (v:44) During His Passion Jesus loved His enemies and prayed for them from the cross. Not only did Jesus pray for them: “Father forgive them”, but He also excused them: “for they know not what they do.” In all this we can see that Jesus fully lived out the teachings that He had given to us. He taught us by example how to be merciful towards others, so that in turn we might obtain mercy from God.
St Padre Pio once said, “If the mercy of God were what many Christians believe it to be then all men would be in hell.” But fortunately for us God’s mercy is not what we believe it to be, for God’s ways are far higher than our ways and His mercy is far greater than we can possibly imagine. Jesus loved us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8-11) so how much more does He love us now that we have come to Him and placed our souls into His care, to be reconciled to the Father through His blood? We must never doubt the mercy of God, to do so is to wound the heart of God. The enemy of our souls is always prowling around us to try to take our peace from us, but we must have great trust in God’s mercy. God desires that we trust in His love and mercy – He loved us into being, and His love continues throughout all eternity.
The following quote, which I have used before, is a wonderful expression of God’s mercy: “When God looks at us with His merciful eyes, He does not look at what we have been, neither does He look at what we are, but He looks at what we desire to be.” This is how our Lord must have looked upon St Paul. He did not look at his past – as someone who had persecuted the church. He did not look at who he was – as someone with weaknesses, but our Lord looked at who St Paul desired to be – and he saw that he desired to be always faithful to God and to love and serve Him well. Something which I think we will all agree he did – by the power of the Holy Spirit.