Blessed Are the Merciful – A Matthew 5 Story

Lisa sat at the coffee shop, scrolling through Facebook on her phone, when she saw a post from her ex-boyfriend. He had lost his job and was struggling to make ends meet. Lisa felt a pang of sympathy for him, but quickly pushed it away. After all, he had cheated on her and broke her heart.

As she sat there, a homeless man approached her and asked for some spare change. Lisa hesitated, not wanting to part with any of her money. But then she remembered the post from her ex and thought about how hard it must be to lose a job. She handed the man a few dollars and he thanked her before walking away.

Later that day, Lisa’s boss called her into his office. He told her that the company was downsizing and unfortunately, her position was being eliminated. Lisa felt panic and fear wash over her. How was she going to pay rent and bills?

As she left the office, she bumped into the homeless man from earlier. He smiled at her and said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Lisa felt a wave of gratitude and humility wash over her. She realized that the act of kindness she had shown earlier had been returned to her in an unexpected way.

Over the next few weeks, Lisa struggled to find a new job. She sent out countless resumes and went on multiple interviews, but nothing seemed to work out. As her savings dwindled, she began to feel desperate.

One day, she received a call from a former colleague who offered her a job at a new company. Lisa was overjoyed and grateful for the opportunity. As she started her new job, she remembered the homeless man’s words and how her act of mercy had been returned to her.

In the weeks and months that followed, Lisa made a conscious effort to show mercy and kindness to those around her. She volunteered at a local shelter and donated money to charities. And in return, she was blessed with unexpected opportunities and blessings.

As she reflected on her journey, Lisa remembered Jesus’ words from Matthew 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." She realized that by showing mercy and kindness to others, she was not only helping them, but also opening herself up to receiving mercy and blessings in return.

Lisa’s experience taught her the power of mercy and kindness, and she vowed to continue to live by Jesus’ teachings from Matthew 5.