“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy” (Matt., ch. 5, v. 7*)
Mercy is something that God expects us to show to others. He Himself shows us mercy every day. The fact that we are alive is solely due to His mercy. What does “mercy” mean? When a criminal is “pardoned,” they do not receive the deserved punishment for their crime. They are given a chance to change. We too have been pardoned by God and have not received the deserved punishment for our sins.
In the book of 1 Samuel, we see how Saul pursues David, filled with envy and seeing him as a threat to the throne. Despite this, David continues to respect him as king. When David and Abishai come to Saul's camp, situated near them, they find him asleep with his spear stuck in the ground next to his head. Abishai perceives the situation as follows: “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one stroke of the spear. I won’t need a second” (1 Sam., ch. 26, v. 8*). However, David thinks differently. He cannot raise his hand against the king, anointed by God, even though Saul would not hesitate to kill him if he had the chance. This is the second time David spares his life. He acknowledges that God has the power to appoint and depose kings and leaves everything in His hands.
If there is someone who has done us harm, and we have the chance to retaliate, how will we act?
Paul puts it best in Romans, ch. 12, v. 19 – 21*: “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
*Biblical quotes are from the Bible, New Translation from the Original Languages © Bulgarian Bible Society 2013