7. The Merciful

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (Matthew 5:7)

Today’s Reading: Luke 7:36–50

An Unfair Advantage

Each of the four Gospels tells a story of Jesus being anointed with perfume. But Luke’s version is different. In the other accounts, the shock comes from the cost of the perfume. In Luke, the shock comes from who is doing the anointing. A sinful woman—someone the religious leaders look down on—walks into a formal banquet, kneels at Jesus’ feet, and pours out her perfume and tears. The religious leaders are horrified. But Jesus welcomes her.

Mercy is showing kindness or forgiveness to someone who doesn’t deserve it. When Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Matt 5:7), it’s easy to think of it as karma—what goes around comes around.

But mercy isn’t about fairness. By definition, it’s unfair—a clean slate for those who haven’t earned it. When we show mercy, we give up our right to be correct. We trust God with the situation instead of holding onto resentment. Mercy frees us to love.

Jesus tells a story in Matthew 18:21-35 about a servant who owed a king an impossible debt. The servant begged for mercy, and the king completely forgave him. But the moment he was free, the same servant went to someone who owed him a small amount—and refused to show mercy. When the king heard about this, he was furious.

“I forgave all your debt. Shouldn’t you have done the same?” (Matt 18:32-33, paraphrase)

If we’ve truly received God’s mercy, we should be eager to show it to others. Our relationships with others are where we demonstrate what God has shown toward us.  

The UnInvited Guest

That brings us back to Luke 7. Jesus is dining at the home of a religious leader—a formal event with guests reclining at the table. The banquet is well attended by religious leaders, dignitaries, and other holy men. Suddenly, a woman enters. She has a reputation, and the room immediately judges her.

Some scholars think she was a prostitute, but the Bible doesn’t say. What we do know is that she carried shame. Despite the stares and whispers, she runs straight to Jesus. Maybe she had seen him perform miracles. Perhaps she had heard him teach. Whatever it was, she recognized something in him was different from everyone else in the room.

She falls to the ground, washes his feet with her tears, and anoints them with perfume. The religious leaders whisper among themselves. But Jesus defends her. It was customary to show hospitality when greeting new guests by having servants wash their feet.

“Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. ” (Luke 7:44)

By calling this out, this woman is highlighted for the first time, not by her sin but by her sight.

Put It to Good Use

The religious leaders thought they had earned God’s mercy, treating it like a trophy for their good behavior. But as theologian Eduard Schweizer puts it, “God’s forgiveness is not for decoration—it’s for use.”

Jesus didn’t just forgive the woman—he redefined her. The world saw her by her sin, but Jesus saw her by her service. Her act of clear sight seems to come before Jesus’s forgiveness. But God’s mercy has always been there. God’s posture towards his creation is always “fore giveness”—before we sinned, failed, or even asked for it. The question is, will we receive it? And more importantly, will we show it to others?

*Video was shot, edited and produced by David Tregde. Script and direction by Julius Shumpert.

Mackie, Tim. “This Is Who Experiences the Good Life (According to Jesus) • Visual Commentary.” YouTube, The Bible Project, 4 Mar. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9fR7sHw9Y8.

“Luke 7.” Holy Bible: New International Version, Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, 1984.

“Matthew 18.” Holy Bible: New International Version, Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, 1984.

Spivey, Robert A., and D. Moody Smith. Anatomy of the New Testament: A Guide to Its Structure and Meaning. Macmillan & Co, 1974.

Schweizer, Eduard. The Good News According to Matthew Commentary . Translated by David E. Green, John Knox Press, 1975.