“So when they continued asking him,
he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let
him first cast a stone at her.”—John 8:7 (KJV)
Everyone is
human. That means each person is flawed; no exceptions. We make mistakes. Loved
ones hurt and annoy each other. This may be planned, or it may happen by
accident.
Every inhabitant
of Earth needs to give and receive mercy (compassion). The image below shows ways
the average person may fall short of perfection:
Ruth and Boaz
Ruth is a
Moabite. She follows her dead husband’s mother, Naomi, back to her homeland,
modern Israel. They settle in Bethlehem. The two ladies are poor. Ruth is a
foreigner. Some individuals wouldn’t have shown them kindness.
Luckily, the
ladies find Boaz’s property. He is a relative of Naomi’s late husband. After the
landowner’s men pick their share of barley, the young lady gathers what they
leave behind.
Boaz shows
great compassion. He instructs his servants to leave more grain for Ruth to find.
He makes Ruth a part of his household and eventually marries her. She becomes
the great-grandmother of King David. That means she’s in the bloodline of Jesus
Christ.
Reasons for Mercy According to William Shakespeare
He is the
most prominent playwright and poet of the English language. His writings are
full of wisdom. Here are the main points of two of his most famous passages on
the subject:
- Blessing to the giver and the receiver
- Quality of God himself
- Must be given in order to be received
- Necessary for everyone; we all fall short
Merchant
of Venice Act 4, scene 1 (No fear Shakespeare version from Sparknotes.com)
Portia is
talking to Shylock. He is a Jewish businessman who wants justice for a misdeed
done to him.
NOTE: The
original Shakespeare will be in the left column. The modern translation is in
the right one.
|
PORTIA
The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from
heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice
blessed:
It blesseth him that gives and him
that takes.
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest. It
becomes
The thronèd monarch better than his
crown.
His scepter shows the force of
temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of
kings,
But mercy is above this sceptered
sway.
It is enthronèd in the hearts of
kings.
It is an attribute to God himself.
And earthly power doth then show
likest God’s
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore,
Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider
this—
That in the course of justice none of
us
Should see salvation. We do pray for
mercy,
And that same prayer doth teach us all
to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus
much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea,
Which if thou follow, this strict
court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the
merchant there.
|
PORTIA
No one shows mercy because he has to.
It just happens, the way gentle rain drops on the ground. Mercy is a double
blessing. It blesses the one who gives it and the one who receives it. It’s
strongest in the strongest people. It looks better in a king than his own
crown looks on him. The king’s scepter represents his earthly power, the
symbol of majesty, the focus of royal authority. But mercy is higher than the
scepter. It’s enthroned in the hearts of kings, a quality of God himself.
Kingly power seems most like God’s power when the king mixes mercy with
justice. So although justice is your plea, Jew, consider this.
Justice won’t save our souls. We pray
for mercy, and this same prayer teaches us to show mercy to others as well.
I’ve told you this to make you give up this case. If you pursue it, this
strict court of Venice will need to carry out the sentence against the
merchant there
|
HAMLET
Act 2, Scene 2 (No Fear Shakespeare Version from Sparknotes.com)
(Prince) Hamlet
is addressing Polonius. The old man is the courtier who is supposed to show the
visiting acting troupe hospitality. Polonius says he’ll treat the players as
they deserve. This is Hamlet’s response:
|
HAMLET
God’s bodykins, man, much better. Use
every man after his desert, and who should ’scape whipping? Use them after
your own honor and dignity. The less they deserve, the more merit is in your
bounty. Take them in.
|
HAMLET
Good heavens, man, give them more than
that! If you pay everyone what they deserve, would anyone ever escape a whipping?
Treat them with honor and dignity.
The less they deserve, the more your
generosity is worth. Lead them inside
|
My Conclusion
“Always be kinder than necessary.
What goes around comes around. No one has ever made themselves strong by
showing how small someone else is.”--@InspowerBooks (Motivational Quotes)
********************
“The merciful man doeth good to his
own soul: but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.”-- Proverbs 11:17 (KJV)
A friend
recently told me, “We fall into the pits we dig for others.” I’ve seen that
play out in my life many times. When we hurt others, we damage ourselves.
When we help others, we serve ourselves. That’s one of the most simple,
yet profound, reasons for mercy.
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