Do you ever remember a time in your life where someone encouraged you to do something that you had never done before or that wasn’t common for you, and you had to decide whether to do it?
One of my favorite places to eat is a place called Herradura. When I bring someone there for the first time, I always ask them, “Do you trust me?” They smile and say back, “Well… yes…” I then ask them, “Have I ever steered you wrong?” And most of the time, they respond with, “No…” I then ask them if they would be OK with me ordering for them! If I get a go ahead, I order something called “The Josh Special” … it’s chorri pollo (chicken and ground chorizo with cheese over the top) with sauteed peppers, onions, and jalapeños in conjunction with rice, beans, and tortillas… its heavenly!
The thing I love about that experience is that every time I have encouraged someone to get it, they have really enjoyed it! Them trusting me paid off! I believe that either the Josh Special or the Jalisco Special are the best way at Herradura!
When Jesus calls us into the best way, it’s because He knows it’s the best because it’s His way. In Matthew 5:7 it says, “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.” Mercy is defined in Webster's dictionary as “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.”
When Jesus talked about mercy, it’s like He was saying, “If you are a merciful person, others will show you mercy.” But why is it so hard to show mercy? Why is it so hard to show “compassion or forgiveness toward someone who its within our power to punish or harm”?
I believe it's hard for a couple reasons:
1.) Because we believe that people deserve what they are getting… bottom line, in life, it feels good to our flesh to see other people getting what they deserve.
2.) We are just not that generous of people. We don’t like giving someone something, especially when we feel like they don’t deserve it. Mercy is something that when given is one of the greatest gifts of generosity we can give someone else.
3.) We believe that mercy is something that it is not. Now when I say that - This is what I mean…
Mercy is not:
- Approving or diminishing what was done to you
- Enabling what was done to continue
- Denying that it happened
- Waiting for an apology
- Forgetting
- Ceasing to feel the pain
- A one-time event
- Neglecting Justice
- Trusting
- Reconciliation
Mercy is a gift that God has blessed us with. I believe that one of the reasons God has blessed us with it is because He doesn’t desire that we hold on to the most painful things that we have experienced in life (look up Brandt Jean on YouTube). May we be the people who trust that God’s way is best in this — maybe not easiest — but trusting His heart for us in all of this.
And remember- if you ever end up having lunch or supper at Herradura, check out the “Josh Special” — you won’t be disappointed!
