Be(come) Merciful

#mercy #greeknewtestament #biblestudy #ginesthe #

So just after the terrible events of the slaughter in the Tree of Live Synagouge in Philadelphi I'm flicking through pages trying to find a verse of usefulness and healing and I end up returning to the page in Luke I had tagged and rereading the passage I found myself drawn again and again to Luke 6:36

In the RSV translation BE Merciful

Going back up a few verses the passage talks about loving sinners loving your enemy and doing good EVEN when you can't expect a response.
Jesus speaks of doing this because the most high is kind to the ungrateful and evil though poneros could also be translated as wretched.

No I am not calling on people to forgive the shooter.
He's probably a psycho triggered by other people's violence
I'm not calling on you to forgive the owners and other users of the various social media platforms and sites  that allowed him to vent his hate and DID NOTHING TO STOP IT OR TELL HIM HE WAS WRONG.

But let us consider what he did was a lack of mercy or compassion !

The Greek verb translated as Be is actually a form of ginomai in this verse an aorist middle imperative GIVESTHE
Not just be but become happen make it happen

The shooter opted for violence not mercy and showed no pity that we know of ... perhaps he hestitated at the last minute and opted to show some mercy to younger members of the congregation but perhaps and probably not ...

He did not love his enemies do good or show mercy

BE MERCIFUL
We are all sinners but please strive to do good anyway !

Matthew chapter 5 verse 7 MERCY

(sorry this is late had computer problems ) 

Matthew Chapter 5 Verse 7

Blessed (are) the merciful for they will receive mercy.

μακάριοι οἱ ἐλεήμονες ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται.

Read also Matthew 18: 33 and James 2:13

Quite straightforward but do note the link between showing and being shown mercy.

Ἔλεος the stem of ἐλεήμων merciful and the verb ἐλεέω be merciful show mercy is not just an attitude but an action ἐλεος is pity mercy and compassion or as James puts it faith AND works.

Read the parable in Matthew 18: 33