Continuing the series of discussions on the Beatitudes, Matt, Alastair, and Derek come to “Blessed are the merciful.” Mercy is a virtue that has enormous possibilities for social transformation. It is so central to God’s identity and to ours as His creation. But what is the relation of mercy to justice? And what is the relation of mercy to forgiveness? What does the structure of Scripture teach us about mercy?
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Timestamps:
The Discount Continues [0:00]
It’s like L’Abri. [0:45]
The Merciful [1:58]
Mercy is the very context of Christianity and Judaism. [4:01]
What sets Mercy apart? [11:32]
Worries About Mercy [18:16]
The Example of Jonah [21:42]
The Language of Retribution [23:49]
The Difference Between Mercy and Forgiveness [29:43]
The Pastoral Dimensions of Mercy [34:21]
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Follow Derek, Andrew, and Alastair for more tweet-sized brilliance. Thanks to Timothy Crouch for keeping us organized. Thanks to Tim Motte for sound editing. And thanks to The Joy Eternal for lending us their music, which everybody should download out of gratitude for their kindness.
Matthew Lee Anderson
Matthew Lee Anderson is an Associate Professor of Ethics and Theology in Baylor University's Honors College. He has a D.Phil. in Christian Ethics from Oxford University, and is a Perpetual Member of Biola University's Torrey Honors College. In 2005, he founded Mere Orthodoxy.
