After speaking about the blessing of being poor in spirit, being broken over our own sin, the importance of meekness and the need to hunger and thirst for righteousness, in Matthew 5:7 Jesus then spoke about the blessing that belongs to those who are merciful. While this world is a place where we often note the absence of mercy, Jesus here reminds us that mercy is at the heart of so much that the Bible teaches us about God and also our responsibility towards others. God’s mercy to us in Christ means that his people are spared from the judgement we deserve. It also means that having been shown mercy, we are to show that mercy to others. To refuse God’s mercy and then to refuse to show mercy means that we will only be left with the fearful thought of facing his judgement.