God’s Favor Is On Those Who Show Mercy

In this episode, Dr. Josh Olds turns to the fifth Beatitude: “God’s favor is on the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Josh traces mercy all the way back to the Old Testament—through the Ark of the Covenant, the Mercy Seat, the Day of Atonement, and the thick veil that once kept ordinary people from God’s presence. In Jesus’ death, that veil is torn in two, and the “seat of mercy” is thrown wide open. God’s presence is mercy, and in Christ that mercy becomes an unending torrent. From there, Josh shows how receiving mercy from God reshapes how we treat others. Mercy is not means-tested, earned, or reserved for the “deserving.” It’s compassion and love expressed in tangible action: feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, protecting the abused, working for restoration even for those who have done harm. Mercy looks like the Good Samaritan, who sees distress, feels gut-level compassion, and moves toward costly, practical care—even for an enemy. Josh closes by breaking mercy down into a way of life: 1. An eye that sees distress 2. A heart moved with compassion 3. Hands and feet that act to relieve suffering 4. A willingness to do this even for those who oppose us In God’s kingdom community, to be shown mercy is to become merciful. Those who embody this cross-shaped mercy—toward friends, strangers, and enemies alike—are the ones Jesus says will find themselves continually met, sustained, and surprised by the mercy of God.

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