“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” —Matthew 5:7
In the classic movie Ben-Hur, Judah Ben-Hur is wrongly accused of a crime. As a result, his family’s home is confiscated, his mother and sister are imprisoned and contract leprosy, and Judah is lashed as a galley slave of a Roman warship. The one responsible for it all is his childhood friend, Messala.
Judah becomes obsessed with revenge. When he returns home, Judah’s heart roars afresh with anger. But there he is reunited with his childhood sweetheart, Esther. As it happens, Esther has been listening to a man named Jesus. “If you had heard this man from Nazareth . . .,” she says wistfully, recalling His words, “Love your enemy. Do good to those that despitefully use you.”
But Judah has no interest in mercy and no intention of loving his enemies. Then Esther responds, “You seem to be now the very thing you set out to destroy, giving evil for evil. It’s as though you had become Messala.”
Stop and let that sink in. Is it possible that you are becoming just like the one who hurt you?
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Choosing Forgiveness: Your Journey to Freedom ©2022 Revived Hearts Foundation
Scripture taken from The CSB
Make it Personal
Is there someone who has hurt you that you are struggling to show mercy toward? What would it look like to respond differently?