Matthew 25 Initiative

How should Christians define “mercy?”

In the Bible, “mercy” is often described as an act of compassion, forgiveness, and kindness shown to someone who is undeserving of it.

The word “mercy” comes from the Hebrew word “chesed” and the Greek word “eleos,” both of which convey the idea of compassion or lovingkindness.

The Apostle Paul summarizes this idea in Ephesians 2:4-5, where he says, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.”

Jesus is often portrayed as the embodiment of God’s mercy. He shows compassion and kindness to those who are marginalized, sick, and suffering, and he forgives those who have sinned against him.

See more definitions in our Living Isa58 course at the link in our bio, and follow along with us as we explore these definitions more throughout the summer.

What is Mishpat? (מִשְׁפָּט)

Mishpat is the Hebrew word in the Old Testament that we translate as “justice.” It speaks to the sense that there’s a rightness and wrongness in the world.

Mishpat makes judgments about what is wrong and helps restore balance. However, this biblical understanding of justice includes mercy, humility, and love.

It is restorative, involves making other people’s problems my problems and means that my flourishing is dependent on the flourishing of others, which is true humility.

Philippians 2:3-5 tells us to “Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”

For more definitions, as well as deeper discussions of justice and mercy, you can download our free Living Isa58 course on our website and follow along with us this summer.