Teaching the Beatitudes: Mercy Every Day
Bible Verse
God blesses those people who are merciful. They will be treated with mercy! Matthew 5:7 CEV
“Mercy” is a word that we often replace with more common words, like compassion and forgiveness, but mercy is beautiful because it combines the two. We can demonstrate mercy to our kids by offering them our forgiveness (even before they apologize), empathy for their feelings, and compassion by being sensitive to their needs. But Jesus’ mercy is so much bigger and better than ours can ever be. As parents, how can we help our kids experience the mercy of Jesus and teach them practical ways to show it to others?
Before we expect our kids to show mercy, we must help them understand it through a Biblical worldview. Read these stories together and discuss Jesus' mercy.
A Widow’s Son (Luke 7:11-17). When Jesus saw the woman walking with her son's body, he knew everything about her. He knew she was a widow, and he knew the dead boy was her only son. With no one to take care of her, this made the woman highly vulnerable in their culture. Though a huge crowd of people was following him, he stopped to make this personal connection with a mourning mom. Jesus showed his powerful mercy by giving life to the woman’s son.
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men (Matthew 20:29-34). Jesus was moved with compassion for these men begging for healing, and they immediately became followers of Jesus. As a family, discuss what it would be like to see after living in darkness. Do you think these men showed Christ-like mercy for others in the future?
In Matthew 25, Jesus explained that when his followers show mercy to anyone—no matter how unimportant it may seem—they do it for God (Matthew 25:33-40). As Christians, God calls us to give food to the hungry, clothes to the needy, care for the sick, and welcome strangers out of love for God. In this passage, Jesus gave us practical examples of showing his mercy by extending Christ-like compassion to others.
Your family can provide for those in need by donating food and clothing.
As a family, volunteer at a local food bank or soup kitchen. If you have little ones, they may enjoy packing care boxes because it’s a hands-on and kid-friendly task.
If your family knows someone in need, invite them for dinner or surprise them with groceries on their porch.
Find a nursing home or hospital and encourage your kids to draw pictures or write encouraging Bible verses to hand out to residents and patients.
Talk to your church’s ministry leaders if you want to lend a hand to a family in need or donate directly to someone. Perhaps there’s a need that you can provide for in your own church community.
Intentionally discuss with your kids how small acts like these are building blocks for God’s kingdom here on earth, and they will have an enriched experience of Jesus’ infinite mercy. And remember that though we are imperfect, we experience God’s renewed mercy each morning (Lamentations 3:22-23) and can ask for his help as we practice mercy towards others.
Want to do a deep dive? Check out Family Fire's article Loving the Enemy.
Areo Keller-Donahue
As soon as Areo could pick up a popsicle stick, she was making puppets and putting on plays that shared her faith with her neighbors. Areo grew up with a strong interest in musical theatre and earned her BFA at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Areo was led to use artistic gifts to share the gospel with young ones, and she became involved in ministry. She has worked in children's ministry at Redeemer Upper West Side and North Way Christian Community and is currently developing a musical live-action series that celebrates faith and fun. Areo and her husband live in Pittsburgh, where they enjoy spending time with their families and adorable cat, Daisy.
