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我觉得接受别人怜恤是很困难的，因为我对自己很苛刻；我感谢神宽恕了我，但我却难以宽恕自己。然而，我已经明白了，耶稣邀请我加入彼此怜恤的循环：“怜恤人的人有福了，因为他们必蒙怜恤。”

耶稣并不是说，蒙怜恤是那些怜恤别人的人所得的奖励，祂乃是教导我们，我们若能怜恤人，我们便比较容易接受别人的怜恤。接受别人怜恤和怜恤人是相辅相成的，当我怜恤人时，我接受别人怜恤和宽恕自己的能力也因此得以提升。

怜恤就像洁净心灵的强力清洁剂，一旦心灵被洁净后，我们的眼睛便懂得用不同的方式来看事物，它们在各种意想不到的地方发现神的同在。耶稣宣告说，清心的人“必得见神。”

当我们张开双手接受怜恤、以一颗洁净的心重新调整双眼的焦点时，我们便能以神的怜恤看待我们周围的人，也开始意识到祂是多么爱他们、关心他们、希望他们也得到丰盛的生命——而祂正希望我们每一个人都得到这生命呢！

数十年前，基督徒歌手Noel Paul Stookey（前Peter, Paul, and Mary乐队的成员）录制了一首名叫“轻柔的手，柔和的眼”（"Tender hands, softest eyes"） 的歌曲，这首歌美妙地捕捉了耶稣在这里的教导部分。轻柔的手与柔和的眼神成为祝福人的工具，来传递神的恩典。

I find it hard to receive mercy. I beat myself up; I thank God for forgiving me, but I have trouble forgiving myself. I have learned, though, that Jesus invites me into the mercy circle: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

Jesus is not saying that receiving mercy is a reward for being merciful. Rather, he is teaching us that receiving mercy becomes easier when we are merciful. The acts of receiving and showing mercy strengthen each other. As I share mercy, my own ability to receive mercy and also forgive myself become stronger.

Mercy is like a powerful detergent that purifies our hearts. And as the heart is purified, the eyes learn a new way of seeing. They come to see the presence of God in all kinds of unexpected places. The pure in heart “will see God,” Jesus declares.

With our hands open to receive mercy and a purified heart that refocuses our eyes, we grow to see all the people around us with God’s mercy, and we begin to appreciate how much he loves them, cares for them, and wants full life for them—for all of us!

Decades ago Christian singer Noel Paul Stookey (formerly of Peter, Paul, and Mary) recorded a gentle song called “Tender hands, softest eyes.” It captures some parts of Jesus’ teaching here beautifully. Tender hands and soft eyes become instruments of blessing that transmit the grace of God.