Mercy, mercy, you

Matthew 5:7

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy

We are all in need of mercy on a daily basis.  We are in need of God’s Mercy daily because of our sin, that is why they are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).  We also need to show mercy those who are downcast or those we have offended (Zechariah 7:9-10).  They only way too truly to do justice and explain the subject of mercy would be to use the Words of Jesus. 

Jesus often spoke in parables when He was teaching the crowds.  And the two parables that best illustrate mercy are The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) and The Unforgiving Servant (Matthew 18:21-35).  These parables show what it means to express true mercy, extend compassion, and why we should be merciful.

In Luke 10:25-37 a Scribe wanted to test Jesus and try to test and asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus I turn tested the Scribe by replying "What is written in the Law?"  The Scribe answered " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with your entire mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Jesus told the Scribe that he answered correctly but the Scribe was not done, he wanted to justify himself.  So inquired he of the Lord Jesus again by as asking The Lord, "And who is my neighbor?"  For the Jews did not view Samaritans or Gentiles as neighbors. This meant that not showing compassion or love was purely acceptable. Jesus understanding what the Scribe was trying to accomplish replied in a parable about The Good Samaritan. 

Jesus told of a Jewish Man who was going to the Temple of Judea, on his way he was attacked by robbers.  Now it was common to be mugged by rubbers because the road the Jewish Man was traveling on was road was well known for robberies due to its location and low visibility.  The robbers beat the man, took his clothes, and left him barely alive.  Now a Priest and Levite (who more than likely were returning from the temple duties) saw their fellow Jewish Brother instead of offering help they ignored him as if he was not even there.  But a Samaritan traveling the same road so him and had compassion on him.  He put ointment on his wounds and bandaged him up.  He got off his animal and placed the wounded man on top and took him to a place of rest.  He not only paid for wounded man’s stay he also paid for any debt that the Jewish Man might occur (We must understand that the Samaritans where considered to be less than the Jewish and often would be spit on by the Jews.  Samaritans where not highly respected our considered to know God). 

Jesus than looks at the Scribe and asked, “Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?"  Jesus was as Master a strong question, it was not about whom we consider to be our neighbor but it focused how we show compassion.  In other words Jesus destroyed the excuses of why Samaritans and Gentiles are not considered worthy of love because they are not our neighbor.  Jesus gave an example of the same mercy, love, and compassion God shows for us.  He saw us hurting and in need of a Savior and never the less He sent a Savior.  And in the same way we should go and do likewise (Luke 10:37).

But sometimes we do not offer true mercy.  Sometimes we would rather hold on to the hurt, debt, or wrong that has been transgressed against us.  Because we clearly expect people to treat us like the Good Samaritan and show us mercy and compassion when we are in need of it.  We want others to get over the hurt and pain we have caused them but at times we struggle to forgive the single sin someone has done against us. 

In Matthew 18:21-35 Peter ponders what it means to forgive.  He asks Jesus, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Peter uses the number seven because seven is a holy number in Jewish customs.  It signifies completeness or finished much like God completed the creating on the seventh day and rested.   But Jesus in His great wisdom responded, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” This was to signify that you are never done forgiving and you can never run out of mercy.  Forgiveness is something that you continually do and never cease.  But to further explain his point Jesus tells us a servant you owed his Master a tax debt that was so enormous it could not be paid off.  The Master was infuriated because his servant had created such an enormous debt so his servant was due to face an onslaught of wrath.  The Master ordered the servant and his entire family to be sold as well as the remainder of the debt to be paid.  But the servant threw himself on the mercy of the Master and vowed that with time and patience he would pay of the entire debt.  The Master had great compassion and mercy and relented, he sent him home debt free.  The servant however saw a fellow servant who was indebted to him. (Now it is important to note the servant owed the Master what is comparable to over 7.5 million dollars while this other servant owed the recently forgiven servant pennies).  The forgiven servant violently grabbed the indebted servant and demanded his money.  The indebted servant threw himself at the mercies of the forgiven servant.  But instead of showing mercy like the Master showed him the forgiven servant had the indebted servant put in jail to suffer for his debt.  Well the Master caught wind of this and was greatly displeased.  He called the forgiven servant to his home and said, “'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.  And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'” The Master threw the servant in jail and ordered him to pay a debt that he could not pay.  So the servant would suffer for the rest of his life because he refused to show mercy to his fellow servant.  Jesus concludes by saying, “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."  

Plainly put if refuse to forgive and show mercy towards those who have wronged us we can expect the same from God. God views the sins others have done against us as minimal when compared the sins we have done against Him.  This is not to make light of what others have done but it is to say we “always forgive and expression compassion through mercy”.  And we do this through the strength of Christ (Philippians 4:13).  So it is not about how we feel about the sin that has been against us but more so we forgive because we have been forgiven much.  We do not act in a malice towards those who have wronged like the servant did (Matthew 18:28) and we do not impede judgment upon them suffer for their sin (Matthew 18:30).  Instead we let the Master take vengeance upon them if He sees fit (Romans 12:9).

Mercy will be shown to those who offer it.  So forgive those who have wronged you.  Write a letter, email, or talk to them and person and let them know that they are forgiven.  If you see someone in need of mercy, offer it and do what you can to help them.  We must learn that compassion and mercy go far beyond our feelings.  They are something that we can only do through the power and the strength of God.  It is His love that compels us to forgive and extend compassion.

Stay focused you can do this!

In His JOY!