Am I Merciful

Am I Merciful

??????????? Without mercy, there’s no hope for any of us. The mercy of God, which He expects us to model, is compassion poured out on people who need it. God’s mercy is undeserved favor, and even when we don’t deserve mercy, He still extends it to us. To review, mercy is not being punished for what we deserve and grace is showing kindness to those who don’t deserve it. In a sense, grace is mercy in action. The uniqueness of both mercy and grace is that they are given when the person receiving, least expects it. Jesus told us, Luke 6:36-37: “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven” Jesus is not ruling out the legitimate use of judgement, discipline from courts of law, but rather admonishing His listeners to discontinue their tendency to criticize and find fault with others. Mercy is the nature of our soul: possession of a forgiving spirit, a heart of compassion, having the mind of Christ towards the suffering and the sinful. Is it possible that the more “religious” a person becomes, the more thoughtless and less merciful they are? Consider this example; living a life of religious ceremony without compassion, where God becomes a secondary issue. Jesus’ parable gives us understanding into this scenario, Luke 10:30-37: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” The world today remembers the nameless Samaritan centuries later. Why? Not because he was rich, smart, or a great physician, but simply because he was merciful and didn’t withhold his compassion from someone in need. Our sin and rebellion against God deserve His punishment, but instead, He offers us forgiveness and eternal life. Matthew 5:7: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Just as God is merciful toward us despite our sin, we should extend mercy toward those who have wronged us. Serving others is the key to a good life.

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