Show Mercy, Know Mercy
Notes
Transcript
Are you merciful? Mercy is something we all want, but never show. How many of you know someone who treats someone poorly but wants people to treat them well. I have heard a quote, now I don’t know where its from but “You have to give respect to get respect”. I know people who when I was in school or working with different teenagers that want respect shown to them by their teacher but don’t give it. It is the same way with mercy.
Jesus here is mentioning that someone who shows mercy will receive mercy. Somone who does not show mercy will not receive mercy. What happens when you show mercy? Those who show mercy obtain mercy. Mercy from other people. If you want people to be merciful to you, and we all want that, you must be merciful towards others. Why should you be given mercy if you do not show mercy? It should also be the given response because we have been shown mercy as believers.
Jesus going through the Beatitudes mentions that those who are merciful will receive mercy.
You must be merciful.
What does it mean to be merciful?
Mercy is not giving someone what they do deserve. Grace is giving someone what they do not deserve. Jesus is saying that those who are merciful, those who do not give people what they deserve, but rather show love.
This is the character of God who is merciful
Exodus 34:6 “And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,”
Nehemiah 9:31 “Nevertheless for thy great mercies’ sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God.”
Jonah 4:2 “And he prayed unto the Lord, and said, I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.”
Lamentations 3:22–23“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”
Luke 6:36 “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”
Jesus is calling us to live the character of God, and God is merciful. We are not consumed, meaning God has not just destroyed everyone of us for our sin, because He is merciful. We all deserve to be just destroyed, and sent to hell right now, but God is merciful towards us.
Let’s say I was king, and all of you were my subjects. And one of you did something, such as be on your cell phone during preaching. I would take your phone away and it was punishable by the most embarrasing photo would have to be shared on your social media and to all your friends. The one photo that you don’t want anyone to see. Mercy would be me not putting the embarassing photo out there. Mercy was pleaded for to kings and others who could put people to death for their crimes.
God’s law says we have to die for our sin, but He has given us an opportunity to live and accept His grace. He sent His son Jesus to die for our sins, and whosever believeth on Him shall have everlasting life. And the fact that the first time we sin, we are not just taken right to hell. God is very merciful to us.
So our reaction to people who wrong us, should be one of mercy. They might deserve to be wronged, but God calls you to be merciful. One who will not give someone the wrong they deserve. And since He is merciful to us, we need to be merciful. So the next time you think about talking bad behind someone’s back who has wronged you, or fighting or trying to get even, understand that you’ve been shown mercy and have not gotten what you deserve, and God calls you to do that to others.
Mercy is also giving a helping hand. The Good Samartian showed mercy on the man, because he helped him. He bandaged his wounds, and took care of him, and put him up in a place to say. Mercy has compassion on someone. The Good Samartian saw the man who beaten up, and had compassion on him. He did not just act, but had sympathy on the man. So when you see someone who you can help struggling, do you have mercy or condemnation on them. Mercy will help.
Are you merciful?
ADVERTISEMENT