Jesus is full of mercy. when the sick and poor cried out to Him, "Lord, have mercy on us!" He granted it to them. the 'expert' of the law described the Good Samaritan as the one who had mercy (Luke 10:37). Jesus describes mercy as one of the most important aspects of the law; above judgement and tithing (Matt. 23:23). Jesus showed mercy; the kind that does not merely stay one's hand, but spurs one to action. in our modern age, the definition of mercy has been severely distorted. when we cry 'mercy,' we're basically saying, "please don't hurt me because i know you can!" in Jesus' definition however, we're saying, "please help me because i can't." that is the mercy Jesus showed and that is the mercy we need to show others. He promises hope to the helpless, peace for the restless, and healing for the broken, and we promise the same when we live with the goal of spreading His Name. when we meet people where they are and do for them what they cannot, that is when we are showing mercy. Francis Chan says when we help people, that is when we look the most like Jesus. when we show mercy, that is when we are truly made in His Image.
1 comment:
I love this reminder. I saw a woman pushing a baby in the parking lot of a grocery store. She held a sign that asked for money. The child was drinking a soda. I was judging the mom for letting her have a soda when there was no money (presumably for food)...what's wrong with me? She needed mercy and all I wanted to do was beat up on her a little more. I hope God grants me another encounter with this pair...I need a 2nd chance.
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