Mercy

By Ron. v. Leerdam

Brothers & sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ,
In the beginning, God said, “It is not good that man is alone.” It is not God’s intention or design that we are an island. In the beatitudes Jesus – the master teacher, sent by God – outlines the nature of the new kingdom. It is about restoring relationships that have been severed and broken by sin. God changes the hearts of the citizens of his kingdom. He has changed our attitude towards the one true living
God. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” John. 3:3 God graciously changes our attitude towards others. It is now possible for these citizens – when they keep in step with the Holy Spirit – to enjoy relationships which reflect the way God intended them to be. Yet on this earthly pilgrimage every family has its cross to bear.

Remember the fights you had with siblings where mum or dad had to be the referee? No doubt you had times when you did not see eye to eye with your parents.
But we are praying for mercy, grace and forgiveness so that we may become more like the Lord Jesus. Those who have received mercy extend mercy to others.
This transformation is reflected in the way the person sees himself.
He has seen God and his own poverty and cries, Depart from me for I am a sinner.

God in His grace lifts up the person who humbles himself.

The poor in spirit are given the kingdom of heaven.
The Christian mourns over His sin – against You have I sinned and calls on God for mercy. God comforts the repentant sinner with forgiveness – wiping every tear from their eye. God comforts him with the assurance that He will make all things new.
Because the Lord Jesus who was rich, became poor so that we might inherit a place in the eternal kingdom of heaven the Christian is one who is meek – willing to turn
the other cheek. He has a tender heart, not holding grudges having an attitude changed from that of self interest and pride. He has an attitude of humility.

This quality is focused on our attitude towards others. To be willing to suffer personal loss for God’s sake. Jesus in the beatitudes goes on – building on the
foundation already laid to say, Blessed are those who hunger & thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied. They will see the wrong made right, God’s justice satisfied – either we pay the price or have someone else pays the price – but God’s justice will be satisfied for He is just! Now we turn to the next stage forward in the development of the character of the Christian.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

This beatitude like the previous addresses our attitude. Is our attitude towards others a predisposition towards showing mercy?
A Christian is before he acts.

Actions result from what you are – your primary predisposition or character.
Out of what lives in a person’s heart flows the action.

“I live, yet not I, but Christ who lives in me.” May the Holy Spirit control the very centre of our being – our heart, will, thinking, outlook and as a result our actions.
Hence all our actions are to be the result of the spiritual rebirth that God has done in us by His Spirit. The whole of our life is a proclamation of who we are – what we are.
So we must look at the well-spring of our being. Are we keeping in step with the Spirit of God? What lives in our hearts?
What is the motivation of our being and life?
Is it of God?
Is it of self?
People will see by the way we behave as to whether the Spirit of God is controlling our whole being. “They will know you are Christians by your love.”
Our love is manifest in our attitude towards others.
Are we merciful?
Mercy – doesn’t mean “EASY-GOING” – easy to get on with – remember the meek are not to be a doormat. That is pretend you don’t see other peoples faults or sins.
The beatitudes are not about natural pre-dispositions. These are spiritual qualities – born out of our spiritual rebirth. As we sing, God be merciful to me on Thy grace I rest my plea; Plenteous in compassion Thou, blot out my transgression now, wash me make me pure with-in…

“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”Luke 6:36

Mercy is not just a willingness to forgive.
It includes every manifestation of compassion and the heart felt desire to see Christ formed in others.

God says, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. Isaiah 49:15-16

The author of Hebrews writes,
Jesus too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for {Or and that he might turn aside God’s wrath, taking away} the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Heb. 2:17

Luke Timothy Johnson writes in ‘Some Hard Blessings.’
Pity and mercy do involve us, do untangle our hearts, do place demands on us which limit our freedom in ways we cannot predict or control.
The only question is whether humans were meant to be icebergs or whether the fact of our creation in God’s image might mean that humans are called to be as foolish in their mercy as God has shown Himself foolish in the his lavish mercy towards us.’

The wages of sin is death, it is humanly foolishness that someone else would pay the price for another persons crime. But God sent his own sinless son into a broken world to die in order to satisfy God’s justice and bear the punishment we deserve. It is Jesus’s precious blood shed on the cross that shows us the greatness of God’s mercy.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s
wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than
man’s strength. 1 Corinthians 1:25

Isn’t it true that so often we spend our energy building defensive barriers around ourselves so that we are not touched by the plight of others.
We divorce ourselves from what they going through.
We expect little so feelings of disappointment and hurt do not touch our hearts.
This is not the way of mercy.
Jesus told the story of the unmerciful servant to illustrate the way believers are not to relate to each other.

Having been forgiven such a great debt by the Master – having received mercy – He was unwilling to forgive the small debt owed by his fellow servant and had him thrown into prison till he repaid the few dollars he owed.
We are called to enter into relationships founded on the quality – mercy.
Instead of treating one another as we might deserve, we treat one another as God has treated us. This is a big ask that goes contrary to human nature.
We can only truly show mercy as we receive help from our merciful HIGH PRIEST.
Grace and mercy, forgiveness and compassion are the foundations on which Christians build relationships with each other and also with those outside the Church.
In this way others will know we are Christians. They will know we are Christians by our love.

Jesus was tested when asked by an expert in the law,
‘What must a man do to inherit eternal life?’
He knew from the Old Testament what God required.
‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.’ and ‘love your neighbour as yourself’.
He wanted to justify himself so asked Jesus,
‘And who is my neighbour?’
In reply Jesus said,

A man while traveling was robbed, beaten and left half dead on the side of a road.
A priest saw the man yet passed by not lifting a finger to help.
A Levite saw him. He also passed by.
A Samaritan when he saw him, took pity on him.
Bandaged his wounds and took care of him.
He gave 2 days wages to an innkeeper to look after him with the promise to pay extra for any further expense incurred.

Jesus said, ‘Which of these three was a neighbour?
The expert replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.
Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’ Luke 10:25-37

Sometimes we might be tempted to think that the success of a church is measured by how many people attend or by the programs that it runs. The quality of the life of the Church cannot be measured this way.
What I mean is this:
Does a beautiful building make people hunger for a relationship with God?
Do programs in and of themselves make people want to reach out to seek Christ?

The lives of God’s people are what speak.
When we love each other and treat each other with the same respect that is due to God, we will truly be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
A faith community that follows the desires of the King is a community that is truly blessed by God and becomes an instrument of His blessing to others.
The Lord says, “I am your God and you are my people.”
Hence we can say,

Blessed are poor in spirit for God’s grace is sufficient for them.
Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger & thirst for righteousness
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy.

How can we grow in this fruit of holiness?
By looking to God and fixing our eyes on Jesus.
Know yourself and see the world through God’s eyes.
We are called to live by faith and by grace we are saved.
My friends, the saints have a freedom in the Lord which the world cannot take away.
The world cannot take away the contentment and promise and faith and trust and hope which the blessed happy believer enjoys. They know that God’s mercies are new every morning. We have freedom to enjoy with thankfulness all God’s good gifts and look forward to the day when God will be all in all.
How foolish we are when we harbour bitterness, hold grudges and refuse to extend heartfelt forgiveness to those who sin against us.
How often are we to show mercy and forgive? 7 times?

The answer is as many times as they ask.

Amen.