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Tonight I want to talk about Mercy. Why? We all need mercy right? Scripture tells us that we are blessed when we show mercy. Therefore mercy will be given back to us.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
What is mercy?
Mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.
Jesus expressed mercy all throughout the bible. He’s full of compassion and forgiveness and many people knew it. They heard of him and knew that He was one they could bring them some kind of relief. Relief from what? Suffering.
Many of us suffer. Some privately and some out in the open and many of us bring circumstances into our own lives that makes us feel so overwhelmed. Our decisions at times makes us cry out for mercy.
When David realized that he fell into sin behind the Census, David wanted to run to the Father to rest in his mercy.
Jesus is just like the Father. He carries the Father's heart and the Pharisees did not understand the heart of the Father. They questioned Jesus on his every move because Jesus showed mercy, while they showed religion.
Matthew 9:11
Jesus was eating with the tax collectors and sinners.
11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
The word desire means {to long for, to ask for}. Mercy comes from the heart {compassion and forgiveness} Jesus desires mercy and he wanted the Pharisees to learn this.
The book of Exodus speaks about the mercy of God.
And the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
God is no respecter of person. He shares this with Moses on Mount Sinai.
Exodus 34:5
5 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the Lord. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.
God is rich in mercy and because Jesus being just like His Father he carried the mercy of God and released it unto the people. Many people cried out for mercy and He provided what they needed {the Father}
Listen to this…
Matthew 20:29
Two Blind Men Receive Sight
29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
32 Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
33 “Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”
34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
Do you know that mercy is tied to deliverance? When Jesus casts legion (2000 demons) out of a man who suffering in bondage, the man came to his right mind and wanted to follow Jesus but Jesus said in Mark 5: 19- “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis[b] how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
When Jesus was tested by an expert in the law Jesus spoke the parable of the Good Samaritan...
Luke 10 New International Version (NIV)
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[c]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d]”
28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
30 In reply Jesus said: “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. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 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. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[e] 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.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Go and do likewise. Show mercy { compassion and forgiveness } amongst one another. As we give mercy, we will be shown mercy.
Reiteration: Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Rev. Kathryn Gore
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