The Good Life - Really Caring

Our Theme for 2025 is “Live Like Jesus”

It comes out of a simple desire to follow Jesus - and to learn better what that means.

We are spending the entire year in the Gospel of Matthew.

We began with a short portion of scripture that summarizes Matthews gospel - The sermon on the Mount - and specifically the beatitudes.

The beatitudes are a kind of “spiritual alignment.”

Live like Jesus means aligning our minds, hearts and actions with His.

Matthew five through seven contains a text referred to as the sermon on the mount and the first twelve verses are called the beatitudes.

Matthew 5:1–12 ESV

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Jesus opens his sermon on the mount with eight statements about “the good life”, but the good life is not what you think.

We began by saying that you can live the good life and live with in your means.

Then we said that you have to give yourself permission to feel.

After that we noted that the meek, the ones you probably never notice -are going to be the ones left standing when all is said and done.

Last week’s beatitude was about our desires - what to you want and what do you love?

Whatever you want - what you desire and what you think will fulfill you - that is how you define “the good life.”

And where is God on your list of things that you want or love?

If we begin to think about what God wants, and if we begin to desire the things that God wants, then not only does God get what He wants, but we are fulfilled as well.

This week’s beatitude is about mercy - really caring.

Last week we asked, “what do you love?”

This week we ask, “why should you care?”

“Why should anyone really care about anyone else?”

Matthew 5:7 ESV

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Jesus answer is essentially that we all should care about each other because we are all in this thing called life together.

Our most basic reason for caring is that we share a common humanity.

And in that common humanity we are all flawed from within and we all have problems and challenges.

No one can make it entirely on their own.

I dare speculate that none of us would be here today except that someone, sometime in our life, when we were down, cared enough to give us a helping hand.

On Monday i got a phone call from a guy that we helped as a church three years ago. At that time he had living under the bridge in Spring City. Then he found a warm place to sleep in a guys basement who lived on main street. But his host was old and was going to have to go to a nursing facility and he was loosing his shelter. The homeless guy wanted to work, he had a skill, but he needed a valid ID. I helped him get his ID and all I heard was the occasional text saying thanks and that he was doing OK.

Well Monday i heard from him again, He was homeless again. This time the cold snap had resulted in him suddenly loosing work. Dave and I took him to get some breakfast and then we talked with his landlord. We learned that he had also been sick and that played a part in his becoming homeless. Prayer meeting was happening here at the church and some of you surrounded him and prayed for him. Dave was trying to connect him with some temporary work as was the guys landlord. One member of the congregation even donated to cover back rent so he could get back on his feet.

I thought it was a strange coincidence that all of this should happen this week when I am preaching about mercy and compassion.

I am proud of the way this congregation stepped up and showed compassion.

This is putting “feet to our faith” - really caring.

I am consistently blessed to see how when people come here with needs, we surround them, care for them and do what we can to help.

We can’t help in any and every situation, but we do what we can.

And we can always pray that God provides in ways that we cannot.

Mercy is about showing appropriate care to our fellow human beings.

It is about cultivating empathy as compassionate caring.

It is about practicing love and generosity.

And ultimately, mercy is about forgiveness and giving people the benefit of a fresh start.

Mercy is what God gives to us, and it is because of His mercy that we can really care for others.

A brief look at how the word “mercy” is used in the biblical context shows the aspects of compassion, generosity, and forgiveness.

Really caring is compassionate, generous and forgiving.

Caring as compassion.

Psalm 145:8–9 NLT

8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. 9 The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.

God is described as compassionate.

Yes, God is righteous and holy and cannot tolerate sin.

But that is God’s response to evil and the disobedience that perpetuates evil.

He’s not mean and He’s not mad at us!

God’s nature is to be merciful and compassionate.

Think about it… if we can love people, even people who are difficult and sometimes hard to love - and if whatever goodness is in us has its source in God - then how much more compassionate is He?

After all it is God who tells us to love one another.

Compassion is the kindness owed in mutual relationship.

Matthew 18:33 ESV

33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’

Jesus tells a parable about a servant who is forgiven an impossible debt - some astronomical number - like, nobody has that kind of money.

And after being forgiven, he tries to get money from another guy who only owes him a few bucks.

The point is that he did not reciprocate the master’s generosity.

He did not show the same kindness that he was shown, and therefore proved himself even more undeserving of that kindness.

God expects that we will at least honor the reciprocal balance of our human relationships.

Matthew 7:12 ESV

12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

It makes sense, right!? - the golden rule.

Treat other people that way that you want to be treated.

Why? Because the balance of power is constantly changing in human relationships.

Next time you might be the one who is in need of someone else’s compassion.

When you show mercy or compassion you need to always think that it could be you.

Historically, many cultures have embraced some version of the Golden Rule. It is just basic common sense. In ancient Egypt, a papyrus dated back to 2000 BC advises, ‘Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself.’ This shows that the principle of treating others with kindness and fairness has echoed through time and is a universal truth—like a timeless song that never fades away!

There is a kind of compassion that is just basic human decency and that is just the beginning for the follower of Christ.

Compassion is the sensation of identifying with the suffering of another.

Luke 6:35–36 ESV

35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Compassion is also empathy - feeling for or feeling with other people.

I think most people want to be kind and compassionate, so what stops us?

Sometimes our kindness is not well-received.

People don’t always thank you.

Or they don’t always reciprocate when you need them too.

Some people will flat out take advantage of you.

You give them something and instead of thanks - they try to squeeze you for more.

Or they turn on you and accuse you of holding out on them.

Do you know what God says about people who take advantage of you?

He says, “Welcome to the club - now you know how I feel.”

God gave His only Son to come and be with us and they (we) nailed Him to a cross.

He identified with our suffering - but we did not reciprocate.

Really caring is about empathy.

It is about allowing ourselves to feel what other people are feeling.

It is doing what Jesus did, coming down to their level and sharing in their experience.

You can’t be compassionate without some degree of sacrifice.

At the very least, it is allowing yourself to be uncomfortable and disturbed at the pain of another.

Why would anybody do that?

That kind of compassion is not human - that is what God does.

Yes, human compassion may be willing to sacrifice, but not without some reward - humanly speaking, we always expect some merit for our good deeds.

But as followers of Christ, the merit was never ours, it is his.

And the reward doesn’t have to be as a result of the circumstances.

Some of the ways that God asks us to show compassion may be thankless, unseen or without any visible benefit.

Like loving your enemies - there is no (immediate or visible) sense in that.

But the reward comes form God.

Yes, sometimes kindness and compassion leaves us hurt or wounded, especially if it is just the human kind.

But that is where it is important that our caring comes from a source beyond ourselves.

Romans 9:15–16 NLT

15 For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” 16 So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.

God is merciful because of who He is.

We don’t deserve it.

We cant earn it.

But we can certainly receive it and pass it on.

Caring as generosity.

God is first and foremost generous.

He is a good Father - if we as parents know how to be kind and generous toward our children - how much more is God generous toward us.

Matthew 7:11 CEV

11 As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give good things to people who ask.

I remember Martin getting his first guitar, Jonas His first tool set, Annette her first sewing machine and just last year we helped Elisabeth get a car.

I love helping my kids, especially where I know it is going to help them to grow and do even more than I can imagine.

If we have any inclination to be generous, it is because God is generous.

Generosity is first toward God.

Proverbs 19:17 ESV

17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.

We would all like to be generous, but how do you know that it will work out? - You don’t!

If you loan a person money, what if they can’t pay you back?

Well first of all, I make it a point not to loan money unless I’m willing to consider it a gift in the event that they can’t pay me back.

But this proverb suggests an even better idea - why not consider what we do for others as done unto the Lord?

So the money that you gave, you gave to God - it’s between them and God what they do with it.

Your not looking for a return on investment, you are doing it out of obedience to God. - Its His reward you are looking for.

We are not even looking for recognition or approval - all of that comes from God.

We said that kindness is what we owe one another in mutual relationships - but what if all of those transactions go through God?

Romans 13:8 ESV

8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

So our caring, our sense of compassion and generosity is tuned into God.

We are seeing other people through God’s eyes.

Our compassion is not out of guilt or obligation, but what we do for people, we do out of obedience to God.

That also means that we don’t have to feel guilty for what we can’t do, because I’m not anyone’s savior- God is.

I’m not obligated to help, but I can always pray and In praying, God may also show me how I can help.

I’m not running around trying to save the world, I’m walking in faithful obedience to God and doing what I can.

Generosity really is a godly thing, but I find it is best to keep God in the loop when we are being generous - it will keep you from overextending yourself in ways that might not be helpful.

Generosity is a reflection of God’s love.

Hebrews 6:10 ESV

10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.

Mercy and love go together, after all it is love that predisposes us to show mercy.

Kindness and goodness result in compassion.

Its a nurturing thing - love believes and hopes for the best - and often, that is what it takes to bring out the best in people.

Did you know that during the Great Depression, many people were so desperate that they shared whatever little food they had? There’s a story of a struggling farmer who invited a neighbor over for dinner, offering his last loaf of bread. Instead of despair, they prayed and thanked God, showing great generosity to each other despite their hardships. This act of mercy illustrates how God’s love inspires us to care for one another in times of need!

Maybe you have your own story of how God’s love inspired and act of mercy and compassion.

These stories are all around us - even here, this week.

I was so pleased that no only were we able to help a homeless person get out of the cold - but someone was generous enough to cover the dept, making a clean slate.

That is what God does for us, he knows that we can’t pay our own debt, so He gives us a clean slate.

Like the Psalmist, we appeal to God’s love and mercy for forgiveness.

Psalm 25:6–7 ESV

6 Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old. 7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!

God doesn’t get any glory from keeping us stuck in the past.

There is no benefit to us beating ourselves up either.

What does give God glory is that we allow Him to change us; to transform us to be more like Him.

And that requires forgiveness.

Caring as forgiveness.

God’s mercy and compassion would not be complete without His forgiveness.

Yes, we are growing and changing, but none of that earns God’s love or warrants His forgiveness.

No, God offers us forgiveness because of His mercy and compassion.

Forgiveness is possible, because of God’s mercy.

Romans 5:8 ESV

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus said that the merciful are blessed in that they will receive mercy.

I would argue that when we forgive others, it is because we have already received mercy.

And because we are already forgiven by God, that gives us the power and the ability to forgive.

On the other hand, if you struggle in your ability to forgive of if you don’t believe you have been forgiven. then releasing forgiveness is the best thing you can do to get “unstuck”

Luke 6:37 ESV

37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;

We all have an innate sense of justice.

It may seem too easy to just forgive.

It may seem wrong to let someone off the hook.

No one should be “getting away” with what they did.

That’s why true forgiveness con only happen through Jesus Christ.

No one is getting away with anything.

Jesus paid a very dear price for that forgiveness.

James 2:13 ESV

13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Mercy triumphs over judgement.

It is only because of mercy that we even have a chance at justice.

It is only because of the cross where justice was paid for by mercy, that we have the hope of a world made right.

The “good life” is a life where mercy triumphs, both in giving and receiving mercy.

Mercy is a reflection of God’s character.

When Moses had a revelation of God on Mount Sinai, God passed before Moses and Moses heard God’s name. This is what he heard...

Exodus 34:6 ESV

6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,

That’s our God!

That is who He has always been.

God’s mercy is not a “concession” to us humans.

Like God has to be merciful because destroying us would make Him look bad.

No - God is good - and His mercy comes out of His goodness and His love.

He wants us to be merciful, because in doing so, we become more like Him.

That’s the “good life” where people genuinely care about one another.

Where people look out for each other.

Where people are generous not just with their stuff, but with their words, their kindness - believing the best about others.

Where people are quick to forgive each other and to make things right.

After all, that is what God demonstrated to us through Jesus Christ.

We see Paul demonstrating this when he writes to Timothy about some believers in Asia who had turned against him.

Among them is a guy named Onesiphorus who apparently also turned his back on Paul.

But Paul hasn’t yet given up on Onesiphorus - he is still praying and asking God for mercy.

Why? Because Paul hasn’t forgotten how his friend once demonstrated the character of God to him.

2 Timothy 1:16–18 ESV

16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, 17 but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me— 18 may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.

That’s mercy - still hanging on to the positive memories, believing the best about a person.

Holding on to faith, believing that God can still work in him so that when he stands before God, he will stand in God’s mercy.

Believing that mercy really does triumph over judgement.

That is the kind of person I want to be - a person who really cares.

Even when it hurts.

I know a God who cares for me like that....

There is a poem that is often attributed to Mother Theresa.

To be fair, she did not write it, but apparently had it on her wall, and that is why it is associated with her.

Rather than questions for reflection this week, take this poem with you and reflect on it.

Do it Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;

Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;  Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;

Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;

It was never between you and them anyway.