Jesus is Merciful

What is mercy? Many people get Grace and Mercy mixed up. The difference in Grace and Mercy is this, Grace is given when you are trying but are unable to meet an expectation. It is almost like grading on a curve. Grace is that moment when you look up and really want to succeed but you know that you do not have the ability to do so and so God reaches out after winning the trophy and gives it to you. Mercy is given to someone who is actively against you. Mercy is the ultimate act of sacrifice and humility. Have you ever played the game mercy? I was going to show a live presentation of the game mercy but I was worried that Dan would put a hurting on me. Mercy is a game where 2 players put their hands palm to palm and the goal is to twist and push the other players hands until they scream for mercy. In the moment that you have their hands wrapped up and they are begging for mercy you have all the power and all the ability to either make their lives miserable or to free them from the pain. Today you will see Jesus’ Mercy on display and how God calls us to live in light of His Mercy. This morning you will see 3 aspects of Jesus Mercy. First Jesus’ Mercy is without regard, Second Jesus’ Mercy is Proactive, and third Jesus’ Mercy is Personal. Turn with me in your Bible to Luke 6:27-36

Luke 6:27–36 ESV

27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. 32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 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.

As we lean into the scripture today lets pray for God’s guidance this morning.

Jesus’ Mercy is without regard

Luke 6:27–30 ESV

27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.

In this scripture Jesus is explaining to his disciples how he expects them to live. Jesus is calling the disciples to live in the same manner that He lives. Jesus’ mercy is given to all, even those considered enemies, and He is calling us to give mercy in abundance. Notice in the scripture that Jesus is not giving a notion of self defense or a limit to how far to go in giving mercy. In fact Jesus is saying to go even further than the one harming you wants. What does it say?

Luke 6:27–29 ESV

27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.

As believers we are called to give mercy without regard to the other person’s actions. How can you do this? How can you live a life of mercy towards those who the Bible says are our enemies? It is not possible right? We must show that we are strong and to stand up for ourselves? To answer this we must look at how God treats us? Take a moment to reflect on your life. The Mercy from God that you have recieved, did you deserve it? How many times do you believe God made the choice not to end your very existence? This life that God is calling us to is something that He does with us daily.

As I was learning to drive I started being allowed to take my parents vehicle around town in Baker County. I remember one night I was catching up with a few friends in the parking lot of Ace Hardware. We all got a great idea to jump the weigh station. I know what you are thinking if you are a truck driver but this is not the same thing as driving past with no intention to stop. Instead the weigh station was north on 121 just a few miles before the Georgia line. The straightest section of road on 121 for 50 miles. The weigh station was positioned off the west side of 121 and if you were driving south from Georgia you could get up to speed and if you were good enough hit the ramp at 60-65mph and send your vehicle flying dukes of hazard style. I had learned this tradition from the high schoolers in my youth group and I was about to hand down the tradition to the next generation. We went to the Georgia line and turned around to head south. As we got within a mile of the weight station I began to increase the speed in the 2 door Chevy S10 blazer my parents had. As I approached 64 mph we made the shift to go to the ramp, we hit the ramp and flew through the air. For a brief moment we were weightless and we were flying through the air. We hit the other end of the ramp as hard as you could expect and our adrenaline pumping we could not believe what just happened. As we landed though we noticed another vehicle off to our right. This was not a normal vehicle and it was not simply left there. This was a police car and yes it was manned. In an instant the joy of jumping the weight station and living to tell about it turned to instant fear. Not only would we not live to tell about it after my parents found our, if I was lucky enough to live I would never ever be allowed to drive again. Sure enough blue and red lights lit up the night. I pulled over to the side of the road and as the officer walked up to the car I began to sob. I know this is not a manly response but you had to know my dad and you would understand. He was the nicest man you could ever know but he also could be a great disciplinarian. The officer got me to calm down and got my buddies in the car to stop talking and asked us how we were doing? I told him I was doing excellent until mid way through our jump we saw him. He asked for my license and registration and I gave it to him. I sat there silently my life flashing before my eyes. When the officer came back to the truck he asked me why in the world we though this would be a good idea. I told him it was something we had talked about and finally decided we would try. After telling him we were being stupid, he began giving me the list of laws I had broken. He listed off about 7 offenses I had broken and I thought I was going to jail. As a matter of fact I asked him to take me to jail because there I would be safe. Instead of taking me to jail the officer asked me if I was ever going to do anything this stupid again? I said no sir never! after talking for a minute he allowed me to go with a warning that if he ever saw me going 2 miles over the speed limit he would charge me with reckless driving. To this day I have never considered doing anything that stupid again. My parents never found out and if my mom is listening, I’m sorry.

This officer have mercy in abundance. I had not simply broken one law, I broke at least 7. I deserved really to go to jail that night and to probably lose my license. I put my life and the lives of my friends at risk that night. This is the same way Jesus is calling us to give mercy.

The note I want to make here is that often times we put that word enemy into our heads and hearts and so we live this way with people who are exactly that our enemies. We are less merciful to the ones in our lives that are not considered enemies. The ones in our lives who we love and who love us but at times do not display Christ. This word though is not translated best as enemy, it is best translated as antagonist. Not just those who are outright enemies but even those in our lives who are active antagonists in our lives. So I am encouraging you this morning to live in mercy to all, your enemies, and those who you love who antagonize you at times in life.

When we give mercy without regard we live like Jesus who has given us mercy in abundance and without regard to our qualifications for that mercy. What things were you living in and doing when God showed His great mercy to you. Did God ever ask when He could stop showing you mercy? Did He ever stop showing His Mercy to you? God’s mercy is Plentiful, He calls for your mercy to be plentiful. How are you at living with plentiful mercy? Do you have a heart to live with plentiful Mercy? I can tell you that this is difficult to live. I am the first to tell you that I fall short. I am constantly saying that I am not going to help this person or that person again because they have taken advantage of me for the last time. This though is not how Jesus commanded His disciples to live and not how He lived. Remember when the Peter asked Jesus, how much mercy should I show? How many times should I forgive someone?

Matthew 18:21–35 ESV

21 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

Being Merciful is a requirement of being a Christian. It is how we became Christians and it is how we are called to live towards our world. We are called though to live with Plentiful Mercy but also Proactive Mercy.

Jesus Mercy is Proactive

Luke 6:31 ESV

31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Jesus lives towards us in the way that He desires for us to live towards others. Jesus loves us in the way He desires that we would love Him and others. Jesus commands His disciples not only to react with abundant Mercy but before having to react to be proactive with their show of Mercy. Jesus tells His disciples to live every day showing others the Mercy that we want God to show us! Jesus is calling you to love others before they have the opportunity to hate you. You are called to live life as a Christian in a very proactive manner. You are called to live in this live fully. Mercy is not something that is a tool in our toolbox to pull out when we need it, the Christian life is to be an ongoing example of Mercy. Think about the Mercy shown to us.

Romans 5:1–11 ESV

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Jesus does not wait on us to deserve his mercy. Jesus shows His mercy from the moment we are born. You must be in a proactive and daily life of Mercy.

Being a parent has taught me so much about how God loves us. As I grow in my faith and as a Father I try my best to apply Scripture to my life. I have learned with Kids that proactive Mercy is a must. To give mercy to your children before they ever know they need it. Sometimes kids need mercy before they ever know they need it. Rylan is our youngest and seems to be the one with the least amount of fear and most amount to prove. He seems to compete with his brothers and even sometimes if he is brave with his sister. It does not matter how much you talk to Rylan and are nice to him while telling him not to do something he is going to do what he wants to do. The other day we were sitting around the fire and I told him not to put sticks in the fire. I told him I did not want it to burn him and that I did not want to see him hurt. I was sitting around the fire so that I could dry off from the pool and could keep some of the mosquitoes away. I could tell that Rylan was getting closer and closer to putting the stick I told him not to in the fire. It was not something that I wanted to do but because I could tell what he was going to do I turned the fire off. As I walked towards my shed I saw him sticking the stick into the fire pit. As a father I felt successful. I had done something proactive that protected my child. As a Christian I said, this is how God treats me.

Jesus is proactive in His mercy to us. Jesus called His disciples to live proactive mercy with those around them regardless of whether they deserve it or not. Jesus Mercy is without regard, Jesus Mercy is Proactive, and Jesus Mercy is Personal.

Jesus Mercy is Personal

Luke 6:32–36 ESV

32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 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.

Mercy is personal. Giving and receiving Mercy is a very personal issue and is a true indicator of fruit in the Christians life. Mercy is the living out of the grace you receive daily. Mercy is giving with no expectation of receiving anything in return. The Scripture is clear that Mercy is not for you to give to people who you like or love, but is for those who you cant stand either in the moment or those who are constantly set against you. Mercy is showing love to others who hate you, hate what you stand for, and even attack you every chance they get. Mercy is a personal choice to live like Christ, to love like God, to give without thinking about whether the person on the other end deserves it or not. Remember that this was a sending out of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus was getting ready to release His followers on the world and told them that if they wanted to change the world it had to be with Mercy. They had to be completely different than the rest of the world. In the last part of this Scripture Jesus is letting His disciples know that their fruit will be living their lives with Mercy and making a personal choice to live towards others in a mind of Mercy. Christians are not called to be the ones who determine how far someone can go before they stop giving to them. Christians are the ones who are called to give without ceasing because God has not stopped giving to us. We do not deserve the things that God has given to us and we do not deserve to even still be breathing. Humanity as a whole, you and I have given God plenty of reasons to end our existence. Just think about it for a minute. If God were to wipe out our existence, who would challenge Him? Who would stand up and say He was wrong? No one! God could literally end it all and start all over and there would be no one to challenge Him. God however lives in the way that He commands us to live. God gives every day to a people that will never be able to repay Him. We are not deserving of God’s mercy and because of this He commands us to give mercy to those who don’t deserve it. I want to end today with an example of the life that we are commanded to live, and how we can do this understanding that the one with us is greater than the one who is in the world.

2 Kings 6:8–23 ESV

8 Once when the king of Syria was warring against Israel, he took counsel with his servants, saying, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Beware that you do not pass this place, for the Syrians are going down there.” 10 And the king of Israel sent to the place about which the man of God told him. Thus he used to warn him, so that he saved himself there more than once or twice. 11 And the mind of the king of Syria was greatly troubled because of this thing, and he called his servants and said to them, “Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?” 12 And one of his servants said, “None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedroom.” 13 And he said, “Go and see where he is, that I may send and seize him.” It was told him, “Behold, he is in Dothan.” 14 So he sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?” 16 He said, “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. 19 And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria. 20 As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 21 As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?” 22 He answered, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” 23 So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel.

As hard as this may be for you today we are looking in the face of a God who is Merciful to us all. Jesus who’s mercy is without, Jesus who’s mercy is proactive, and Jesus who’s mercy is personal. In light of this in order to call ourselves children of God Jesus said we have to live this way. We must live with lives full of mercy and not only when it benefits us. It is easy to show mercy to someone we think we will get something from. It is much more difficult to show mercy to someone who will never be able to repay us. We are called to live a life of Mercy.