Sermon Tone Analysis

What is Mercy?

Mercy is not giving to someone what they deserve.

‘Mercy’ is compassion for people in need.

Richard Lenski helpfully distinguishes it from ‘grace’: ‘The noun eleos (mercy) … always deals with what we see of pain, misery and distress, these results of sin; and charis (grace) always deals with the sin and guilt itself.

The one extends relief, the other pardon; the one cures, heals, helps, the other cleanses and reinstates.’

The first four beatitudes focus on relationship and dependence upon God.

We are to realize who we are in light of who he is, and that should lead us to mourning over our sin.

This should give us a humble meekness that causes us to realize our soul poverty and seek God’s righteousness.

But mercy reflects our relationship with others IN LIGHT OF our realization of who we are.

True mercy is the result of being poor in spirit, mourning, humble, and hungering and thirsting.

It’s not mercy so that people we see me as mercy, it’s a deep mercy that is the result of me understanding me and understanding God.

God is supremely merciful and so Christians who are called to be reflections of God are to reflect that glorious truth out into the world.

We are to be the image-bearers of God’s mercy.

Notice what Jesus is teaching, mercy flows from an understanding of who I am in light of who God is.

Mercy naturally flows from the heart of the forgiven.