Luke 6:36 / ESV
Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
Picture getting ready to pull into that prime parking spot near the entrance of the grocery store when a speedster out of nowhere comes from the opposite direction, swoops in and takes possession of the spot we had been patiently waiting for. Our human nature doesn’t usually tend to offer grace right away, does it? Instead, we replay the scenario over and over and inform anyone who will listen of the wrong that was just done to us. We rehearse imaginary conversations in our mind of how we would let them have it, if given the opportunity, as we continue to grow angrier by the minute.
Now, imagine for a moment that we were on the other side of the wrongdoing. Instead, we were the offender. Our mother was just released from the hospital after barely surviving a life-threatening car accident. She was in excruciating pain and the store’s pharmacy was within minutes of closing. We were still in shock of almost losing her and so focused on making it to the counter in time that we immediately pulled into the first parking spot we saw; ever grateful it was so close to the front of the store.
In the first scenario, we were faced with an opportunity to blindly extend mercy. In scenario number two, we were the one in need of it and not even aware. In neither of these situations did we have the full picture and, as we can see, at any given moment we could find ourselves on either side of mercy’s gift. Sometimes as the giver and sometimes as the receiver.
Mercy: compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender; the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone
Mercy is defined as the compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender; the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone. We are instructed to be merciful even as our Father is merciful, and his mercies are never-ending, new every morning. We don’t always have the luxury of knowing a person’s story from start to finish, but our call to mercy remains. You may ask, “what about the one who doesn’t deserve it?” Do any of us? Christ had the full picture of knowing we would fall short time and again, yet He still chose mercy.
Next time the opportunity arises, may we be quick to remember God’s mercy toward us so that we may be imitators of Christ and offer mercy toward others.
Luke 6:36-37 / ESV
Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven."
Matthew 5:7 / ESV
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Lamentations 3:22-23 / ESV
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Ephesians 2:4-5 / ESV
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
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