Mercy

Matthew 9:9-12

New International Version (NIV)

 ⁹ As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,”he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

 ¹⁰ While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 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.” (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%209:%209%20-%2013&version=NIV)

Have you ever thought that maybe you were just a little bit better than the other guy?  Have you ever been frustrated by those who never seem to be able to make it on their own?  Do you ever feel like you might just be an enabler rather than a helper?  Do you ever feel used?  These are all valid questions in today’s society just as in the time of Christ.   There are and were people who seem to not quite live up to the society’s standards.  How are we to respond?  I believe that Jesus makes it very clear in today’s passage that we should show mercy to those who have less than we do.  We can’t do that if we don’t first understand what mercy is and be a receiver of that mercy. 

Mercy . . .let’s look at Webster’s definitions:

“Definition of MERCY

1a : compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power; also : lenient or compassionate treatment <begged for mercy>b : imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder

2a : a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion b : a fortunate circumstance <it was a mercy they found her before she froze>

3: compassionate treatment of those in distress <works of mercy among the poor>” (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mercy)

I heard it said that there has been a lot of talk lately regarding “paying it forward” but someone said you first need to receive in order to be able to “pay it forward.”  I believe that is the way it is in our Christian walk as well.  If we have never received mercy, how could we possibly give mercy? 

Mercy was granted to each and every one of us on the cross.  No one of us deserves to go to Heaven and commune with our Lord.  Each one of us is regarded a sinner as none of us has lived a perfect life.  Jesus is the only one who lived on this earth in a human body who was without sin.  There are not many of us of Jewish decent and probably none reading this blog so even if it were works that would get us to Heaven we would be a lost cause without Christ.  Yet so often it is easy for us to judge others.  It is so easy for us to point the finger. It is so easy for us to think that others are not worthy of our love and mercy which in essence is saying that they are not worthy of God’s love.  It is so very wrong to think that we are more important than others just because our life seems to be going as planned.  Just because we were brought up in a Christian home, never did drugs, and never even smoked.  Even if we went to church everyday of the year and spent most of our days on our knees and studying the word, it would be for naught if it had not been for our Lord Jesus Christ who showed us mercy.

He did not come for the righteous person but for the one that could and would admit they were sinners.  Those who think they can do it on their own are the ones that will lose out.  Those who think they are better than the next person sitting by them in the church pew, may too lose out.

I don’t know a lot about my ancestors but I do know that my granddad who became a pastor and led many to the Lord was not always a good guy.  It was because of the mercy of Jesus Christ and the mercy of those who guided him, that his life was changed forever. 

As you seek Him and find Him I pray that you will humble yourself to Him and receive His mercy.  Once you have received His mercy I trust that you will also go out and show His mercy to others, not the rich and the famous but those who are broken hearted and in the prison of sin.

Seeking Him with all my heart,

Sheila