Amen. You may be seated, kids. You are dismissed to your King's Kids classes.
And if I would invite you to open up to your Bibles to Matthew, chapter 5.
We've been making our way through the Beatitudes, the very beginning of Jesus' Kingdom Manifesto.
So, I'm going to read Matthew 5, 1 through 10.
Seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and when He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying,
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
And may God bless the hearing of His word.
One of the things that I've been trying to draw to your attention as we've been making our way through the Beatitudes
is the purposeful sequence to the Beatitudes.
It's not just thrown together.
It's purposeful.
And this fifth Beatitude that we're in, blessed are the merciful, represents a development in that sequence.
And so, the first Beatitude, blessed are the poor in spirit,
we're being told we need to declare spiritual bankruptcy before God.
Blessed are those who mourn.
Not only are we to declare spiritual bankruptcy,
but we are to have this godly grief over our sin against God.
Blessed are the meek.
When we see ourselves as God sees us, it is humbling.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.
Caleb, thank you so much for preaching last week on this.
This exceeding righteousness.
This inward righteousness.
This beautiful and refreshing righteousness.
Not only for our own souls, but beginning for the souls around us.
And now we come to the fifth Beatitude.
Blessed are the merciful.
And what Jesus is getting at is our posture of heart towards those in need around us.
So let me ask you a question.
What is your typical response when you encounter a person in need?
Maybe it's a material need for money, for transportation, food, clothing.
Or maybe it's an emotional need.
Someone is emotional, in emotional distress.
Maybe it's a relational need.
You encounter someone who is in a strained relationship with someone else.
What's your response?
Spiritual needs.
Is your typical response one of a tenderness of heart?
Or hardness of heart?
One that says, oh man.
I know I've been there.
Or more pharisaical.
Mmm.
Sorry, buddy.
John Stott, in his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount.
He defines mercy as compassion for people in need.
But if you're a fan of Boston, the band,
you know that compassion is more than a feeling.
No.
It's compassion in action towards people in need.
Mercy isn't just feeling bad for people in need.
It's doing something about it.
It's moving towards them.
So mercy is compassion in action for people in need.
And it requires a tenderness of heart.
It doesn't mean you look past people's sin or hardships
or what people have contributed to their own difficulty.
But it does mean tenderly trying to help them in their need.
Do you know what gets in the way
of us extending mercy to people in our lives that are in need?
Not the people in need.
It's us.
We've got a problem in our hearts.
If you regularly experience impatience with people in need,
frustration with people in need,
avoidance of people in need,
maybe you are disgusted by people in need.
Maybe there's an unwillingness in you to be inconvenienced
to help people in need.
Do you know what you need to hear?
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall receive mercy.
I'm going to make a case this morning
that's aimed at your heart.
I'm not going to go into,
here are some practical steps
of how to help people in need without hurting them.
There's this very helpful kind of book.
It's called Helping Without Hurting.
It's how we mercifully and wisely meet people in their needs.
I'm not going after that this morning.
What Jesus' words is giving us an opportunity
is to tend to our hearts.
So here's what I'm going to argue.
I want to convince you of it.
The tender mercy of God tenderizes our hearts
towards those in need.
You need the mercy of God to be merciful to others.
I'm going to make this in four points.
First is this.
We're going to look at mercy personified,
mercy incarnate.
Then we're going to look at his mercy people,
mercy's pathway,
and then the mercy that's promised.
So let's dig in.
Mercy personified.
Steve opened to the service this morning
in Exodus 34, 6 and 7.
God reveals himself to Moses,
the Lord, the Lord, merciful and gracious.
The first thing God says about himself to Moses
is, hey, I'm merciful.
Now he's just and holy and righteous.
I mean, we're going to see in a little bit
he's the judge,
but he's full of mercy,
merciful and gracious.
It might make you wonder,
what's the difference between mercy and grace?
Both God's mercy and God's grace
are ways God expresses his love for people in need.
But as I was reading this week
and preparing for the sermon,
I came across this distinction
that I thought was helpful.
I think it will help you.
It's not necessarily airtight,
but you'll get the point.
God's grace is God's loving pardon
to people in their sin.
It forgives our sin.
It pours out God's wrath on Christ
for those who believe
and imputes Christ's righteousness
on those who believe.
It deals with pardon for our sin.
God's mercy is his loving relief
of people in the misery
of experiencing sin's effects.
Whether their own sin
or the sin of others
or being in a fallen world.
Mercy is God's compassion
in action towards those in need.
I want you to see it
in the person of Jesus.
When you look at the Gospels,
your Gospels are just so full
of your merciful King's heart
towards those in need.
It's just packed with it.
So I picked four passages
in which people actually ask Jesus for mercy.
I just want you to see how he responds.
In Matthew chapter 10,
there are these two blind guys
and they cry out to Jesus,
have mercy on us, son of David.
Son of David is the title of the king.
I mean, Jesus is Joseph's son,
but he's David's greater son,
the king.
What does Jesus do?
He goes into their house,
he asks them some questions,
and then he opens their eyes.
What's the need?
They can't see.
What's the mercy?
He causes them to see.
Mercy.
The next example I want you to see
is in Matthew 15.
Jesus is now not in Israel,
he's in Tyre and Sidon,
which is Gentile territory,
and he walks into a woman's house
and she's a Canaanite woman.
And in verse 22,
she says,
Have mercy on me,
O Lord, son of David.
She acknowledges him
as the son of David.
And then she says,
My daughter is severely oppressed
by a demon.
The need?
Her daughter is being oppressed
by a demon.
Jesus hears it.
And what does Jesus do?
He heals the daughter
of the demon.
Do you know why?
Because he's full of mercy.
In Matthew 17,
there's a guy,
he comes up to Jesus,
Lord, have mercy on my son,
for he has seizures
and he suffers terribly,
for often he falls in the fire
and often into the water.
Jesus' disciples couldn't do anything,
so Jesus did something about it.
He cries out for mercy.
The need is his son.
This demon is just oppressing him.
And what does Jesus do?
He heals him.
Matthew 20,
two more dudes,
blind guys,
outside of Jericho.
Lord, have mercy on us,
son of David.
You picking up on the theme?
This king,
and what does Jesus do?
He sees the need,
he has pity,
he gives them sight.
Do you know what this means?
I mean,
we haven't even talked about
the woman
who has 12 years of bleeding
who comes up behind Jesus,
touches him,
and she's healed.
Mercy!
We even even talk about
Jesus showing up
at a wedding.
His mom says,
hey,
we're short on wine.
Jesus!
And in his mercy,
he makes water into wine.
How about that?
Our Jesus,
the son of David,
is full of mercy.
Again,
and again,
people in need
come to him,
and they cry out for mercy,
and he gives it to them.
He's tender.
He welcomes the needy.
He moves towards the needy.
There's his ministry,
and then there's his cross.
Theologians talk about the cross
as the place where justice
and mercy meet.
God's just wrath
met by God's mercy,
giving salvation
to all who believe.
You know,
it's at the cross
of Jesus Christ
that he addresses
and relieves
our greatest need
as human beings
on the planet
to be relieved
from sin's penalty
and power
and one day
sin's very presence.
So we see this
merciful king
being tender
in his mercy,
in his ministry,
two people,
and then on the cross,
and then there's
the throne.
Jesus died.
He was buried.
He was raised,
and he ascended
into heaven
where he's at the
right hand of God
seated on the throne,
and we learn
from Hebrews,
he,
Jesus,
is our merciful
high priest
who can identify
and sympathize
with us
in every way,
and he's like,
come to the throne
of grace,
come to the throne
of mercy
in your need.
Come find mercy.
So,
brothers and sisters,
when you hear
these words,
blessed
are the merciful,
people,
they're coming
from the lips
of mercy
incarnate,
the king
who's full
of mercy,
compassion
and action
towards those
in need,
and his ministry
on earth,
on his cross,
and on his throne.
is he begrudging
in his mercy?
No.
He's tender,
eager to show mercy.
Does that not
tenderize your heart?
That,
that he would be
that way to you
and your need?
Does that not just,
I don't deserve that.
Is anyone
in the room
in need?
Material need?
Emotional need?
Relational need?
Spiritual need?
Take your cue.
Son of David,
have mercy
on me.
He's not going
to begrudge you mercy.
mercy.
Jesus is mercy
personified,
mercy incarnate,
and we,
his people,
are a mercy people.
So we move
from mercy personified
to mercy people.
Blessed are
the merciful.
And let me just
remind you of
how Jesus
frames the Beatitudes.
In 5.3,
he says this,
blessed are
the poor in spirit.
Then comes the promise,
for theirs
is the kingdom
of heaven.
Now,
if you declare
spiritual poverty
to Jesus,
he brings you
into the kingdom.
And then in verse 10,
blessed are those
who are persecuted
for righteousness' sake,
for theirs
is the kingdom
of heaven.
You suffer for Jesus,
it's just evidence
that you're in the kingdom.
kingdom.
So,
the first
and the last
of the Beatitudes,
this character profile
of a citizen
of the kingdom,
it's now kingdom.
It's being brought
into his kingdom
now.
These
mercy people,
blessed are the merciful,
these are people
who have been brought
into the kingdom.
kingdom.
These are people
who have already
experienced
the mercy of God.
They've already been
delivered from the
domain of darkness
and by God's grace
and mercy
transferred into
the kingdom
of the beloved son.
Every Christian
is to be characterized
by all eight
of these Beatitudes.
It's who we are
now that we've been
made new,
given new hearts,
given new desires,
given a new purpose.
Our Father
who art in heaven
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done.
May we show mercy.
This people,
this merciful people,
this blessed people,
they've already
been shown mercy.
Listen to how Peter
says in 1 Peter
chapter 2.
And mind you,
he's writing to
church of Gentiles
and Jews.
He says,
but you are a chosen race,
a royal priesthood,
a holy nation,
a people for his own
possession,
that you may proclaim
the excellencies
of him who called you
out of darkness
into his marvelous light.
Once you were not
a people,
but now you are
God's people.
Once you had
not received mercy,
but now you have
received mercy.
Do you know why
we are to be merciful?
Because we've been
received mercy.
We've been
mercied.
Brothers,
sister,
God has
mercifully
helped you
with your
greatest need
of all
to be reconciled
to him,
to be rescued
from your sin.
And because
we are a people
of God's mercy,
we are to show
mercy
to others
because of God's
tender mercy
towards us,
us in need,
and we're still needy,
so we are to
be tender
towards others
in need.
Now I can imagine
someone in the room
saying,
time out.
Whoa,
time out,
Salvati!
We're all busy people.
There will always
be people in need.
Is showing mercy
really that important?
Would you turn
in your Bible
to Matthew
chapter 25?
It's one of my
favorite sounds
in the world
right there.
In Matthew
25,
31,
Jesus is talking
about what happens
when he comes
back.
Listen to what
he says,
and then be
listening
for the
concrete
data point
of his
judgment
at the
end
of time.
When the
Son of Man
comes in
his glory
and all
the angels
with him,
then he will
sit on his
glorious throne.
Before him
will be gathered
all the
nations,
and he will
separate
people one
from another
as shepherd
separates the
sheep from
the goats.
That's talking
about the
judgment.
And he
will place
the sheep
on his
right,
but the
goats on
the left.
So all of
humanity
separated at
this point
in time,
at the throne
by Jesus.
Then the
king will say
to those on
his right,
come,
you are
blessed by
my father,
blessed by
my father.
Inherit the
kingdom prepared
for you from
the foundation
of the world.
Lord.
And then it
gets personal.
For I was
hungry and
you gave me
food.
I was thirsty
and you
gave me
drink.
I was a
stranger and
you welcomed
me.
I was naked
and you
clothed me.
I was sick
and you
visited me.
I was in
prison and
you came
to me.
Then the
righteous will
answer him
saying,
whoa,
Lord,
when did we
see you hungry
and feed you
or thirsty
and give you
drink?
And when did
we see you
a stranger
and welcome
you or naked
and clothe
you?
And when
did we see
you sick
or in
prison and
visit you?
And then the
king will
answer them,
the king of
mercy.
Truly I
say to you,
as you did
it to one
of these
least,
one of the
least of
these my
brothers,
these sheep
on my
right,
one of the
least,
one of the
most needy
and vulnerable
as you did
to them,
you did to
me.
Is it
important?
It shows
up at the
judgment.
whether you
show mercy
or not
is the
stuff,
the evidence
that demonstrates
you've been
transferred from
the kingdom of
darkness into
the kingdom of
the beloved
son.
There's no
arguing it.
It's
undeniable
proof of
conversion.
In
Matthew
7,
this is at
the end of
the sermon
on the
mount.
In verse
21,
Jesus
says something
similar.
Not everyone
who says to
me,
Lord,
will enter
the kingdom
of heaven,
but the
one who
does the
will of
my
father,
who is
in heaven.
On that
day,
what we
just read,
on that
day,
many will
say to
me,
Lord,
did we
not prophesy
in your
name,
and cast
out demons
in your
name,
and do
many mighty
works in
your name,
and then I
will declare
to them,
I never
knew you,
depart from
me,
you workers
of lawlessness.
You know
what?
You know
what Jesus
is looking
for?
Mercy,
not sacrifice.
Mercy,
not big
shows of
spirituality.
He's looking
for mercy.
You showing
mercy to
people in
need,
just as he
showed you
mercy in
your need.
Blessed are
the merciful.
He has
shown us
mercy.
The tender
mercy of
God is
to tenderize
our hearts
to those
in need.
It is
proof positive
you're in the
kingdom,
and if it's
not there,
the question
is,
are you in
the kingdom?
I don't know
about you,
but this
kind of
tender
mercy,
boy,
it tenderizes
me.
mercy.
That's
mercy,
people.
Those who
have been
shown mercy,
they're
blessed.
But maybe
you're sitting
in your pew
saying,
gulp.
I'm not
sure if I'm
seeing the
mercy that
Jesus is
talking about.
Maybe
some of
you are
getting a
nervous.
I want
to help
you right
now in
talking about
mercy's
pathway.
Because
mercy
flows
down and
out
from the
throne in
heaven down
to earth
and out to
people in
need.
there's
this flow,
but it
gets
dammed
up.
There's
this
principle
throughout
your
Bible.
It's a
cause and
effect
principle.
And we
see it
in a
passage like
1 John.
1 John 4.
You don't need to
turn there.
I'll turn there
and read it
for you.
In 1 John 4,
we read
this.
Listen for the
cause and
effect.
Do you
see the
cause and
effect?
God loves
us.
We love
others.
Vertical
horizontal.
We see it
in John 13
in the
new commandment.
A new
commandment I
give to you,
that you
love one
another.
Just as I
have loved
you, you
are to
love one
another.
And by
this, all
people will
know that
you're my
disciples.
Jesus is
the great
example and
source of
our love
for one
another.
He loves
us.
We love
one another.
Mercy
flows along
the same
route.
Because
mercy is
actually a
demonstration
of love.
It's an
exercise of
love to
other people,
those in
need.
So God
has mercy
on us,
and we
have mercy
towards
others.
Imagine
you are in
a, you
own a
cabin in
Colorado,
and I'm
going to make
up the mountain
you're next to.
it's called
mercy peak.
And mercy
peak, it's
topped, it's
capped with
snow, it's
snow melt, runs
down this
mountainous stream
called
mercy stream.
And mercy
stream flows
into, next to
your cabin,
mercy lake.
It's pristine
waters, it's
snow melt.
Every morning you
drink it up and
you drink out
of it.
It just gives
you life.
And then what
you do is you're
like, oh this is
so good.
You get buckets
of it and you
carry it over to
your neighbors so
that everybody
drinks from
mercy lake.
And everybody's
like, yes, we
love the water
of mercy lake.
Well one morning
you wake up and
you walk outside
and your mercy
lake is a mud
puddle.
So you pull out
your binoculars.
Okay, there's
still snow on
Mercy Peak.
Oh yep, I can,
yep, there's some
kind of snow run
off.
I see it, yep,
yep, yep, yep,
yep.
I'm following it
down.
Oh, oh, there's a
problem.
Huh.
About 400 yards
up there's been
this dam of
stumps, of
brush, of
rocks.
There's this
sticks, trees,
and they have
formed this dam
and it's blocking
Mercy Stream from
running.
Do you know what
you're going to
need to do?
You're going to
get your hiking
boots on.
You're going to
go up there and
you're going to
dismantle the
dam so that
mercy flows.
Do you know
where I'm going?
If you find
yourself impatient,
frustrated,
avoiding,
disgusted,
unwilling to be
inconvenienced for
people in need,
you've got a dam
on your mercy
stream, on God's
mercy.
It's in you.
It's in your
heart.
And the way that
you dismantle that
dam is by
confession of the
sin, that allows
mercy to flow and
you need mercy
first and foremost
for yourself.
You need a drink
of that lake.
You need mercy.
So let me press
into that.
this dismantling of
the dam that
backs up mercy to
you and to
others.
Well, you've
got to remove the
sticks of
impatience.
Oh God, forgive
me.
Son of David, have
mercy on me.
I see my
impatience again.
Forgive me.
There's the brush
of busyness.
business.
I was in New
York City recently
and I love to
ride the subway.
But the subway
would shoot through
these like subway
stations at 900
miles an hour.
And you're like
looking out the
window and you're
going so fast,
people on the
subway station
platform are just
a blur.
For many of us,
we're living life
so busy, we're
flying by people
in need.
We've got to
dismantle the
brush of busyness.
We've got to
slow down.
There's a pile up
of the stumps
of grudges.
Maybe you've
tried to help
somebody.
Maybe they've
bitten you.
Maybe they've
gotten mad at
you.
Maybe they're
like, I want to
be helped this
way.
And it's like,
I'm not putting
myself up against
that again.
You need
mercy.
That's backing
up the flow.
Oh God, have
mercy on me for
holding a grudge
against this
person I'm
trying to help
and they're just
not letting me
help them the
way I want to
help them.
The rocks of
the unwillingness
to be
inconvenienced.
Maybe it
shows up like
this.
You encounter
someone in
need and
you're like,
that's above
my pay grade.
Pastor!
No.
You're not
above that.
That's not
above you.
It's not
beyond you.
Our Lord Jesus
wants mercy,
not avoidance,
engaging people,
moving towards
people.
There's another
area that's a
little delicate.
Our
affluence.
Listen to
1 Timothy 6.
As for the
rich in this
present age,
charge them
not to be
haughty,
to think that
they're better,
to separate
themselves,
to not be
willing to get
their hands
dirty,
nor to set
their hopes
on the
uncertainty of
riches,
but on God
who richly
provides us
with everything
to enjoy.
They are to
do good,
to be rich
in good works,
rich in mercy.
To be
generous and
ready to
share,
thus storing up
treasures for
themselves as
a good foundation
for the future,
so that they
may take hold
of that which
is truly life.
Yes,
even our
affluence
can be a
dam to
the flow of
God's mercy.
Oh,
Lord,
have mercy on
me for
seeing,
for allowing
my wealth
to get in
the way of
helping people
in need.
this is what's
going to take
for us to
dismantle
these dams.
What it
gets at
is our
ongoing need
for mercy.
Ironically,
there is
mercy
to help you
dismantle
your dam.
And then
there is
mercy
that meets
you when
you are
like,
oh,
this is
bad.
Mercy!
Oh,
I don't
like this
attitude.
God,
that must
agree with you.
Mercy!
Mercy,
mercy,
mercy me.
mercy.
I don't
know about
you,
but when
I see
these things
in myself,
son of
David,
have mercy
on me.
Have mercy
on me
for my
merciless
heart,
for a
lack of
tenderness
towards
these people
in need.
Could it
be,
brothers,
the reason
why
there's not
more mercy
is because
of our
sin?
Brothers
and sisters,
blessed are
the merciful.
Aren't you
glad to know
God's mercy
is more?
God,
mercy is
bigger than
my heart.
Mercy has
a pathway,
down and
out,
and God
wants to
adjust your
heart to
use you
to extending
mercy,
bringing
buckets of
water to
people in
need.
So now
let's look at
this mercy
promised.
This
beatitude
is broken
into two
parts.
It's like
the rest
of the
beatitudes.
There is
this
character
trait,
merciful,
blessed,
it's of
God,
it's a
result of
God's
grace,
and then
there's a
promise.
And in
this case,
it's a
future
promise.
Blessed
are the
merciful,
for they
shall receive
mercy.
Now that
might sound a
little confusing
to some
of you.
Because it
may sound
like Jesus
is making
future mercy
conditional on
your present
mercy shown.
It can sound
something like
this,
if you show
mercy now,
then I will
show you
mercy then.
it can sound
like God
will show
us future
mercy
depending on
our show
of present
mercy to
others.
It sounds
conditional.
Is it?
No.
Jesus isn't
saying that.
If Jesus were
saying that,
we'd have to
throw out our
New Testament.
it.
Jesus is
saying something
else.
Because
salvation,
our salvation,
is not by
works.
Our salvation
is not
conditioned on
our obedience,
on our
obedient show
of mercy.
Our salvation
depends solely
on God's
grace and
mercy.
So,
so if it's
not that,
what is
Jesus saying?
Well,
remember who
he's talking
to.
That these
citizens of
heaven are
people who've
already been
brought into
the kingdom
of the
beloved son.
Remember,
theirs is the
kingdom of
heaven.
That's what
bookends this
group of
people.
These people
have been
shown mercy.
These,
these blessed
ones,
they've been
shown mercy.
First Peter
2, 9, and
10.
These blessed
kingdom citizens
are being
shown mercy.
They have a
merciful high
priest who
pours out
mercy from
his throne.
And they
will be
shown mercy
at the
judgment.
Do you
remember the
response of
the people
on the right
hand of
Jesus, the
king in
Matthew 25?
They're like,
what?
When did we
show you
mercy,
king?
all along?
When you're
showing mercy
to the
least of
these of
mine that
I paid
for?
Listen up.
If you're in
the kingdom,
the judgment
throne is a
mercy throne.
The judgment
throne is a
mercy throne.
Jesus is not
making a
future mercy
conditioned on
our present
obedience.
This is
future mercy
promised to
present kingdom
citizens, those
already who've
been brought
into the
kingdom.
And now
proof positive
of their
citizenship is
they show
mercy, just
as their
king has
shown them
mercy.
You know
what that
makes a
weekend say?
Light of
the judgment?
Son of
David, you
will show
mercy to
me on
that day.
There is
therefore now
no condemnation
for those who
are in
Christ Jesus.
There is
mercy.
Do I have
an amen?
Amen?
mercy awaits
brothers and
sisters.
And I
don't know
about you,
but that
mercy to
come tenderizes
me to show
mercy now.
Mercy
personified.
The one
speaking this
beatitude is
mercy incarnate.
His
ministry is
cross his
throne.
mercy people.
We've been
mercied.
We've been
brought into
the kingdom
by his
mercy.
We once
were not
shown mercy,
now we
have been
shown mercy.
There's this
mercy pathway.
It flows
down and
out.
And maybe
you've got
some work
this afternoon
to confess
and dismantle
some of the
things blocking
the flow of
mercy to you
and others.
Mercy
promised.
Mercy
awaits.
We look
forward to
that day.
Now you may
be asking this
question,
maybe you've
been asking
it all
along.
Who do I
show mercy
to?
And I'm
going to
close by
reading another
parable of
Jesus where he
answers that
question.
said to him,
and behold,
a lawyer stood
up to put him
to the test,
saying,
what shall I do to inherit
eternal life?
He said to him,
what is written in the law?
How do you read it?
And the lawyer answered,
you shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your
strength and with all your mind
and your neighbor as yourself.
And Jesus said to him,
you have answered correctly.
Do this and you will live.
But he, the lawyer,
desiring to justify himself,
said to Jesus,
and who is my neighbor?
Jesus replied,
a man was going down
from Jerusalem to Jericho
and he fell among robbers
who stripped him
and beat him
and departed,
leaving him half dead.
Now by chance,
a Jewish priest
was going down
that road
and when he saw him,
he passed by
on the other side,
maybe saying,
I need to get to this
prayer meeting.
So likewise,
a Jewish Levite,
when he came to the place
and saw him,
passed by on the other side.
I've got kingdom work to do.
But a Samaritan,
as he journeyed,
came to where he was
and when he saw him,
he had compassion.
He went to him
and bound up his wounds,
pouring on oil and wine.
Then he sent him
on his own animal
and brought him to an inn
and took care of him.
And the next day,
he took out two denarii
and gave them to the innkeeper,
saying,
Take care of him
and whatever more you spend,
I will repay you
when I come back.
Jesus then said,
Which of these three
do you think,
Mr. Lawyer,
proved to be a neighbor
to the man
who fell among the robbers?
And the lawyer said,
The one who showed mercy.
And Jesus said to him,
You go and do likewise.
Brothers and sisters,
the kingdom of heaven has come.
We've been mercied.
Now let's go and do likewise.
Let's go with the flow
and let's show mercy
as those who've been tenderized
by the very mercy of God.
And you know what's going to happen?
It's going to distinguish us
from the rest of the world
who is merciless.
Let's pray.
God in heaven,
we are a people
in need of your mercy
every day.
Forgive us
for allowing other things
to get in the way
of us seeing our need
and drinking deep
from your flow
of mercy to us.
Oh, we're so grateful
that we can come
to your throne of mercy
and find mercy
in time of need.
We thank you, Jesus,
that you see us
as we are.
Lord, would you use us?
Would you help us
to see people in need
with eyes of mercy,
tender,
helpful,
humble,
and pray this
in Jesus' name?
Amen.