Matthew 9:13
“Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mercy is easier to give, if it’s been received. We all make mistakes and fall short. It’s at those times we need compassion and help. Good parents raise their kids in mercy. It’s ok to fail. It’s part of life and learning. The kids are learning the language of mercy.
A good church teaches mercy. It’s all throughout scripture. David understood it. Jesus gave it. He demonstrated it with the adulterous woman. John 8:10,11 says, “And Jesus, lifting himself up and seeing no one but the woman, said to her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Has no one condemned thee? And she said, No one, sir. And Jesus said to her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” The pharisees were gleeful that they caught her. The rocks were in their hands. She did break the law and was worthy of their punishment, according to their law. Jesus showed them something new. Mercy. “Neither do I condemn you.”
Many of us need to join LA, Legalists Annonymous. We haven’t been shown mercy, thus we don’t know it and don’t give it; the healthy compassion that Jesus gave to a guilty one.
How do we learn mercy? Know that we can’t do it alone. In terms of our standing with God, it’s not possible. We need His forgiveness and help. We also need it in other areas.
Mercy is best learned by being received. Those of us who don’t know it and feel uncomfortable when it’s given. We almost see it as an accusation that we aren’t able to do it ourselves. Therefore we often don’t receive it.
It becomes an unending cycle. We don’t want mercy, because it reminds us that we aren’t able. We don’t welcome it. We give off a hostile vibe that tells everyone, “Don’t even try.” Thus, we aren’t exposed to mercy. If we don’t know it, we never learn to give it.
What does the unmerciful person look like? Scrooge is an easy example. He saw mercy as weakness. In being asked about the poor, he said, “Better to let them die to decrease the surplus population.” He wasn’t shown mercy by his dad. Scrooge is extreme. We tend to dismiss the extremes. We all have some degree lacking mercy. We all need to improve here.
Adult Scrooges are rarely reached. It took a miracle. God can do those. Normally the hearts are hard and closed. It had a sad beginning and a tragic end.
Lord, teach us mercy. Help us not to turn it away, but to become so acquainted with it that we can give it.