Today’s reading from The One Year Bible:
The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” – Luke 10:37
When I went to elementary school, we had something called “Show and Tell.” It’s simple – you bring something random with you, show everybody what it is, and tell them about it.
Mercy is kind of like that. It can’t be just talked about… it has to be shown, too! In our Bible reading today, we see Jesus telling a man about the Good Samaritan. “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy!”
What is mercy? How can you show mercy, unless you know what mercy is? Mercy is kindness beyond what can be claimed or expected. Mercy isn’t pity; it’s power working for you!
Mercy can be exercised only where there is guilt! It is a pardon for the crimes of the guilty. Will you pause right now and think about how God has shown mercy to you? See Jesus on the cross—the One without guilt being treated like the guilty. He took your guilt and mine. He was utterly despised so you could be accepted. And He was absolutely hated so you could be loved supremely.
Understanding God’s mercy
Understanding God’s mercy toward us, and the mercy He calls us to extend to others, is hard to wrap our minds around. After all, we learn early on things like: “No pain, no gain; You get what you work for; If you perform well, you get the rewards.” But grace and mercy step in and mess all that up.
God’s mercy is extended to you not because your character is so good,
but on the basis of His Character!
Before you move on, slow down long enough to see Jesus on the cross for you. See mercy being shown to you. Now, thank Him.
Pastor Kevin
