Thursday, March 5, 2025
The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. Psalm 145:8
Mercy and Compassion
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines mercy as: 1.) compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power; 2.) lenient or compassionate treatment; 3.) imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder; 4.) a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion; 5.) a fortunate circumstance; 6.) compassionate treatment of those in distress.
Some people get mercy and grace mixed up. Mercy is deliverance from the punishment we deserve for our sins. Mercy is deliverance from judgement. Grace is extending kindness and blessings despite that fact that we don’t deserve it. It is kindness extended to the unworthy. They are distinctly different, yet go hand in hand.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our sin, made us alive together with Christ. Ephesians 2:.4-5.
Because of His unfailing love we can know we are forgiven and we can know that He will not turn us away, no matter how many times we fail. He loved us when we were dead in our sin and brought us back to life. This is what gives us the strength to get up again after every fall. This is also what gives us a heart of mercy for others who deserve judgement. How can we know and experience the unfailing love, mercy, and grace of God in our own hearts and not show mercy and grace to others who fail us? If He can give us mercy, then we can surely show His love to another undeserving sinner. As Christians, perhaps our greatest testimony to the world is how we treat those who mistreat us.
God has been clear in His Word about how we are to respond in these situations. Matthew 5:7 says Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. We are to show mercy as we have been shown mercy by God. Knowing his mercy drives compassion in our hearts for others who need mercy. The mercy and compassion of a Christian may be what turns one unbeliever to Christ. Bitterness, resentfulness, and refusing to forgive will hurt you much more than the person you are trying to exact punishment on.
As followers of Jesus, living and loving like Jesus means treating others with compassion and mercy as long as there is no abuse. God never wants us to stay in an abusive relationship. As we walk with Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives us the strength we need to be merciful and compassionate to those who do not deserve it. This display of God's love, mercy, and compassion will be a testimony to that person and others of God's love. The Lord is merciful and compassionate to us and he calls us to extend that mercy and compassion to others.
