6. Merciful

Sessions 6 & 7 Notes Download “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Exodus 34:6 NAB Then Yahweh passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “Yahweh, Yahweh God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth. ESV Yahweh passed before him and proclaimed, “Yahweh, Yahweh, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, Mercy typically signifies the kindness and forgiveness extended to someone, especially when there is the power to punish or harm. It involves a compassionate response to those in need or distress, often highlighting forgiveness and leniency. Compassion is defined as feeling and concern for others that inspires assistance. It describes someone who is empathetic, understanding, and caring towards others’ suffering or misfortune. These concepts are closely aligned and often indistinguishable in the New Testament translations. When the lawyer asked, “Who is my neighbor?”, Jesus’ response provided the more essential information the lawyer needed to know − mercy and compassion. Luke 10:30-37 Compassion and mercy are used here as synonyms. The “seemingly” religious men could not be bothered to help the man in need. They lacked compassion and mercy for the afflicted. A significant indicator that we are not walking with God as we should is when we feel annoyed or imposed upon when faced with helping someone in need. Another gauge is when we are blind or have a hardened heart that prevents us seeing the obvious need someone may have. In such times, self-interest takes precedence over Christ-centeredness, making repentance and seeking God’s help imperative. The merciful Samaritan, the least likely person in their culture, had compassion that required his time, energy, and resources. Jesus lived like the good Samaritan in that he constantly gave of himself to those in need. One of many records in the Gospels tells of a time when for three days Jesus ministered to thousands of people. He did not do “group healings”; rather, he worked with each individual. Can you imagine how exhausted he must have been? Yet, his concern was not for himself but for the people. He said, “I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.” The miracle of the loaves and fishes followed. Apparently, people in Jesus’ day were expecting the Messiah, the son of David, to come with mercy to heal. Matthew 9:27-31 Two blind “have mercy on us son of David” Matthew 15:22-28 The Canaanite women seeking healing for her daughter Matthew 17:14-20 Father with lunatic son Matthew 20:29-34 Two more blind men Mark 10:46-52 Blind Bartimaeus Luke 17:11-19 Ten leprous men Every healing and deliverance Jesus performed was a result of God’s grace and mercy, not the merit of the afflicted. Jesus never asked those seeking his help if they had been good or promised future obedience. Only one of the ten lepers returned. Others whom he told not to tell anyone of their healing ignored his instructions and told everyone. Salvation, healing, and deliverance are not earned or deserved; they are gifts from God. Ephesians 2:1-5 Emphasizes that redemption and salvation come through God’s grace and mercy, not our own works. We are not saved because we are “good boys or girls”, but through faith alone. Jesus healed thousands without demanding sinlessness or any other requirement beyond faith. Luke 6:31-35 The awareness of God’s mercy in our lives is necessary for right living for we are instructed to be merciful as God is merciful. We are to be different, much different than those without Christ. Exodus 34:6; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 103:1-22 Our dealing with others should not be reactions to their actions, but rather reflections of how God has dealt with us. He has been and continues to be merciful to us. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus frequently uses the word “blessed”, derived from the Greek word makarios. This term signifies a profound, enduring joy and contentment that stems from a right relationship with God. In the beatitudes, “blessed” refers to a state of spiritual well-being and divine favor. Things are right when we are merciful to others. Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” James 2:13 states the opposite – “For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy, mercy triumphs over judgment.” Jesus told a parable that explicitly illustrated this point when Peter asked how often he should forgive someone who offends. Matthew 18:23-30 Jesus tells Peter to forgive not just seven times, but seventy times seven, emphasizing that forgiveness should be limitless. He tells a story about a king who forgives a servant’s enormous debt. However, this servant refuses to forgive a small debt owed to him by another servant. When the king learns of the unforgiving servants’ actions, he punishes him severely, highlighting the importance of showing mercy as we have received mercy. 1 Peter 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” The post 6. Merciful first appeared on Living Hope.