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Quest for Faith: Compassion in Action

Years ago a small town merchant had identical twin boys. They were so close they dressed alike. It was said that their extraordinary closeness was the reason they never married. When their father died they took over the family business. Their relationship was considered the model of creative collaboration.

Because he was busy, one of the brothers neglected to ring up a sale an absentmindedly left a dollar bill on top of the cash register while he went to the front of the store to wait on a customer. Remembering the dollar, he returned to deposit it only to find the bill was gone. He asked his brother if he had seen it, but the brother said he had not.

An hour later he asked his brother again, but this time with an obvious note of suspicion. He brother became very angry and defensive. Every time they tried to discuss it the conflict grew worse culminating in vicious charges and countercharges. Eventually they dissolved their partnership and built a partition down the middle of the store, and started two separate and competing businesses. For twenty years it continued as an open divisive sore in the community.

One day a car with an out of state license pulled up in front of the stores. A well dressed man entered one brother’s shop and asked how long the store had been there. Learning it had been twenty years, he said, “Then you are the one with whom I must settle an old score.”

“Some twenty years ago I was out of work, drifting from place to place, and I happened to get off a boxcar in your town. I had no money and had not eaten for three days. As I was walking down the alley behind your store, I looked in and saw a dollar bill on top of the cash register. Everyone else was in the front of the store. I had been raised in a Christian home and I had never before in all my life stolen anything, but that morning I was so hungry I took that dollar bill. That act has weighed on my conscience ever since, and I finally decided that I would never be at peace until I came back and faced up to that old sin and make amends. Would you let me now replace that money and pay you whatever is appropriate for damages?”

When the stranger finished his confession, he was amazed to see the old store owner shaking his head in deep sorrow and beginning to weep. Finally the old man gained control and took the gentleman by the arm, asking him to go to the store next door and tell its owner the same story. The stranger complied. Only this time two old men who looked almost identical wept side by side.

Unforgiving, merciless spirits had cost them years of relationship and support for one another. The Sermon on the Mount, R. Kent Hughes (pg. 45)

God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7

For the last four weeks we have been walking together through the teaching of Jesus Christ known as the Sermon on the Mount. This was His entry level teaching for his newly called 12 disciples. He called them up on a mountain and began to teach them about what it would mean to be His followers.

Jesus has been teaching about the passive characteristics of those who are a part of His kingdom. These are:

Poverty of Spirit: We admit our bankruptcy before God. We inherit the kingdom.
Mourning: We mourn sin. (personal, community, global) We are comforted
Meekness: We practice unconscious humility. We inherit the earth.
Hunger and thirst for Righteousness: We pursue the kingdom with intense hunger. We are filled.

In verse 7, He takes a turn in His teaching and moves from teaching passive characteristics to active ones:

Merciful
Pure in Heart
Peacemakers
Persecuted

Today we are going to take a look at what it means to be merciful. Remember we are on a quest for faith. We are on a journey that should lead us to be more like Christ. I am suggesting today that you begin to use these beatitudes in your personal prayer life. Ask God to help you learn to practice His presence.

Jesus said, “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7

Mercy, merciful, and showing mercy are words that every one of us has to deal with. We make decisions every day whether to be merciful or not. The word merciful affects us in our closest relationships as well as those relationships that are most distant. It is a descriptive word that characterizes our choices regarding how we respond to those we love and those who are on the street somewhere trying to survive. It is how you address members of your own family, but it is also how you respond to images of people suffering around the world.

The basic idea of the Greek word translated merciful is “to give help to the wretched, to relieve the miserable.” Being merciful means giving attention to someone in misery. There is a difference between mercy and grace that also needs to be made. Grace is shown to the undeserving but mercy is shown to the miserable. The synonym for mercy is compassion. Mercy exists when something is done to alleviate distress.

1. Mercy is Compassion in Action

Feeling compassion toward someone or some situation should never be mistaken for mercy. Mercy means active goodwill. Being merciful means that we act, we do or we actually engage in the act of showing someone mercy. We’ve all done this haven’t we? I mean who among us has not had a feeling of compassion sweep over them for somebody in need or someone who is going through great challenges yet we somehow let the cares of our own lives keep us from responding or reaching out. Sometimes it is bad time management on our part and sometimes I think we believe that it is enough to just care from a distance.

There are some great biblical teachings about this subject. Take a little time this week to read the book of Hosea in the Old Testament or read Amos 5. In Amos 5, after calling Israel back Himself, (“Come back to me and live”) God lays out these words:

“I hate all your show and pretense—the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies. 22 I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings. I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings. 23 Away with your noisy hymns of praise! I will not listen to the music of your harps. 24 Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living. Amos 5:21-24

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus makes it very clear who is merciful.

36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. 37 The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” Luke 10:36-37

A nineteenth century preacher happened across a friend whose horse had just been accidentally killed. While a crowd of onlookers expressed empty words of sympathy, the preacher stepped forward and said to the loudest sympathizer, “I am sorry one hundred dollars. How much are you sorry?” And then he passed the hat.

We are trying very hard as a church to be a community of compassion.

Chrysostom, an early church leader, stated that mercy imitates God and disappoints the devil. The message of the Bible is clear – if we say that we follow the Almighty, we must emulate Him. Here are six ways that God wants to create a community of compassion.

Fall in love with mercy. Micah 6:8 makes clear that one of God’s requirements is that we are “to love mercy” and to lose ourselves in its exquisite beauty. The Hebrew word is used of a husband’s love for his wife and appears frequently in the Song of Solomon.

Demonstrate mercy. Zechariah 7:9: “…Show mercy and compassion to one another.”

Respond to mercy. Romans 12:1 states that because of God’s mercy, we are to “offer our bodies as living sacrifices.”

Put mercy on. Just as we get dressed each day, so too, Colossians 3:12 says that we are to “clothe ourselves with compassion.”

Ministry must flow from mercy. In 2 Corinthians 4:1, Paul links the mercy he has received to the ministry he has been given: “…since through God’s mercy we have this ministry.”

Default to mercy. In a very strong passage, James 2:13 reminds us that we are to grant mercy to others instead of judgment: “…judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!”

True mercy demands action.

2. Mercy is Forgiving

Being merciful means that we remember when we came to God with our sin and God’s mercy to us, and we understand the weakness of others and practice forgiveness.

Listen, do you know what is happening here? We are trying to grow up. It is time for maturity to kick in. Many of us are like juvenile or adolescent Christ followers and it is time to move on to the next level with God. You see if at any time you stop and settle spiritually you are going to start moving backwards. That is just the way it works. We are in a battle for our souls and for our world.

In his book The Screwtape Letters, C. S. Lewis describes what is like a parable that is ongoing through different episodes of how a Senior Demon, whom he calls Screwtape trains his young and vulnerable apprentice nephew Wormwood how to disrupt, derail and hinder the growth and progress of Christians in their knowledge of the love, grace and mercy of God and His sovereignty. In one of his letters to his nephew Wormwood, Screwtape gives these insights: "A moderated religion is as good for us as no religion at all. ... "You see the idea? Keep his mind off the plain antithesis between True and False. Nice and shadowy expressions---"It was a phase" ---"I’ve been through all that" ---don’t forget the blessed word "Adolescent" (New York: Bantam Books, 1982, p. 27). Deception is the key behind this book and how it strikes true to life in the minds and hearts of men. And Satan is the master of that deception because he is the father of lies (John 8:44).

The mission statement of our church is “Leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.” This whole series is designed to grow everyone of us in this room.

If you are taking these sermons and teachings seriously you are going to feel stretched. The Bible has a way of doing that to people who take it seriously. When it comes to stretching, where more do we probably need to do it then in regards to showing mercy through forgiveness.

There is not a more prolific story of forgiveness in all of the Old Testament then the story of Joseph and his brothers. They hated him for his birth order and being treated like the youngest.

The only reason they didn’t murder him was because as they were about to do it a caravan of travelers came by so they sold him into slavery. Years later, when Joseph had his guilty brothers literally, “at his mercy,” he showed them exactly that. There was compassion as he wept for their misery, and then action as he met their needs. There was forgiveness as he restored them all to his grace, saying, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.” (Gen. 50:20)

Kent Hughes tells about a friend who had been slandered by a colleague. The name of that person came up in conversation and Hughes began to talk in a derogatory manner about the offender. His friend, much to his embarrassment began to defend his slanderer. “Life has been hard for him. . .we have no idea of the pressures he has been under. . .he has done a lot of good things too.” He was practicing compassion and mercy. How beautiful it is.

I read this week of someone who wasn’t very forgiving. Maybe you heard about the Desert Storm soldier who while he was overseas received a Dear John letter from his girlfriend back home in the states. To add insult to injury, she wrote, "Will you please return my favorite photograph of myself-- I need it for my engagement picture in the local newspaper."

The poor guy was devastated, but all the soldiers came to his rescue. They went throughout the entire camp and collected pictures of all the guys’ girlfriends. They filled up an entire shoe box and sent it to the girl along with a note from the guy saying, "Please find your picture, and return the rest,---for the life of me, I can’t remember which one you were!!"

Now that’s a funny story but can you imagine what would happen in our lives, our homes and our workplaces is we truly began to practice the act of mercy? We face an uphill battle because we live in a world that has totally sold us on the idea that life is all about us. We are the most important. Our feelings are the most important all the time. Me, Me, Me, Me, that is all we hear and see from those most people try to emulate.

Forgiveness, is tough and as one has said, Forgiveness is not an elective in the curriculum of servanthood. It is a required course and the examines are always tough to pass.

3. Mercifulness leads to Mercy

The reason the merciful are blessed is that “they will be shown mercy.” The word “they” in this phrase is emphatic: God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7 Other verses in the Bible teach the same idea.

“Judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.” James 2:13

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14,15

Pastor Ray Stedman told the story of some Americans who were stationed in Korea during the Korean War. While there, they rented a home and hired a local boy to cook and clean for them. These Americans were a bunch of jokesters, and they soon began to take advantage of the young boy’s naiveté. They’d smear Vaseline on the stove handles so that when he’d turn the stove on in the morning he’d get grease all over his fingers. They’d put little water buckets over the door so that he’d get deluged when he opened the door. They’d even nail his shoes to the floor during the night. Day after endless day, the little fellow took the brunt of their practical jokes without saying anything. No blame, no self-pity, no temper tantrums.

Finally, the men felt guilty about what they were doing, so they sat down with the young Korean and said, “Look, we know these pranks aren’t funny anymore, and we’re sorry. We’re never gonna take advantage of you again.”

It seemed a bit too good to be true to the houseboy. “No more sticky on the stove?” he asked.
“Nope”
“No more water on door?”
“Nope.”
“No more nail shoes to the floor?”
“Nope, never again.”
“Okay,” the boy said with a smile, “no more spit in soup.”

There are people who have mistakenly interpreted this verse to teach that one can merit God’s mercy by performing acts of mercy. Let me tell you what Jesus was really teaching here regarding receiving mercy. The Beatitude shows that those who are truly God’s children and as such objects of His mercy, will themselves be merciful and will receive mercy in the end. Showing mercy is evidence that we have received mercy.

There are two ways to test this in our life:

A. If we have no mercy toward those who are physically and economically in distress, we are not Christians. We don’t become Christians by showing mercy but we cannot be Christians without showing mercy. Christ followers will love their neighbors as themselves. Remaining passive and calloused about the human need and conditions of those facing great challenges should cause you to take a good long look at yourself in the mirror of the word of God.

17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister[a] in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? 1 John 3:17

B. The second test involves the corresponding aspect of mercy – forgiveness. If we refuse to exercise mercy by extending forgiveness, we are not Christians. We cannot be truly forgiven unless we have forgiving spirits.

We find this in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. He pleaded for mercy on his own debt of 20 million dollars and received it but then went to someone who owed him $2000 and through him into prison.

32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters[a] from your heart.”
Matthew 18:32-35

These are hard, violent and surgical words. But they are mercifully so. The Lord here warns the religious person who attends church, can recite the appropriate answers, leads an outwardly moral life, but holds a death grip on his grudges. Jesus warns the one who will not forgive his relatives or his former business associates regardless of their pleas. He warns the one who nourishes hatreds, cherishes animosities, and otherwise lives in settled malice.

If that is where you find yourself today you need to take stock of your life. Let me be very clear about something. There are circumstances where we may find it really difficult to forgive because of physical or emotional abuse or something like that and yet we have a desire to try to forgive. Forgiveness may take you along time This test and warning is for those who are so hardened that they have no desire to forgive or show mercy.

Luke 18:10-14 is yet another example from Christ about mercy.

Video

Lord Have Mercy- Michael W. Smith (Amy Grant)

Jesus, I've forgotten the words that You have spoken
Promises that burned within my heart have now grown dim
With a doubting heart I follow the paths of earthly wisdom
Forgive me for my unbelief
Renew the fire again

Chorus
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on me

I have built an altar where I worship things of men
I have taken journeys that have drawn me far from You
Now I am returning to Your mercies ever flowing
Pardon my transgressions
Help me love You again

I have longed to know You and Your tender mercies
Like a river of forgiveness ever flowing without end
I bow my heart before You in the goodness of Your presence
Your grace forever shining
Like a beacon in the night



2007/02/18