“Sin is easier to write about than grace, I suppose, because the territory is so familiar and because, too, it is of the nature of grace, when we receive it, to turn our eyes not inward, where most often writers’ eyes turn, but outward, where there is a whole world of needs to serve far greater than the need simply for another book. I was too occupied with my job to think much about the next novel I myself might write, but it occurred to me that, if and when the time ever came, it would be the presence of God rather than his absence that I would write about, of death and dark and despair as not the last reality but only the next to the last.” (Buechner, Frederick. Listening to Your Life. HarperOne. Kindle Edition.)

The Greek word for mercy is “Eleos” and it is understood as “kindness or good will toward the miserable and afflicted, joined with a desire to relieve them.”  How important is mercy to Jesus? We know in the beatitudes Jesus proclaims “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7) And the prophet Hosea declares the Lord’s intent: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgement of G-d rather than burnt offerings”. (Hosea 6:6).  

G-d wants us to show our love for G-d in how we express our feelings of affection toward each other, especially in showing mercy to those who are afflicted and in need of reprieve. Or in other words, G-d does not want a people who do their religious duties but refuse to be merciful to those who most need mercy.

The Pharisees were a group where Jesus saw just such a dichotomy. They were perfectly religious but they lacked the mercy to love the unlovable.  Their lives seemed to be a mechanical implementation of rules. Something huge was at stake here. But they could not see it or feel it. They were enslaved to the trivial issues of a ceremonial faith while believing others were the ones who did not understand what G-d desired. 

Not everyone will possess the gift of mercy to the same degree, but a heart for mercy is something that needs exercising. Remember, if Jesus said “Blessed are the merciful…” then we should seek to be merciful through our actions and our conversations.

Pastor Dave