Mercy

Doko Ing. Mgr. Jozef Kotulič

Good morning,

Mercy. I find myself saying this word throughout the day. It is a reminder to me and I use it in my regular day speech. “Mercy, child #2, give me a chance to answer you.” Someone will ask me about my day and I say, “Mercy (with a explosive amount of emphasis on the ‘cy’)”.

But what does it mean? Well, Blue Letter Bible has a good definition for us:

Mercy (oiktirmōn)-“compassionate for the ills of others,” a stronger term than No. 1 (akin to A, No. 2), is used twice in Luk 6:36, “merciful” (of the character of God, to be expressed in His people); Jam 5:11, RV, “merciful,” AV, “of tender mercy.”http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G3629&t=NASB

A song that also helps us understand more about mercy:

Laura Story: Blessings

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOOFAaUGfRE

Luke 6..friends, I want to tell you something. I began reading the whole chapter to get the context and was amazed at Jesus’ mercy. Look with me.

6And it occurred on another Sabbath that when He went into the synagogue and taught, a man was present whose right hand was withered.
7And the scribes and the Pharisees kept watching Jesus to see whether He would [actually] heal on the Sabbath, in order that they might get [some ground for] accusation against Him.
8But He was aware all along of their thoughts, and He said to the man with the withered hand, Come and stand here in the midst. And he arose and stood there.
9Then Jesus said to them, I ask you, is it lawful and right on the Sabbath to do good [[a]so that someone derives advantage from it] or to do evil, to save a life [and [b]make a soul safe] or to destroy it?
10Then He glanced around at them all and said to the man, Stretch out your hand! And he did so, and his hand was fully restored [c]like the other one.
11But they were filled with lack of understanding and senseless rage and discussed (consulted) with one another what they might do to Jesus. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%206&version=AMP

To begin, look at verse 6. This is mercy. He went to the synagogue. Why? He knew the Pharisees and scribes would be there. He knew they would try to trap Him. And yet, the compassion for the crowds who needed to hear a word from Jesus, to touch Him, and the man He was to encounter, overwhelmed Him to move.

“He was aware of their thoughts..” Mercy! He loved these men. He loved them from before they were born. He was courageous. He knew the “end game”. He knew what His future entailed and the plot that with every move He made brought Him closer to His death. Yet, the words “come here” boldly rang out.

More examples: Luke 6 (biblegateway.com)

12Now in those days it occurred that He went up into a mountain to pray, and spent the whole night in prayer to God.
17And Jesus came down with them and took His stand on a level spot, with a great crowd of His disciples and a vast throng of people from all over Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to listen to Him and to be cured of their diseases–
18Even those who were disturbed and troubled with unclean spirits, and they were being healed [also].
19And all the multitude were seeking to touch Him, for healing power was all the while going forth from Him and curing them all [[d]saving them from severe illnesses or calamities]

This is mercy and when I look at this passage, I think of this picture.

Simone Marchi

🙂 First, the sunlight streaming through the clouds reminds me of where Jesus received His power. He spent an entire night praying and the next day, He called His disciples..He taught the famous Sermon on the Mount (which is where our verses are located today). And when Jesus came down the mountain, He didn’t just come down the mountain, He burst forth! Like a geyser! (A stretch? 😉 ) Yet, seriously, “healing power was all the while going forth from Him”! Look at the people in the picture..you think they are getting wet? And when those crowds surrounded Him..”seeking to touch Him..” They craved Him!

Mighty to Save: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYqogpLpC5Q&feature=related

Woohoo!! Mighty to Save!

Final passage: Luke 6 (biblegateway.com)

35But love your enemies and be kind and do good [doing favors [z]so that someone derives benefit from them] and lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return but [aa]considering nothing as lost and despairing of no one; and then your recompense (your reward) will be great (rich, strong, intense, and abundant), and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind and charitable and good to the ungrateful and the selfish and wicked.
36So be merciful (sympathetic, tender, responsive, and compassionate) even as your Father is [all these].
37Judge not [neither pronouncing judgment nor subjecting to censure], and you will not be judged; do not condemn and pronounce guilty, and you will not be condemned and pronounced guilty; acquit and forgive and [ab]release (give up resentment, let it drop), and you will be acquitted and forgiven and [ac]released.
38Give, and [gifts] will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will they pour [ad]into [the pouch formed by] the bosom [of your robe and used as a bag]. For with the measure you deal out [with the measure you use when you confer benefits on others], it will be measured back to you.

Sympathetic, tender, responsive, compassionate..that my Jesus! And He calls us to not just hold onto that mercy, but have it burst forth on those around us. “Love your enemies. Be kind. Lend, expecting and hoping for nothing in return! ”

May you be blessed and be a blessing to all those around you. And in your prayers for your family, spouse and yourself, Bless the Lord…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEslwaKnOTE&feature=fvwrel

Pray on!
Cara Bruinius