I don’t have it.

Truth is, you don’t either.

Neither of us are merciful.

 

But, you protest, I get my family gifts. I pay the bills. I even help my friends.

 

But, I reply, do you get your enemies gifts? Do you pay their bills? How do you help them?

 

You reply-that is different, I don’t like them.

 

We have a problem. What do we do with the words of Jesus?

He commands us to “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

 

Let's break down the word merciful. Its base word is mercy. I like synonyms. The list for mercy is large. I picked these: compassionate, kindhearted, tender hearted, sympathetic, generous, and lenient.

 

God is merciful to us. He is all of those synonyms and infinitely more in His mercy to us. None of us can be all of these to those around us. God IS…always, forever…merciful.

 

Be merciful.  

Jesus speaks the truth. It is a hard truth for us. Logical-but totally out of our abilities. These are the words of Jesus on mercy:

 

““If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most-High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

Luke 6:32-36

 

Give up?

Know you can't love your enemies?

Don't want to?

Don't feel merciful either?

Realize mercy is not in me, or you.

 

Jesus is the mercy well!

We both know we should be merciful.

Especially now-Jesus commands us to be merciful. Merciful to those who are NOT our friends, not our family…to those who mistreat us, those who hate us…those we consider our enemies.

 

But you and I have 2 problems-we don't want to-and if we did, we are powerless to be merciful...

 

So-Go to the well!

The well of Jesus's mercy never runs dry. It is a sea of mercy...there is no bottom ...there is no far shore!

 

Don't believe it?

Jesus is God's mercy in the flesh.

He is the well of never ending, perfect mercy.

He died because of mercy…look at the cross.

We can ask Him for strength to be merciful to the one or ones we find unlovable.

 

Jesus is willing to give us strength to love...just ask. He has commanded us to be merciful. Realize He has the power to help us be merciful…even when we feel the opposite.

 

Not in us, mercy is found in Him.

Jesus, strengthen us to be merciful.