13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who hasn’t shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
I wasn’t sure that I understood mercy, regardless of the fact I have heard it in church forever, so I did some research. First, mercy is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.
So divine punishment is without compassion or forgiveness to those that do not have compassion or forgiveness. The Bible gives us so many examples of Jesus showing mercy, but I think this is one of my favorites where Jesus is teaching his disciples in Luke 6:
35 But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
Mercy is Jesus, Mercy is Love!
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us, 5 made us alive with the Messiah even though we were dead in trespasses.
For us to be rich in mercy is to Love our enemies, do what is good and lend, expecting nothing in return. That should be the motto of our life and how we live each day! Let’s show some mercy today!
The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Jas 2:13). (Lk 6:35–36). (Eph 2:4-5). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
