### **Introduction**
Video Ill.: Sermon Bumper - Shortened Music Lyric Video - Less Like Me by Zach Williams
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hawc0emHq8c
Last week we began our series Less Like Me: More Like Jesus, based on the song Less Like Me by Zach Williams. We talked about humility—how John the Baptist said, “He, that is Jesus, must increase, but I must decrease.”
Today, we turn to another theme that rises right out of the lyrics of Zach Williams’ song: mercy.
YOU NEED MERCY!!
By Dr. Larry Petton
Copied from Sermon Central
One day, a woman who occasionally walked through the park after work, stopped to have her picture taken by a photographer. She was very excited to see the photo, but when she looked at it, her face dropped. She turned to the photographer and stated rather sharply, “This is not right! This is not right! You have done me no justice!”
The man looked at the picture and then looked at her and said, “Ma'm, to be honest, you don’t need justice……what you need is mercy!”
Don’t we all need a little more mercy in our world today?
As the song says, we, as children of God, need to be “a little more like mercy, a little more like grace…”
But this world does not always show mercy. We live in a world quick to judge, quick to criticize, quick to turn away from those in need.
Passerby’s Show No Mercy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Wang_Yue
In fact, in October 2011, the world was shocked by a story out of China. A two-year-old girl named Wang Yue wandered onto a busy street and was tragically struck by a van. As she lay injured and unconscious, at least 18 passers-by simply walked past—they did nothing to help. Only after several minutes did a nearby trash collector stop to assist and get her to a hospital. Tragically, Little Yue Yue died eight days later.
It is a heartbreaking picture of a world without mercy. A world where too often, we pass by on the other side.
But Jesus calls us to something better. He calls us to live less like me—less self-focused, less indifferent—and more like Him, showing mercy in action.
Jesus illustrates this in a familiar parable, known as the Good Samaritan. Follow along as we read from Luke 10:
25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
27 The man answered, “‘You must love the || Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”
29 The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my || neighbor?”
30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
31 “By chance a priest came along. But ||when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32 A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt || compassion for him. 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this || man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
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, NLT)
This morning, as we are trying to live a life that looks a little more merciful, let’s see what we can learn from Jesus’ teaching.
### **I. Mercy Begins with Seeing People**
We just read one of the most familiar stories in all of the New Testament — one that has been taught in Sunday School, Children’s church, Bible studies, and preached from countless pulpits through the years.
It is the story of a man who was robbed, beaten, and left for dead along the side of the road. And it was not just any road Jesus chose for His illustration. It was the road from Jerusalem to Jericho — a notoriously dangerous road.
BARCLAY, William. The Gospel of Luke (The New Daily Study Bible) (p. 165). (Function). Kindle Edition.
William Barclay helps us picture it. Jerusalem sits 2,300 feet above sea level. Jericho, near the Dead Sea, lies 1,300 feet below sea level. In less than twenty miles, the road drops 3,600 feet. It winds through rocky passages and sudden turns — the perfect hiding place for bandits and robbers. In fact, in the fifth century Jerome said it was still called “The Red, or Bloody Way.” Even in the nineteenth century, travelers had to pay protection money just to pass safely. And as late as the 1930s, a Palestinian bandit named Abu Jildah was still known for holding up cars and disappearing into the hills before authorities could catch him.
So when Jesus told this story, He was not speaking in theory. This was real life. It was the kind of thing that happened all the time on the Jerusalem-to-Jericho road.
And so here lies a man, beaten, bloodied, left for dead on this treacherous path. Given the danger, perhaps we might excuse those who passed by. Maybe they thought, “If I stop, the robbers will get me too.” It is easy to justify walking away.
But Jesus makes it clear—that is not the right response.
A priest came by. He saw the man. But instead of helping, he crossed to the other side. He was not about to get dirty or risk ceremonial uncleanness.
Then a Levite came by. He too saw the man. And like the priest, he crossed over so that he would not have to get close or be inconvenienced.
They both saw him—but they did not really see him. They saw his problems and decided, “Not my responsibility.” They turned away. They acted no differently than the eighteen people who walked past that little girl in China, leaving her on the road for dead without help.
Then a Samaritan came by. And verse 33 says:
33 … [W]hen he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. (Luke 10, NLT)
There’s a big difference here between the three travelers: the Samaritan saw the man. And his heart was moved. He felt compassion for him.
Jesus was making an important distinction to His listeners, teaching them a very important lesson: All three men saw him. But only one saw the man the way Jesus would see the man, the way Jesus would see others, the way Jesus sees us today. Only one allowed his heart to be moved with compassion.
That is where mercy begins: when we see people the way Jesus sees them—not as interruptions, not as problems, not as nuisances—but as souls created in the image of God.
How often do we pass people by without really seeing them? The neighbor who is lonely. The coworker carrying quiet pain. The single parent struggling to make ends meet.
Mercy begins with eyes open to the needs right in front of us.
### **II. Mercy Moves Us to Act**
What was different between the three travelers? Two chose to feel sorry for the man. One chose to take action.
It is not enough just to feel sorry for someone. Mercy takes action.
The Samaritan did not stop with compassion. He immediately went into action. He went to the man, bandaged his wounds, poured on oil and wine, put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. That is mercy in action.
In James 2, James asks us some very difficult questions:
15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? (James 2, NLT)
Mercy is not just words. Mercy is doing something. Mercy is action!
Good Samaritan Gives First Aid to Injured Girl
Source: Lauren Johnson, “A car slammed into a home injuring a young girl, so a stranger jumped to action and saved her,” CNN (7-14-21)
[1]: https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/scott-dowd-sentence-guilty-plea-drunk-driving-crash-salem-new-hampshire/
[2]: https://people.com/human-interest/good-samaritan-saves-5-year-old-girl-after-car-crashes-into-her-house/
[3]: https://www.goalcast.com/scott-demers-saved-giuliana-tutrone-when-car-crashed-into-her-house/
[4]: https://apnews.com/article/1576f48073bb42213860f88e933c0a6e
[5]: https://www.wcvb.com/article/new-video-salem-new-hampshire-crash-girl-suffers-critical-injuries/37028506
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2021/august/good-samaritan-gives-first-aid-to-injured-girl.html
Copied from Preaching Today
In July 2021, Scott Demers was in a Salem, New Hampshire, neighborhood fixing some water sprinklers. However, he ended up saving a life. Demers was working nearby when he heard the loud commotion of a serious traffic accident. An Acura SUV had run off the road and crashed into a house.
According to the homeowner, Joseph Tutrone, "It went through my house, hit my daughter (Giuliana), went through the office door, went across our foyer, to the other side of the house. I was in complete panic ... I didn't know what to do." The SUV sent a granite mailbox post through the wall and struck the little girl.
Demers heard the father screaming, “He just killed my little girl.” Demers had no prior medical training, but that didn’t stop him from jumping into action. Seeing her blood spurting out, Demers took off his shirt and applied pressure to Giuliana’s wound. Demers said, "When the doctor came over, he asked me, let me see the neck. I said ‘No way, it's squirting.’ The doctor then said ‘Don't move your hand at all.’"
Eventually Giuliana Tutrone was transported via medical helicopter to a nearby hospital. There she survived after having emergency surgery for severe injuries—an arterial wound, broken jaw, and facial cuts. Police eventually arrested the driver on several charges including first degree assault and aggravated DUI. Investigators say that speed and alcohol were a factor in the crash. Giuliana was eventually released from the hospital and finished her recovery at home.
Scott Demers was a modern day Good Samaritan.
We may not always be saving someone’s life after a horrific car accident, but when we offer our assistance to a stranger during a time of crisis, we demonstrate not only our goodness and virtue but the work of God’s Spirit in us. We demonstrate the mercy that Jesus shows us each and every day.
The point is this: real mercy requires action. Mercy costs us something. It costs time, energy, resources. But when Jesus lives in us, mercy must flow out of us.
### **III. Mercy Reflects the Heart of Jesus**
As often as we’ve read this story, we sometimes gloss over the ending. Jesus asked in verse 36: ?
36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” (Luke 10, NLT)
The questioner responds in verse 37:
37 … “The one who showed him mercy….” (Luke 10, NLT)
We are quick to point out the man who stopped to help. But how often do we stop and consider that the Samaritan showed the injured man mercy?
Mercy is compassion in action.
Mercy is love reaching down to the undeserving.
Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve, so we can give others what they need.
Mercy is something we are to do. Jesus said, “Go and do the same.” (Luke 10:37b, NLT)
You see, showing mercy is not optional for followers of Jesus. Mercy is the very heart of God.
Think about our own lives. Has not God shown us mercy?
When we were dead in sin, He gave us new life.
When we deserved judgment, He gave us grace.
When we wandered, He welcomed us back.
In Ephesians 2, Paul says:?
4 God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead…. (Ephesians 2, NLT)
Mercy is not just something God does—it is who He is. If Jesus is living in us, then mercy ought to flow from us.
### **Conclusion**
This morning, our world could use a little more mercy. We each can show a little more mercy. By doing so, we are showing a little more of Jesus.
Jesus admonished the questioning man, when he correctly identified the injured man’s neighbor. It was the mercy the Samaritan showed to the beaten man that made the difference.
Jesus instructs us to go and show mercy in action as well in our world today.
So what does mercy in action look like in our lives?
It may mean forgiving someone who wronged us instead of holding on to bitterness.
It may mean helping a neighbor in need, even if it is inconvenient.
It may mean supporting a mission, feeding the hungry, clothing the poor.
It may mean listening to someone when no one else will.
Mercy in action means we live like Jesus.
And here is the good news: we do not run out of mercy because God never runs out of mercy.
The Mercy Shop
Source: Mark Batterson, Please, Sorry, Thanks (Multnomah, 2023), pp. 63-64
https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2024/july/mercy-shop.html
Copied from Preaching Today
Imagine an old European city with narrow cobbled streets and storefronts as old as the city itself. One of those weathered storefronts has a sign hanging over the door: The Mercy Shop. There's no lock on the door because it's never closed. There's no cash register because mercy is free.
When you ask for mercy, the Owner of the shop takes your measurements, then disappears into the back. Good news—he's got your size! Mercy is never out of stock, never out of style.
As you walk out the door, the Owner of the Mercy Shop smiles, “Thanks for coming in!” And, with a wink, he says, “I’ll see you tomorrow!”
The writer of Lamentations said that God's mercies are "new every morning" (Lam. 3:23). That word “new” doesn’t just mean new as in “again and again,” which would be amazing in and of itself. It means "new" as in "different." It means "never experienced before." Today's mercy is different from yesterday's mercy! Like snowflakes, God's mercy never crystallizes the same way twice. Each day God has a fresh, unique, never-before-seen mercy waiting for you and me. Every act of mercy is unique.
When we live in that kind of mercy, it will overflow in mercy toward others.
Let me challenge you this week: begin each day at the Mercy Shop. Receive God’s new mercy for you. Then take that mercy out into the world—show it to our spouses, our children, the neighbor, the coworker, the stranger on the road.
When we are less like us and more like Jesus, His mercy shows through.
### **Closing Illustration / Invitation**
Imagine if everyone gathered today in this service lived out mercy this week. Imagine a church full of Good Samaritans. Imagine a world where people look at us and see Jesus—because His mercy is showing through.
This week, I challenge you to look for one opportunity each day to show mercy in action. Do not pass by.
Stop.
See.
Help.
Love.
And if you have not yet received the mercy of Jesus for yourself—today is the day. He has already taken your sin, your shame, your brokenness to the cross. He is rich in mercy, and He is ready to forgive and give you new life.
Will you receive His mercy today? And will you let His mercy shine through you tomorrow?
