The Beauty Of Mercy Series

The Beauty of Mercy

Matthew 5:7

Secret #5: To get mercy, you must give mercy.

Mercy (Gk. eleos)=compassion; kindness or good will towards the miserable and afflicted that results in action.

Grace deals with sin and guilt but mercy deals with the pain and misery that comes from sin. Grace takes away the fault, mercy the misery. One extends pardon, the other extends relief.

Eph.2:4-7

What secret keeps us from giving mercy? We are hypocrites.

This shows up the most in at least 3 areas:

1. Forgiveness

2. Patience

3. Compassion

People of God pray…little boy was wanting mercy, wasn’t he?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives us the secrets to a life of supreme happiness. That’s what the word blessed means. It’s different that the happiness the world seeks: this is not temporary, it’s not based on emotion, it’s not based on favorable circumstances. It’s state of being based on the favor of God.

And it’s offered to all who will follow Jesus. If your life is not marked by this supreme happiness, there’s something wrong. There are some secrets you must discover. The problem is: our secrets get in the way of us discovering these secrets.

MATTHEW 5:3-6 (ON SCREEN)

Do you see how these beatitudes build on one another? If you don’t learn the 1st secret, you can’t discover the 2nd secret. If you can’t get the 2nd secret you can’t discover the 3rd secret.

If you don’t confess you’re poor in spirit, you’ll never discover that brokenness brings healing. If you don’t discover how to get healed, instead of being gentle, you’ll break, bruise, and batter those in your life. If you don’t learn the secret of gentleness, you’ll become a self-centered, self-righteous individual and you won’t learn the secret of being deeply filled and satisfied by doing just what Jesus did: entering into the brokenness of the world, picking up the pieces of broken lives, and making things right.

And if you never discover the secret of yearning to make things right, you’ll never discover the 5th secret. Look at v.7 “THE MERCIFUL ARE BLESSED, FOR THEY WILL BE SHOWN MERCY.” MATTHEW 5:7 HCSB

What’s this 5th secret Jesus is revealing for the life of supreme happiness? Here it is: SECRET #5: TO GET MERCY, YOU MUST GIVE MERCY.

Let’s talk a little bit about the word mercy. MERCY (GK. ELEOS)=COMPASSION; KINDNESS OR GOOD WILL TOWARDS THE MISERABLE AND AFFLICTED THAT RESULTS IN ACTION.

Mercy is different from grace.

GRACE DEALS WITH SIN AND GUILT BUT MERCY DEALS WITH THE PAIN AND MISERY THAT COMES FROM SIN. GRACE TAKES AWAY THE FAULT, MERCY THE MISERY. ONE EXTENDS PARDON, THE OTHER EXTENDS RELIEF.

Jesus taught a lot about mercy. Remember the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10? A guy was robbed and beaten and left for dead. But this Samaritan dude saw him and had mercy on him and bandaged him up and took care of him.

Then there was the story Jesus told in Luke 18 where 2 guys went to the Temple to pray. One said, “God, I’m glad I’m not like this other guy. I live for you in every possible way.” The other guy prayed what? “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

Of course mercy is written about all through the letters of Paul. Eph.2:4-7 “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. YOU ARE SAVED BY GRACE! 6 TOGETHER WITH CHRIST JESUS HE ALSO RAISED US UP AND SEATED US IN THE HEAVENS, 7 SO THAT IN THE COMING AGES HE MIGHT DISPLAY THE IMMEASURABLE RICHES OF HIS GRACE THROUGH HIS KINDNESS TO US IN CHRIST JESUS.” EPHESIANS 2:4-7

God looked at our deplorable situation: blind, broken, separated, fearful, empty—and had mercy on us. He looked beyond my fault, and saw my need.

That’s the thing about mercy is: everyone wants it! The kid caught stealing candy wants it. The speeder pulled over by the police wants it. The husband who makes the wrong comment about his wife’s hairdo wants it. Guys, you know what I’m talking about, don’t you?

Funny story about mercy

Where do you need mercy in your life? Where are you suffering? Where are you hurting? Where are you frustrated? Where are you bitter and angry? Where do you need mercy in your life?

How’s your marriage? How’s your family? How are your relationships with your in-laws or parents? How’s your job?

Everyone wants mercy. But Jesus let’s us in on a little secret: To get mercy you’ve got to give mercy.

Ah—that’s the rub; that’s the problem. We want mercy and lots of it; but we don’t want to give much mercy. Remember The Parable of the Unmerciful Debtor in Matthew 18:23-25? A servant owed his king $10M and since he couldn’t pay it back, was going to get thrown into prison. But he fell on his knees and begged for what? He begged for mercy. Everyone wants mercy. And the king had mercy on him. Then the guy went out and harassed a guy who owed him $100 bucks and had him thrown into prison. He showed NO mercy. He wanted mercy, but didn’t give mercy.