BE YE THEREFORE MERCIFUL

What a high standard is set for the mercy we are to show to those around us - that mercy shown by our Father! Since we are His children we are to demonstrate the attitudes and actions of our Father. We who were dead in trespasses and sins were shown mercy. Ephesians chapter 2 tells us that God, who is rich in mercy, saved us by His grace, gave us life, raised us and set us in heavenly places in Christ. We did not deserve and had no rights to His mercy but received it as a free gift. It is this kind of mercy we are to show to others in this life.

There are three ideas set forth in our text as the kind of mercy we are to show. First, we are to be merciful and not retaliate when we are persecuted. Peter reminds us in his epistle that the Lord Jesus, when He was reviled, did not revile again and, when He suffered, He did not threaten. This is the kind of attitude that is acceptable with God and should characterize our lives.

Secondly, we are to note the extent of mercy. When someone takes our cloak we are to give our coat. We are to be known as those who give and not take. As we look at Calvary we see the fullest extent of what the Lord gave. They stripped away His garments and gambled for them at the foot of the cross. He gave them not only His garments but He gave His very life for them that they might have salvation. He gave His all. As recipients of His mercy should we not be prepared to give our all so that all men might hear the gospel?

Thirdly, we are to give with the proper motivation. So often the world gives with the hope of receiving something back in return. The motivation of the Saviour was from His own heart of compassion. What is the motivation for our giving? As Paul spoke of the giving of the Macedonians in 2 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 5, he said, ‘And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God’. We will never give with the proper motivation unless we first of all give ourselves and all we have to the Lord for His use. Then we will be enabled to give ourselves to be channels of the mercy of God to those around us.