Bible Text: Luke 9:51-56 | Preacher: G.F.

The Puritan Thomas Watson in his book “Mischief of Sin” said this about mercy; “If mercy is not a magnet to draw us nearer to God, it will be a millstone to sink us deeper to hell. Nothing so cold as lead, yet nothing more scalding when it is melted. Nothing so sweet as mercy, yet nothing so terrible when it is abused. Sinners never escape when mercy draws up the indictment.”

Jesus took every circumstance and experience that the disciples had and turned it into an opportunity to teach and disciple his followers. In Luke 9:51-56, as Jesus and His disciples pass through the village of Samaria, He finds a perfect moment to teach about mercy. The disciples had just completed a lesson on humility, verses 46 to 50. Just like all of us, the disciples had been tempted with pride, and were arguing about which of them was the greatest. Jesus taught them the deadly dangers of pride. Proud people tend to be without mercy and the prouder they are, the more merciless they become.

The disciples (just like us) needed to learn that only the humble are merciful.  The definition of mercy is;-condescending love reaching out to meet the need of someone without thought of their merit or demerit.

Proverbs 3:3, “Let not mercy and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” Mercy is ranked with truth. There’s nothing more dangerous in some ways than truth without mercy because there’s no patience, there’s no gentleness and little or a perverted understanding of the redemptive nature of the gospel.

John Mac Arthur says “Mercy is at the heart of redemptive ministry. Mercy is to extend to all without regard to race, or status, or gender, or age. And mercy is to be offered patiently toward those who are ignorant in unbelief. Micah 7:18, “God delights in mercy.” And He’ll delight in you if you are a merciful Christian.”