Merciful

The author opens the chapter discussing the similarities and differences between compassion, pity, and mercy. Compassion and pity are used in scripture as a feeling, whereas mercy is an action. Bridges points to the parable about the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). The priest and Levite showed compassion, but the Good Samaritan showed mercy by helping the beaten man rather then simply feeling bad and passing by.

Mercy is expressed in two ways according to the author. The first way is by meeting physical needs. We should be prepared to help those who are hurting and in need, including (and perhaps especially) those who cannot repay us. Bridges points to several scriptures which speak to being merciful to the poor including Leviticus 19:9-10, Psalm 41:1, and Galatians 6:9-10.

The second way we can express mercy is by meeting spiritual needs. After all, meeting physical needs is pointless in the end for a lost soul (Mark 8:36-37). But we should not solely focus on meeting spiritual needs and ignore physical needs. Bridges points to Acts 3:6-7 to show us how Peter and John helped a crippled man. Instead of simply offering him the gospel, they, by God’s power, healed the man. However, they clearly did it in God’s Name, and they used this example a few verses later to preach the gospel. In their minds, their was no separation between these two ways of mercy.

Bridges then points us to the greatest form of mercy shown: God sending His perfect Son to die for our sins. We, who were slaves to sin, were made clean because of the mercy of God. The reason Bridges points this out is because by remembering this, we realize we do not have a right to not show mercy or forgive others who have wronged us. He paid the infinite sum for us, so we must be willing to forgive a bad deed against us (Matthew 18:23-35).

Forgiveness is not forgetting a sin but choosing not to remember. Hurts arise, but we must choose to not remember those sins, pushing back at them so that we do not dwell on what we were hurt by. We can choose not to bring up those sins. Forgiveness is not often a one time event, but something we must do multiple times.

Mercy is an expression of humility. Instead of looking at the sinful deeds of believers, or unbelievers, judgmentally, we must remember the mercy God showed us. We ought to remember, “but for the grace of God go I.” We must remember that mercy is an action, and if we don’t act then we only have compassion. Without action we are just like the priest and Levite.

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