Enabled to Show Mercy
Matthew 18:21-35
"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is... showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."
(ROMANS 12: 6, 8)
It is interesting that Paul urges those who show mercy to do so cheerfully. Many of us have known that overwhelming feeling when we've been showing God's mercy on a regular basis. Sometimes it can seem like the more we do, the more there is to be done. The idea of "cheerfulness" slips away as we help again the homeless person, visit our sick neighbor, or bring a meal to a burdened family. It feels like there is more pain to go around than there is salve.
Even if our gift, as Paul says, is showing mercy, we have not been asked to take care of the entire world. Jesus has already done that! Remember that the showing of mercy is a demonstration of His mercy. And that is a joyful thing! It's the gospel we are bringing, the good news. "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor"
(Luke 4:18-19).
INSIGHT
The shower of mercy is God's heart of compassion in the body of Christ. Good news to the broken-hearted is the most cheerful news ever.
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Jeremiah 1-2
Psalm 104
Acts 28
Matthew 18:21-35
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22 Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
23 "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[b] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26 "At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28 "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
29 "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
30 "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32 "Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart."
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 18:22 Or seventy times seven
b. Matthew 18:24 Greek ten thousand talents; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wages.
c. Matthew 18:28 Greek a hundred denarii; a denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see 20:2).
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