Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful...

“May the Eternal our God live among us, just as He lived with our ancestors. May He never abandon or neglect us so that He can make us desire and walk in His ways, keeping all the commands, laws, and judgments He gave to our ancestors. May my words and everything I have requested of the Eternal our God be close to His heart continuously, both day and night, so that He will support His servant and His people Israel according to the needs of each day as it is today. Then all the people of the world will understand for themselves that He is the only True God. Give your entire heart to the Eternal our God. Walk the path He has intended for us, and keep His laws as you do today.” (1 Kings 8:57-61)

In this passage, the people are asking God to be with them in everything they do every day – supporting them, meeting their needs and helping them walk in His ways and keep His commands. Over the centuries, believers have desired and asked God to walk with them and God has graciously met them in this desire.

Amos asks a pointed question about walking with God, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3).

Walking with God is not something we can do while following our own ways. It requires us to let go of our old ways of thinking and doing and walk in God's – sharing His heart, His purposes and His guidance.

David proclaims about God in Psalm 145:8 the same thing that Moses saw in Exodus as God passed by him, “The LORD is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.”

Compassion and mercy are frequently used interchangeably in the bible. Kindness, goodness, compassion, pity and ultimately love are at the root of mercy. In addition, the Greek word eleos, which translated properly to "mercy" notes “ it is defined by loyalty to God's covenant.” One's actions of mercy reflect loyalty to God's covenant.

Micah 6:8 notes, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

The opposite of mercy is not be hard-hearted, pass judgment, and not act in the care of another. Retaliation for causing you harm, ignoring someone, and acting contemptuous toward someone are acts that show a lack of mercy.

Unfortunately, it is sometimes us (speaking of me here) religious folk who know God's commands and yet fail to walk in them.

Jesus addresses this in a parable using religious leaders. In His parable, it was the ones who knew His commands and were seen as serving Him (the Levite and Priest) that passed by the wounded man in the road. And it was the man who was despised (the Good Samaritan) that showed the man mercy.

These parables had twists that genuinely confronted people. He was making a confrontational point. These days it may have sounded more like like, “There was a pastor, elder and biker who were crossing the road when they saw a old man laying in his blood. He had been robbed.

The elder was in a hurry to get to an appointment he was late to, so he quickly rushed by and pretended not to see him. The pastor was wearing a special outfit for a marriage ceremony she was performing in an hour and didn't dare get it dirty right before hand. She prayed someone else would help and went on. The biker stopped and cared for the old man. He took him to the best hotel in town and paid the bill for the week. He also paid for the manager to look out for him and left his credit card on file if anything else was needed. Which was a neighbor to this man?

Most often, a lack of mercy is not intentional. Sometimes we are so busy, we just don't see the person that is bleeding in front of us. We rush by with closed eyes in a hurry. I once had a dream and I saw this man loading boxes into a truck, his shirt read “loaded down with burdens.” So many everyday people we pass by are in need of having their load lighten their load.

Here is a story of a time I failed to have mercy: I was at work (at a previous job on an educational campus) and had a meeting that was some 4 blocks away from my office. I often had meetings at this location so I knew exactly how long it would take me to get there. I was really busy so I watched the clock as I worked and then ran off at the last minute to the meeting. I went shooting down the street in a hurry to this “important” meeting.

 

A young boy about 13 was walking across the street asking people for money for lunch. I stopped when I saw him and he told me he was really hungry, had no food at home and wondered if I had a dollar for a sandwich at the fast food place across the street. I hurriedly handed him some money for lunch and ran off to my meeting.

 

It didn't even dawn on me until I am sitting in this meeting that I never asked this boy his name, found out why he was home alone, or looked out for him. I went back after my meeting but he was long gone. To this day, I see his little face in my memories and it still breaks my heart.

I think some of having mercy is slowing down and being present to the moment. When we are present and available to God, we are more apt to notice the needs around us and be in a position to partner with God on meeting them. When I am in a rush, I am focused on myself and what I need to do. In this state, I can overlook a need right before me.

Sometimes I think a lack of mercy (at least for me), is rooted in judgment. When I judge someone else, I am not walking with God... It is the opposite of everything He is.

Paul says in Romans 2:1-4,

“You, O man, are without excuse, every one of you who passes judgment.

For by the standard by which you judge another you condemn yourself,
since you, the judge, do the very same things.
We know that the judgment of God on those who do such things is true.
Do you suppose, then, you who judge those who engage in such things
and yet do them yourself,
that you will escape the judgment of God?
Or do you hold his priceless kindness, forbearance, and patience
in low esteem, unaware that the kindness of God
would lead you to repentance? “

God is not sitting above me judging my every action and making a list of all I have done wrong. Rather, He came down from His throne to sacrifice His life so that I could have forgiveness and true life. He made Himself poor that out of His poverty I (in my destitution) would become rich.

And as He has done, we are to do likewise. Philippians 2:5-8 says, “Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.”

Lord, forgive me for all the ways I fail to show mercy. Forgive me for sometimes being too much in a hurry and other times judging others. Let us truly walk with You – sharing Your heart of mercy for the world around us.