Mercy

Let’s be honest. Mercy gets a bad rap. It implies weakness. For example, when a judge fails to impose a stiff sentence, he’s called lenient or wishy-washy. It seems that mercy is justice gone easy. But Jesus in Matt 5:7 (Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy) has a different idea about mercy. It’s not holding back justice; it’s reaching out with justice – with compassion, sympathy, and kindness.

In the Bible, mercy requires that we get inside the skin of other people – to see things as they see them; to feel the emotions that they feel; to think the thoughts they think. So, mercy is an active word, gracious, and sensitive. Mercy is seeing a need and acting upon it.

In Madagascar, a poorly dressed women walked along a road crying “Leper, I’m a leper.” Other pedestrians moved to get out of her way, afraid to get close to the poor women. Then a Christian missionary noticed her. Instead of crossing the road to avoid her, she walked right up and put her hand on the leper’s shoulder. Overcome by emotions, the woman fell down. When she could finally speak, she said, “A human hand has touched me. For seven years, no human hand has touched me.” Every city, every town and every street have people in need of mercy.

Queen Victoria was a close friend of Mrs. Tulloch, who was married to a school principal. It so happened that both women lost their husbands at about the same time.

Unannounced, the Queen decided to visit Mrs. Tulloch. When she arrived, Mrs. Tulloch was resting on a couch in her room. When the Queen was announced, she struggled to rise and curtsy.

The Queen stepped forward. “My dear,” she said, “don’t rise. I’m not coming to see you as your Queen. I’m coming to you as a woman who has lost her husband.”

Here’s one of the amazing things about mercy. People who need it most often show it themselves.

One night in the city of London, a dense fog enveloped the city. A couple emerged from the subway, completely disorientated. They couldn’t tell which way to go. The fog covered all the landmarks, so they couldn’t find their way home.

Just then a stranger appeared out of the fog and asked if he could help. The couple explained their problem and told him where they lived, and the stranger led them straight home. They thanked the man profusely and asked him how he could be so sure of himself.

“I’m blind,” the man replied. “I know the neighbourhood well and have been working all day, guiding people around.”

Reaching out, caring, showing compassion – this is the meaning of mercy, and the risk can be great as the next story shows.

A little boy was told by his doctor that he could save his sister’s life by giving her some blood. The six-year-old girl had a rare disease, and her only chance was a transfusion. But the blood had to come from someone who had conquered the disease and little Johnny had done just that two years earlier.

               “Johnny, would you like to give your blood for Mary?” the doctor asked. The boy hesitated. His lower lip trembled. But then he smiled and said, “Sure, Doc, I’ll give my blood for my sister.”

Soon the two children were wheeled into the operating room – Mary pale and thin: Johnny strong and healthy. Neither spoke, but when Johnny looked at his sister, he grinned.

As the blood was transfused into Mary’s veins, one could almost see the new life coming into her tired body. The ordeal was nearly over when Johnny’s brave little voice broke the silence. “Say, Doc,” he said, “when do I die?”

Only then did the doctor realise why Johnny had hesitated, why his lips had trembled. Little Johnny had thought that by giving his blood to his sister, he was giving up his own life.

There is one example of mercy that stands above all others. And that’s the life of Jesus. He came to this earth and lived in our skin – literally. He saw things as we see them. He felt life as we feel it.

The gospels are filled with stories of Christ’s mercy. He refused to condemn the women taken in adultery. He was kind to the dishonest tax collector. He showed kindness to Mary the prostitute. He healed a man who had been sick for 38 years. Jesus knew the meaning of mercy. Rather, Jesus lived the meaning of mercy.

Even on the cross. He forgave those who nailed his body on the wood. He promised paradise to the repentant thief. And He offered eternal life to everyone.