263 - Blessed are the merciful#
263 - Blessed are the merciful
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
The topic we are sharing is: Blessed are the merciful.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! Thank You and praise You! At the beginning of the week, we come before You. You have mercy on us, and only then do we have the strength to show mercy to others. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. We are the ones who have received mercy; if it were not for Your salvation, we would have no life. If it were not for Your grace, we could not live by grace.
In this new week, I am willing to rely on Your grace and receive Your words to live. Please lead me, and may the Holy Spirit renew my thoughts and intentions at this moment, constantly adjusting my focus before You, living by Your words. Bless every brother and sister who seeks You, I pray in the name of Lord Jesus. Amen!
Matthew 5:7, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Blessed are the merciful; what is mercy? Cherishing, compassion, empathy—these are all correct. Perhaps we are not aware that mercy refers to having the right and ability to exercise punishment or harm, but instead showing forgiveness and compassion to others. This is the meaning of mercy in the Bible. Does He have the power to kill this person? Yes, but He did not do so.
What God gives is forgiveness and compassion, which in the Bible is called mercy, including the forgiveness of sins and sympathy and help for those who suffer. Many times, we also want to show mercy to others but lack the ability. Our Lord Jesus has both the heart to show mercy to others and the ability to do so, so mercy is an action of bestowing grace with the right and ability.
The greatest mercy in the world is God's mercy towards sinners.
If we had not encountered Jesus and received the Father's mercy, we would be doomed to die, and after death, we would face judgment; that is our end. But now we have received God's mercy; not only have we not died, but we have also received the blessings of Jesus Christ, knowing that we are all people who have received God's mercy because God is a God of grace and compassion.
God's mercy towards sinners was manifested on the cross. God saw that humanity was enslaved by sin and death, and out of mercy and love for sinners, He sent His only Son Jesus to shed His blood and sacrifice on the cross for us, so that our sins could be forgiven. Those who accept Jesus Christ receive God's mercy.
God's mercy towards us does not diminish His justice; rather, it reveals His justice. Otherwise, Jesus would not have had to die for us. It is precisely because God has exercised His justice that we receive mercy. This is the love of Jesus Christ for us, because Jesus came into the world not wanting everyone to perish; He hopes that all who believe in Him can receive eternal life. This is Jesus' mercy.
Let’s share the first point: Jesus has a merciful heart.
Matthew 9:10-13,
10 While Jesus was at the table in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
This passage is very interesting. With whom does Jesus eat? Tax collectors and many sinners, along with His disciples. According to the situation of that time, such a thing should not happen. Sinners eat with sinners, the righteous eat with the righteous, and Pharisees eat with Pharisees; they are very clear about their divisions. Jews would never eat with Gentiles. But Jesus broke this boundary, allowing sinners, disciples, and these people to be together.
When the Pharisees saw this, they said, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” They did not understand why Jesus did this. In fact, Jesus did this precisely because He had compassion for these people. Some might say, “What’s the big deal about eating with Jesus?”
In Revelation, it says that if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. Eating together means that a Jew eating at the same table with you acknowledges that your identity is the same as his. Jesus invites us to sit with Him, saying, “Come! You eat with me; your identity is the same as mine.”
Jesus is the Son of God, and we are now also children of God. We have eaten with Jesus, so our identity has been elevated. This is Jesus' mercy.
When Jesus heard the Pharisees' words, He said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” What kind of people need Jesus? Sinners; the righteous do not need Him. If one is already righteous, why would they need Jesus? It is precisely because you are not righteous that you need to be with Jesus, allowing Him to bestow His righteousness upon you. So Jesus said, “I desire mercy.” Is what Jesus is doing now not a merciful heart? He eats with this group of unworthy people; this is Jesus' mercy.
He does not desire sacrifice; here, sacrifice refers to offerings and many rituals. Why does Jesus not like these? The purpose of sacrifice is to allow people to stand before God and be accepted by Him. After Jesus came, He became our sacrifice. Through Jesus, you can be with God and come boldly before Him.
The meaning of Jesus saying this is: You should ponder this. If you can understand, you will know why I eat with sinners. What kind of people need our care? The weak, the sick, or those who truly need help. When you help them, it does not lower your status; it elevates their status. This is what we should do. Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” He calls sinners because He hopes that sinners can be with Him and change their lives.
God likes us to do things that honor Him and benefit others, likes us to help the poor, and to assist those who are weak and in trouble. We must know that God does not like the hypocrisy and false piety of the Pharisees. They like to stand at the crossroads and pray loudly, aiming to be seen by others. God says, “I do not like such sacrifices,” because God can see the hearts of people.
They write scriptures on their hats and clothes, and their homes are filled with scriptures. When others see them, they think, “Look how spiritual they are, with scriptures everywhere.” But if there is no mercy in their hearts, then there is no merciful heart. So brothers and sisters, God likes us to express His love to everyone through our words and actions, which is manifested as mercy towards others. This is what pleases God.
The King of Heaven commands His people to be merciful, especially to show mercy to the distressed, the sojourners, the poor, orphans, widows, and those forgotten by society. They do not receive care and have been abandoned by others; we must show mercy to these people. There are also some who need life within; we must also give them the life of Jesus.
Today, I will share two stories to illustrate what mercy is and what kind of mercy Jesus desires. Luke 10:25-37 tells the story of the Good Samaritan. What is the premise of this story? A lawyer tested Jesus, asking Him, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus meant that by doing this, you can attain eternal life.
In other words, a person who realizes they are blessed is willing to show mercy to their neighbor without counting the cost. Who is their neighbor? The person asked, “Who is my neighbor?” They do not understand that loving others as oneself means that person is their neighbor. If they do not understand this, how can they love?
Brothers and sisters, if you know God's words but do not know how to apply them, you cannot live them out. So Jesus told him a story to show the lawyer who his neighbor was.
Luke 10:30-37,
30 Jesus replied: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
You may all know this story. Jesus is answering the lawyer: “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” Who is his neighbor? It is not the neighbor who lives next door or behind a wall; here, the neighbor refers to the person you encounter who needs help; that person is your neighbor, not the one across the street whom you ask daily, “Do you need help?”
The neighbor is the person you encounter, see, and have compassion for, and are willing to help; that is your neighbor. There are too many people in the world who need help, and even if you are overwhelmed, you cannot help them. Your neighbor refers to the person you encounter who needs help.
In this parable, there are many contrasts, a very vivid picture, showing that some people have mercy while others do not. Who is the one in need of mercy? A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of robbers. Jerusalem is on a high mountain, while Jericho is below. I have previously shared the story of the Samaritan; Jerusalem is to the south, Jericho to the north, and in between is Samaria. They could pass through Samaria without any danger, but they thought the Samaritans were unclean, like dogs, and did not want to pass through their city. They would rather take the mountain road, where bandits would wait, knowing they looked down on those people and would rob them.
Just then, a man fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him half dead, and left him. Does this man need help? Is he not a neighbor just because he is in need? The first person is a priest who came down this road. Although he is a preacher of God's word, he still looks down on Samaritans, proving he does not want to associate with sinners. Since he is unwilling to show mercy to those in the city, should he not show mercy to this man? After all, this man is a brother to the priest.
Brothers and sisters, have you thought about this: If that man were a Samaritan, would he have passed by? This proves they are brothers. When the priest sees his brother, should he not extend a hand of mercy? But the priest saw him and passed by on the other side, as if he did not see him. Is this not a lack of mercy?
The second person is a Levite. The priest does what God requires in front of the people, but the Levite represents God's people before God, yet he has no compassion for his fellow people. When he came to this place and saw the man, he also passed by on the other side. Is this person pitiful? Does he need help? Regardless of how the priest and Levite serve or how much theological knowledge they have, is this not the moment to use it? This is where many people lack; they know a lot of theology, but can they apply it at critical moments? They did not.
Then it says, only a Samaritan came along. I do not know why this Samaritan was there, but when he saw the man, he was moved with compassion. This is having a merciful heart. If you were a Samaritan and saw a Jew lying there, what would you think? Would you want to save him?
For example, if someone hates another person and sees that person being beaten half dead, what would you think? In such a state, do you have a heart of compassion and mercy? That is from God. He is your enemy, who bullied you in the past; what would you do? Would you be willing to save him? It is clear that this Samaritan had the ability to save. There are many people in the world who have the ability to save and show mercy; the difference lies in whether they are willing to save.
Jesus has the ability to save everyone in the world and is also willing to save; this is what is precious. Let us look at how this Samaritan saved the man. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him. By this point, he has already done more than enough; helping an enemy to this extent should be enough, right? There is no need to go further, right? He has already shown great love.
But this Samaritan took out two denarii the next day and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, “Look after him; if there are any extra expenses, I will reimburse you when I return.” Why did this person act this way? He had God's mercy within him. A Jew, under a twisted religious tradition, did not help this injured Jew. They had no compassion and did not lend a hand, but the Samaritan, whom they looked down upon and treated like a dog, helped their fellow man without holding a grudge. This is mercy.
We are all recipients of the Father's love and mercy, often saying, “The Father loves me, and the Father loves you.” But we need to live out this love. Amen! When a person holds Jesus' mercy in their heart, they can live a life of mercy. In other words, this Samaritan must have had God's mercy in his heart; that is why he was willing to engage in such a losing transaction.
From a human perspective, this business is certainly a loss because after you save someone, they may not appreciate your kindness. But he still did this without calculating his gains and losses because he was filled with God's mercy. He knew he was a blessed person, so he believed that God would have mercy on him and give him more. You should have such a merciful heart; you should know that God will give you more. God knows everything you do, and you will have a merciful heart to treat others.
Let’s share the second point: The merciful know they have received more mercy.
If a person does not know that the Lord Jesus has had mercy on him, he will not have a merciful heart. Similarly, if a person does not know that he has been forgiven and pardoned by the Lord more, he will not have a heart to forgive others. Therefore, another meaning of mercy is forgiveness and pardon; this is another layer of meaning in mercy.
Matthew 18:21-22, 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.”
Why did Jesus tell Peter not seven times, but seventy-seven times? Whose forgiveness is this? It is Jesus' forgiveness. Jesus' mercy towards us is complete mercy. Seventy is a complete number; seven is also a complete number, meaning that Jesus' mercy, forgiveness, and pardon towards us are all complete. Today He can forgive you; tomorrow and the day after, He can also forgive you. Peter could manage seven times, which is the limit of human forgiveness. We can forgive someone seven times, but if that person is still unaware, we might give up and not help them anymore. So Jesus told Peter, “Not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
Immediately after, Jesus told a story in Matthew 18:23-35,
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 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. 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.”
This story is quite interesting. It says that the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wants to settle accounts with his servants. This king represents our Heavenly Father. Our Heavenly Father wants to settle accounts with His servants; we are His servants and stewards of God, and we must do things according to the master's instructions. When the accounts were settled, it was found that one owed ten thousand bags of gold. Ten thousand represents a huge amount. How much do we owe the Lord? Can we repay it? No, according to God's justice, we must repay it because we owe it, and this is God's law; it must be repaid.
We cannot repay it, and the master says, “Go, sell your wife, children, and everything you have to repay it.” Even if we sold everything, could we repay it? No, we would not want to. The cunningness of man lies here; even if we sold everything, we could not repay what we owe the master. The servant fell on his knees before his master, saying, “Lord, be patient with me.” The next line is, “I will pay back everything.”
This person can say such words, indicating he still wants to struggle; he still has a little calculation in his heart, which is then exposed. If some people say before the Lord, “Lord, forgive me; I am the chief of sinners,” rest assured, they can say such words and then turn around and sin again. A person who truly knows they are sinful will never pray like this; they will say, “Lord, have mercy on me.”
The master took pity on the servant, released him, and canceled his debt. When you know the Lord has such mercy on you, what kind of life will you live? Peace, joy, no worries, gratitude, and mercy towards others. If you do not have the last one, you do not truly understand God's forgiveness towards you.
When that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him, saying, “Pay back what you owe me!” Why did he act this way? Did he know his master had forgiven him? Yes, but did he have a heart of gratitude? Here, it tells us that he did not feel that his master had mercy on him. Perhaps in his heart, he thought, “What does it matter that you owe me this much? I bowed down and begged you; shouldn’t you have mercy on me?”
If a person treats grace this way, what they give to others will certainly be law. A person who truly understands grace will say, “Lord, I can never repay You; yet You have forgiven me.” He knows this forgiveness, and when he goes out, he can forgive everyone. Yet he could choke another person over a hundred silver coins and would not let it go, proving that this person does not appreciate his master's forgiveness. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, “Be patient with me; I will pay it back.”
Logically, this person should think of the mercy and forgiveness his master showed him. But he did not think of it, proving that he did not keep his master's mercy in his heart; he forgot it. If you forget Jesus' grace towards us, it is easy to live under the law and treat others according to the law. He refused and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay back the debt. What is he giving to others? The law of justice. According to the law, if you owe someone money and cannot repay it, you must go to prison until you pay it back.
Let’s think about it; he should also go to prison because he owes more. If that person stays in there for ten years, he would have to stay for a lifetime. He did not think about this; he felt, “Anyway, my master has already forgiven me, so I cannot let you go,” proving he does not understand what mercy is. His fellow servants saw what he had done and were very upset.
Brothers and sisters, living under grace, if you live out the pattern of the law, it will make many who originally wanted to rely on grace feel sorrowful: “We are all under grace; how can these people still live like this?” What is the reason? They do not have a merciful heart, exposing that they do not understand what mercy is. So his fellow servants told their master everything that had happened.
If we give others the law, will that person not pray? They will say, “Lord, I have been wronged; please help me.” Some people, after seeing the facts, will also pray for him: “Lord, help our brother; he has truly suffered a lot and should not be treated this way.”
Earlier, we said that this master represents our Heavenly Father; He knows everything. So the master called him in and said, “You wicked servant! I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” The master reminded him how to do things. When we truly understand Jesus' mercy, living in this world is true freedom; our hearts are no longer bound.
The master was angry and handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he should pay back all he owed. Is this not what he deserves? Through this story, we must understand that trying to forgive your brother by your own strength leads to this path. You can forgive someone seven times, but Jesus says, “Not enough; I forgive you, but it is not just seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
You must forgive others seventy-seven times as well. Can we do this? No, under the Old Testament law, it means that if you do not forgive your brother from your heart, my Heavenly Father will treat you the same way. What does this mean? Do we still need to strive to forgive today?
This merciless servant received immense mercy from his master; a debt of ten thousand bags of gold was forgiven, yet when he encountered someone who owed him a hundred silver coins, he showed no mercy. In the end, the master let him receive what he deserved. We must believe that Christians are those who have received immense mercy and grace from God. Once you know this, you have no right to condemn others. Can you forgive others? Yes, if you know you are someone who has received more mercy from God, you will be able to find release in your heart and treat everyone around you well.
One thing everyone should remember, through this story of the ten thousand bags of gold, is that when Christians lend money to others, they should have this wisdom. When you lend money to someone, it should be with a giving mindset, not with the expectation that they will repay it. If you do, your relationship can easily break down. If something major happens and they cannot repay, and you are anxious because you need that money to live, your relationship will be completely ruined.
As a borrower, you should first let go of the expectation. Of course, you cannot say, “Forget it,” that is our wisdom. When you give, you can say, “I can lend it to you,” but when lending money, should you not have a merciful heart? You cannot say, “I know what you are thinking, so I will not repay.”
Such a person does not understand what mercy is. This is a mutual matter. After receiving mercy from the Lord, we should live this way before others. The tone of grace and mercy is very similar but slightly different because grace is receiving what one does not deserve, while mercy is not receiving what one deserves. Can you distinguish between the two? Grace is receiving immense blessings that one does not deserve, while mercy is not receiving what you should have received. These two are synonymous but very important; both are indispensable.
The Bible says our God is full of grace and mercy. Why are these two mentioned together? Mercy means you are sinful and deserve death, but God says, “I will not let you die; I will give you My blessings. You have not died because someone has taken your place; I have forgiven you.”
If we separate these two and only talk about grace, people will become like the one who owes ten thousand bags of gold, with no gratitude in their hearts. Since God has shown us such mercy, we should likewise show mercy to others. God has removed our sins, punishment, and death; this is God's mercy. Yet God gives us what we do not deserve, which is eternal life; this is God's grace.
Ephesians 4:31-32,
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
As I mentioned earlier, if you rely on yourself to forgive, “Others still owe me a hundred silver coins; how can you ask me to forgive them?” You cannot forgive; you lack the strength. But if you turn around and think, “My master has forgiven me a debt of ten thousand bags of gold; I should also forgive him.” When you lack the strength and ability to forgive others, you should think: I owe the Lord more, yet He has forgiven me. He not only forgave me but also gave me His grace. Bitterness and complaints are actually a slow form of suicide, while forgiving others is releasing oneself. Let’s look at a passage of scripture to see your identity.
1 Peter 2:9-10,
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Your identity is that you are a chosen people. We used to envy the Israelites; they were chosen by God among all nations. Why did God choose this particular nation? We might say, “The Lord is so biased.” But now you are chosen by God, a royal priesthood. In the passage we just read, there was a priest who saw a man beaten on the road and passed by on the other side. He did not know what a priest is for. Do you know you are a priest? What does a priest do? Offer sacrifices.
A priest offers sacrifices for others, telling them, “Your sins are forgiven.” The Old Testament priest did this. For example, if someone had a problem and had sinned against God or man, they would bring a cow or sheep to me, and I would carefully examine their sacrifice. If the sacrifice was acceptable, I would let them personally kill the sacrifice, and the blood would flow out and be burned on the altar. Finally, I would tell them, “Your sins are forgiven; you may go back.” The priest tells people, “Your sins are forgiven.” Amen!
Now you are all royal priests. First, you must know that God has also forgiven you, and even more. Now our sacrifice is Jesus; He is our sin offering, the holy sacrifice we present before God. We should share the gospel with others: all your sins are forgiven because when you believe in Jesus, He is your sacrifice, and you are accepted by God. Amen!
From God's perspective, is he not one of God's people? He is also a royal priest. From this perspective, this person has the same identity as us. The cross has two aspects: one is vertical, our relationship with God; whoever believes will be saved; the other is horizontal, all people are equal before God.
Of course, although there is order in the church, our identities are equal before God, so we have no right to look down on or condemn others because Jesus died for their sins as well. So you are all royal priests; you should remind each other, “You are a royal priest.” Hallelujah! You are a holy nation; we belong to that heavenly nation, a holy nation set apart, different from the nations of the world. The nations of the world have exclusivity: I belong to this country, but in another country, I do not belong.
In the kingdom of heaven, there is only one left, the true kingdom of heaven, the holy nation, which is within you. There should be no “yours,” “mine,” or “his”; it should all be God's. This is the heart of a holy nation, belonging to God’s people, meaning you are dedicated to Jesus Christ, you belong to God, so you should not act recklessly; you should live in the way of Jesus. When you encounter danger, know that you belong to God, which means He will not stand by; He will help you.
You are to declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. This is what our Lord has done for us. Once you were not a people, which means before you believed in Jesus. When you believe in Jesus, you are now the people of God. Some may say, “You always talk about how I was not a people; now I am a people of God. What does it matter?” The following verse makes it very clear: before, you had not received God's mercy. What did we do before we believed in Jesus? What if we encountered problems? We could not solve them. Anyone can encounter huge troubles; what do we do? Many people can only conclude: this is fate. Because they have no other way out, what can they do? No one can escape this fate.
But today, would you still say that? Even if you are weak, you would not say, “This is fate.” You know there is a way out; Jesus is your way out. Before, you had not received mercy; even if you encountered huge troubles and did not know what to do, now you have received God's mercy, knowing that all your sins are forgiven by God. He cares for you, is willing to help you, and wants to give you good things; He wants to be your help at all times.
Knowing that you are already a person who has received mercy, even if you are discouraged or weak, you know there is someone to pray to. Thank and praise the Lord! From this perspective, we Christians are blessed people; at any time, we will not be in despair or seek death. Some may say, “There are Christians who die.” Brothers and sisters, a person who truly understands God's mercy and grace will not walk this path.
Let’s share the third point: Mercy is manifested in actions.
It is not just in the heart; the gentleness and poor in spirit mentioned earlier are in the heart, but mercy must be expressed in actions. Let’s look at a verse, Proverbs 14:21, “Whoever despises their neighbor sins, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.” If mercy is only in the heart, then contempt is also in the heart. Can you know if a person despises you? Yes, you can tell through their eyes; the eyes are the windows to the soul.
If the heart harbors contempt, when the eyes look at others, others can see it. For example, between husband and wife, if the wife looks down on the husband, can you see that look? It is a very disdainful look; can he not feel it? If you look at him like this every day without saying a word, it is actually worse than saying a word. Over time, this can turn into serious condemnation. Between spouses, do not use such looks. If you have something to say, it is better to say it than to communicate through looks. Looks can kill; they lead to self-condemnation, and eventually, it will explode into bad tempers, breaking things, or quarreling every day. This is the reason.
We must change our hearts.
“Whoever despises their neighbor sins.” Do you know who your neighbor is? It includes the people you encounter, your relatives, and friends. So do not despise others because others can see it. Even if you do not speak, your eyes can reflect it. Blessed is the one who is kind to the needy; is mercy not also an action? If you truly have compassion for this person, that person is blessed. We must be merciful people. What kind of people are poor? As mentioned earlier, the poor are those in need of help. If at this moment, they are very troubled and need rest, giving them Jesus' rest is showing mercy to the poor. How do you give them Jesus' rest? It is not just saying, “Believe in Jesus; believing in Jesus is enough.” It is not giving it in a domineering manner but genuinely comforting them.
Mercy means you have the ability to do so and are willing to do so, to help this weak person. When you do this, what kind of posture do you have? How did Jesus come to help us? In the posture of a servant, the King of Kings' Son, after eating, bent down to wash the disciples' feet. Did He not know about status? He did, but this is mercy for the poor. Why did He wash the disciples' feet? Because they needed it, and Jesus also taught the disciples, “I have done this; you should also do likewise. I am your teacher, and I have done such things; you should also do the same.”
One day, when you truly understand: He is the King of Kings; why would He bend down to wash my feet? What could He gain from me? The only conclusion is: because He loves me; He has mercy on me. When you truly understand this mercy, you will show mercy to others. So when the disciples truly understood this mercy, they began to do things for others, humbly like servants. Paul often mentions a term in his letters: the servant of Jesus Christ, God's servant Paul. He has a noble identity but does not use it; instead, he says, “I am a servant of Jesus Christ,” willing to serve others like Jesus. This is a person who truly has a merciful heart.
1 John 3:16-18,
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
Brothers and sisters, this tells us how to have a merciful heart. Earlier, it was said that blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. When you show mercy to others, the Lord will continuously add to you; you will not suffer loss. When you show mercy to others, people will also repay you.
Heroes on television have a characteristic: they particularly like to help others. Although they may not have much ability, they help many people and are often wronged, yet someone always comes to save them. Those willing to save them have a reason: they have been shown mercy before. Today, having believed in Jesus, we should do the same, treating others with Jesus' heart. How does the Lord treat you? The Lord laid down His life for you, and you know what love is; we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
Brothers and sisters, the greatest love in the world is this: to lay down one’s life for a brother. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother in need but shuts up their heart against him, how can the love of God be in that person? Is it that our God lacks the ability to make mercy exist in that person's heart? No, it is the same meaning as the one who owes ten thousand bags of gold; he does not understand God's mercy towards him, so he does not have a merciful heart.
It says here that he has possessions and can help this brother, but he does not help; he shuts up his heart of mercy, and at the same time, he shuts off others' mercy towards him and God's mercy towards him. The love of God cannot exist in his heart because he is filled with selfishness. This is why we often say we must humble ourselves and serve before God, willing to do things for God. When you are willing to do things according to God's way, God's love will be in your heart.
Why should we forgive others? God does not want you to be bound by hatred; He wants you to be free. When you forgive others, you are truly free, and God's peace will fill your heart. Therefore, verse 18 says, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
Mercy leads to action. It is not just saying, “Jesus loves you.” But some people do not even have words; is that not worse? Many people are clearly in a bad state and need love, yet we can point out all their faults: “You are not good at this, not good at that…”
Can they get better this way? Let’s talk about issues in life. Your relatives or friends may repeatedly pick on you; one reason is that they want to draw your attention. They may feel so inferior in front of you that they want to attract your attention. At this time, you cannot point out their problems; otherwise, they will become increasingly inferior, to the point of entering another extreme: arrogance.
I have shared before that when a person excessively displays their strengths and often talks about them when meeting people, it indicates they are extremely insecure; this is their only point of pride. What they need is affirmation. If you deny their only point of affirmation, they will resent you for life.
Even if they are terrible, you can say, “You did well! You did indeed do a good job.” They always take that one strength and boast about it. When encountering such a person, you should know they are extremely insecure and need more affirmation and recognition. This is a manifestation of a merciful heart.
Jesus did things this way as well. The rich young ruler said, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus did not say, “You? You want eternal life? What do you have to boast about?” Instead, Jesus said, “You know the commandments: Honor your father and mother.” Why did Jesus bring this up? This is his only point of pride; he might say, “I can keep the latter part of the law.” But he does not mention the earlier part. So Jesus said, “You know the commandments: Honor your father and mother, love your neighbor as yourself.” He said, “I have kept all these since I was a boy.”
Jesus' implication is, “You did well.” First, He gives him affirmation, “But you still lack one thing: sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” He said no. This points out his problem, but first, He affirmed him. This is Jesus' mercy, and it is what we need to understand. Jesus' mercy is not just in words; it is also in actions. When Jesus was on earth, He did not just say, “God loves you.” He also healed the sick, comforted the wounded, and helped the poor.
Brothers and sisters, why does every church need offerings? What are they for? God is not going to create a ranking in heaven to see which church has the most money, declaring that church the most faithful. There is no such thing. Why are these things established in the church?
Because where there are the wealthy, there will also be the poor; where there are the strong, there will also be the weak. This is not only in the church; when we go out to evangelize, we will encounter such people. If you meet a seriously ill elderly woman and say to her, “Believe in Jesus; Jesus loves you,” and then leave, what good is that? Before preaching Jesus to her, you should first help her, do your best to assist her, and then she will see God's love. This is not just in words but also in actions. Amen!
Recently, we visited an elderly woman who is quite old and not in good health. When we went, we brought her some things. She said, “I don’t know you well, yet you come to my house with gifts.” Her children rarely visit her; this has become a social norm. Her children are too busy to visit, leaving her alone at home. What can she do? The elderly woman particularly hopes someone will visit her; it is not about the value of the items you bring but the hope of having someone care for her.
When we visited, the elderly woman was very happy. She said not to bring these things; her children give her money every month, so she does not lack these things. What she lacks is someone’s care. The items we brought were nothing; she saw our love. We introduced ourselves, saying, “We are from the church; we believe in Jesus.” She said, “It’s great to believe in Jesus!” We asked her, “Are you feeling unwell?” She said, “Yes, I haven’t been sleeping well for several days.”
I said, “Can we pray for you? If we pray for you, our God will heal you, and you will be able to sleep well.” She said, “That would be good.” Then we chatted with the elderly woman, and the next day, her spirit was restored. From that moment on, she allowed us to tell her about Jesus. Brothers and sisters, if we had not helped her beforehand and had directly told her, “Believe in Jesus; if you believe in Jesus, you will go to heaven; if you do not believe in Jesus, you will go to hell,” would she have listened? She might have said, “I would rather go to hell.” Therefore, our love and mercy must not only be in words and speech but also in actions and truth. Amen!
Finally, let’s look at a passage of scripture to clarify a doubt and help everyone meditate this week, James 2:12-17,
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment. 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
This passage is very interesting. Who do you believe in? Jesus. It is faith in Jesus and what He accomplished for you on the cross. What did He do on the cross? He allowed your sins to be forgiven and poured out all His grace upon you; this is mercy and grace, both of which are upon you. Amen! When you reflect on this grace, you will have the strength to act and should also give out Jesus' mercy and grace. If one is lacking, if there is only faith without action, that faith and action are dead, meaning it is of no benefit and can be understood as ineffective.
Here, James gives us an example: if a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food, it proves they have nothing. It might be winter, and they have no food or clothing. At this time, if we say to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” what would they think? If you were that person, in winter, with nothing to eat or wear, and a pastor came to you and said, “Go in peace; may you eat well and stay warm,” would you not think, “Are you mocking me? If I could eat well and stay warm, would I be in this state?”
So saying that to them is of no benefit.
How should we show mercy to them? You should bring them a box of food and a box of clothes and say, “See which one fits.” After they wear it and eat well, you can say, “Go in peace; may our God bless you, and may you eat well and stay warm.” If you take that one step, the outcome will be different. This person will say, “Your God is so good! Thank you!” At this point, it will be beneficial to them, and our mercy will become tangible. Therefore, a merciful heart leads to action.
There are some things I want to explain to you. Since you are to be judged by the law that gives freedom, what is the law that gives freedom? The law of the Spirit. The law of the Spirit is centered on love. Why will you be judged according to the law of the Spirit? The judgment of Christians is not the judgment of sin. The judgment of sin was settled when Jesus said, “It is finished” on the cross; all the wages of sin have been paid.
In the eyes of the judge, there is not only judgment but also a reward for being found innocent. The judgment of Christians is a reward based on deeds. Therefore, since we live under the law of the Spirit, we must accept judgment according to the law of the Spirit. How much of Jesus' love can you live out? It is centered on love; we have a merciful heart, which must first have love, right? We can forgive others because there is love within us, right? If there is none, we cannot do this at all.
Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. What does this mean? It sounds a bit convoluted. This is not referring to unbelievers; the original text states: Because judgment will be merciless for those who do not wish to show mercy. Listen carefully: the law of love is not a law that allows people to indulge or have no bottom line.
Today, many people talk about God's love, saying, “God loves you, so even if you do not believe, He will not let you go to hell; God is not that cruel because God is love.” This sounds like a good God. I do not believe in Him, and He will not let me go to hell. God's love is not without a bottom line; God's love contains justice and judgment.
The reason our sins have not caused us to bear the consequences is that Jesus took our place. God's love has a bottom line. When we have received God's love but do not live it out, God will not reward us for this love (which is the reward).
For example, if this person has received God's love all their life but has not given out a single bit, God cannot reward them. This is called merciless judgment. Do you understand? But if someone gives me a cup of cold water, is that not giving it to the least of these? The Bible says this person will not go unrewarded. The only difference between these two people is that one gave me a cup of cold water; they did nothing else. The latter person will face merciless judgment. Even if they plead, “Lord, please give me a reward for a cup of cold water,” God will say, “Impossible.” Because this is merciless judgment, and this judgment is related to actions. Therefore, Christians today live under grace; with good actions, God will reward us. But if you do not have those good actions, God will not give you that reward, but you are still saved. God's reward will not be given to you just because you are pitiful; it is related to actions.
I hope that brothers and sisters can truly understand this passage: Those who do not show mercy will also face merciless judgment. God will not reward them in this matter. When we see brothers or sisters who are in need or weak, if we truly receive the Lord's love and mercy to help them, you do not seek anything in return, and God will reward you.
But if you see them and do not help them, not even offering a prayer, God will not reward you in this matter. I wish for brothers and sisters to truly receive Jesus' mercy and live out this mercy. The more you show mercy to others, the more you can be assured that when you have problems, a group of people will rush to help you because God will move their hearts. Amen!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father! We thank and praise You! Thank You for helping me with these words. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. I am a person who has received mercy from Jesus; Jesus has forgiven all my sins, allowing me to stand before You and receive Your blessings. I am also a person who has received Your grace; I have received Your righteousness, Your mercy, and Your love.
I am willing to carry Your strength to treat others. Please help me; I do not have this strength, but You give me strength, and I can help others.
Lord! You let me often think about what You did for me on the cross, how You forgave me, and I will have the strength to forgive others. I am willing to keep Your mercy in my heart, renewing me through Your words, so that I can live out Your likeness in this world, not only building myself up but also building up everyone around me.
Thank and praise You! All glory belongs to You. I pray in the name of Lord Jesus. Amen!