Mercy Mercy

“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” (Lu 6:36 AV)

The other day, I was checking on some friends via Facebook and read a compliment one saint had of my College and Career pastor. Or, should I say, a profound observation.  The comment remarked how this faithful man of God was, and always will be, soul conscious.  I have never known someone who walks through life with his eyes on the souls of others like this man.  He doesn’t quit.  When he enters a place, he doesn’t see what we see.  He doesn’t see the menu, the atmosphere, the lighting, or the smells.  He sees the people.  He does not compartmentalize ministry.  Ministry is not just on Sundays and Wednesdays, Thursday night soul-winning or Saturday street preaching.  Ministry, to him, is from the time he wakes to the time he retires.  The LORD has not blessed him with a large church.  But He has blessed him with a hard-working faithful church.  So, what is his secret?  How is he so laser focused on people?  Perhaps the above verse gives us a clue.

The Greek word here for merciful means to take pity on, or to have compassion on.  This is not mere emotion.  It suggests taking some sort of action for the sake of another.  This also suggests one defines his life outside of himself.  To take pity on another means that person no becomes the center of all that you do.  It means he or she requires your attention and resources in order to help them to the place where God desires them to be.  This is not mere sacrifice.  It is more than that.  Sacrifice can be accomplished without any emotional commitment on our part.  Writing a check or dropping off canned goods doesn’t require a whole lot of emotional commitment.  But to have pity on someone; to show compassion for the condition of another; takes emotional capital.

Perhaps that is what separates my friend from the rest of us.  He has always been humble enough to care.  He is not above condescending to men of low estate.  He doesn’t know what it means to be embarrassed.  He is not ashamed to call anyone his friend.  He has more rewards in heaven than anyone I will ever know because he has had mercy and God has had mercy.  My only prayer for today is: what he has may rub off on those whom He has cared so much for.  May we all have mercy as God has had mercy on us!