Rich in Mercy – November 12, 2000
This day and always, we need mercy: the blessing of divine benevolence and human goodwill.
Perhaps no story is better known and more vital than the parable of the good Samaritan. In response to the question “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus, in a few words, teaches two powerful principles that echo down the centuries: We’re all neighbors and we all need mercy.
Of the three travelers on that brutal highway, only the Samaritan stopped to help. He cleansed the victim’s wounds, transported him to safety, and then provided means for several more days’ care. Which of the three, the Lord asked, was neighbor to the man? “He that shewed mercy on him,” was the reply. “Then said Jesus . . . , Go, and do thou likewise.”1
Most of us have asked for mercy. At some point, each of us wants it, and certainly, all of us need it. How willing are we to extend such mercy to others? Do we favor justice, or do we tenderly remember when, like the Psalmist, we have cried, “Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble”?2
A merciful response made all the difference in the relationship between a mother and her son. The ten-year-old boy came home from school earlier than expected. He should have been at his piano lesson just when he walked through the door. Prepared to scold him for his forgetfulness, his mother met him in the hallway. Instead of opening her mouth, she sensed the need to open her heart. The boy began to cry. In the safety of her embrace, he explained how some boys had made fun of him that day. The son poured his heart out to her, and she was able to comfort and reassure him. Because she had extended a hand of mercy when he first came home, this mother and her son grew closer.
Down the block or around the world, how much sweeter life is when someone shows the slightest compassion. Indeed, mercy encompasses all of the cardinal virtues and, in the most poignant way, brings heaven and earth together.
The Lord, in His loving kindness, “is rich in mercy.”3 And while we cannot repay His divine favor, we can be the hands and hearts that reach out to others. We can be the good Samaritan, and at times we may be the lonely traveler. Whether giving or receiving mercy, we do well to remember that “the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting.”4
Program #3717
1. See Luke 10:29-37.
2. Psalm 31:9.
3. Ephesians 2:4.
4. Psalm 100:5.