January 27, 2002 - LESSON: Matthew 5.1-2, 7

SERMON TITLE: Mercy, Mercy

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INTRODUCTION:

Bishop Robert Fannin, North Alabama Conference, United Methodist Church tells this marvelous story, a situation that cries out for mercy

A woman with a terminal illness had a dream which was limited to scheming how to cause trouble after her death.

She went to a portrait painter and asked if he could paint a picture of her that she could give to her husband before she died.

He immediately began his assignment, but at the first sitting, the woman asked if he could paint a gorgeous diamond and sapphire necklace around her neck.

He said of course, but he asked her to bring in the necklace next time so he could see what he was painting.

She announced that she couldn't do that. She didn't own such a necklace.

Then why did she want it in the picture?

"My husband has his eye on a neighbor lady down the street.

And after I die and they get together, I want her to spend the rest of her life looking for that necklace."

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  1. What does our text for the morning say: 7"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
    1. This doesn't sound like mercy to me.
    2. It sounds more like a from of revenge.
    3. We are not to be vengeful but merciful.
    4. How do we understand the meaning and application of mercy?
  2. I suppose that we could go to the dictionary for the meaning of mercy
    1. You would find that the synonyms are: caritas, charity, clemency, grace, lenity
    2. Some related words are: commiseration, compassion, pity, ruth; benevolence, benignancy, benignity, kindliness, kindness; generosity, goodwill
    3. You could put the meaning in the text to read: a show of or a disposition to show kindness or compassion
    4. The contrasting words or antonyms are: reprisal, retaliation, retribution, revenge, vengeance; castigation, chastening, chastisement, punishment
      1. This helps us to understand the emotions and purposes of the woman whose portrait was being painted.
      1. And in a way it helps us to understand the meaning and purpose of mercy from our text.

MAIN BODY:

  1. Mercy is better understood from its application in the life of Jesus.
    1. There are many incidents in the life of Jesus in which mercy was invoked.
      1. Matthew 9:27 (NRSVA) 

27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, crying loudly, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!")

        1. He had compassion on them.
        2. He healed them.

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      1. Matthew 15:22 (NRSVA)

22Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon."

        1. He had pity on her
        2. Her daughter was healed.
      1. Matthew 17:15 (NRSVA)

The deeply troubled father 15...said, "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water.

        1. He had compassion for him.
        2. He was healed.
      1. Mark 1:41 (NRSVA)

A leper cried out for mercy. 41Moved with pity,£ Jesus£ stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be made clean!"

      1. Mark 5:19 (NRSVA) the demoniac of Gerasenes who wanted to follow Jesus

19But Jesus£ refused, and said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you."

      1. The widow of Nain in Luke 7:13 (NRSVA)

13When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, "Do not weep."

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      1. The ten lepers of Luke 17.13, NRSVA

13they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" Luke 17:13 (NRSVA)

    1. From these illustrations we discover that MERCY is a strong emotion of pity or compassion.
  1. God is ready to provide mercy in abundance.
    1. In Matthew 5:45 (NRSVA)

45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

    1. From Titus 3:4-5 (NRSVA)

4But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

    1. Once again in Lamentations 3:22-23 (NRSVA)

22The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; 23they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

    1. God has an abundant supply of mercy.

A magazine publisher installed a new program that was designed to notify magazine subscribers by mail when it was time to renew their subscriptions.

One day it went sour, and before anyone realized the miscue, a farmer in Montana received 11,834 letters telling him his subscription had expired.

The local postmaster had to hire a special truck to deliver all the letters.

After the farmer had read about 200 of them, all exactly alike, he sat down and wrote out a check renewing his subscription.

Attached to the check was a note which read, "I give up. My check is enclosed."

God's mercy is like receiving 11,834 letters speaking of our need and God's willingness to provide for it.

    1. The Christian's readiness is based on God's gifts of mercy.

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  1. We would be remiss if we did not speak of the application of Mercy
    1. Jesus responded to all who asked for mercy.
    2. The Christian activation of mercy is based on Christ's example and encouragement.
      1. Story of the "Good Samaritan."
      2. The scene of the last judgement with the separation of the sheep and the goats.
    3. It is what we are willing to do and do for God and for ourselves.
      1. Sometimes is dangerous
      2. Sometimes it is difficult.
      3. Sometimes it is distasteful.
      4. It is always necessary.

One year in a mythical kingdom the entire stock of grain became poisoned.

Anyone who ate it would become insane.

Grain had been stored from years past, but only a small amount.

The king fell into a quandary. Should people eat and become crazy? Or starve to death?

Finally the king decided to feed the people the contaminated grain.

But he reserved a little of the unpoisoned grain for a handful of people so, the king said, someone will know the rest of us are crazy.

The teller of the story wrote:

"With its life built on mercy and gentleness, its awareness of brokenness, its affirmation of vulnerability, its ethic of forgiveness, much of the Christian church is analogous to that unpoisoned grain. While everyone else seems to be living insane lives, it is up to the church to preserve for our planet a vision and a visage of what God would have us do."

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  1. The merciful obtain mercy; the merciless have no need for mercy.
    1. Is mercy not available. No it is always available.
    2. The unmerciful have no need of mercy.
    3. They do not recognize it.

CONCLUSION:

Steve Foye sentme this story about The Bishop's Gift, Author Unknown

Once a church had fallen upon hard times. Only five members were left: the pastor and four others, all over 60 years old.

In the mountains near the church there lived a retired Bishop. It occurred to the pastor to ask the Bishop if he could offer any advice that might save the church. The pastor and the Bishop spoke at length, but when asked for advice, the Bishop simply responded by saying, "I have no advice to give. The only thing I can tell you is that the Messiah is one of you."

The pastor, returning to the church, told the church members what the Bishop had said. In the months that followed, the old church members pondered the words of the Bishop. "The Messiah is one of us?" they each asked themselves. As they thought about this possibility, they all began to treat each other with extraordinary respect on the off chance that one among them might be the Messiah. And on the off, off chance that each member himself might be the Messiah, they also began to treat themselves with extraordinary care.

As time went by, people visiting the church noticed the aura of respect and gentle kindness that surrounded the five old members of the small church. Hardly knowing why, more people began to come back to the church. They began to bring their friends, and their friends brought more friends. Within a few years, the small church had once again become a thriving church, thanks to the Bishop's gift.

  1. What does the lesson say, Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy.

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