Show Mercy

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” [Matthew 9.9-13]

"Show mercy..." What does that mean?

I think it has something, well, maybe everything, to do with forgiveness! Check this out:

Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.” But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?” Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” [Matthew 9.1-6]

So, Jesus' authority had something to do with forgiveness... This sheds light on something else Jesus said:

“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. [Matthew 6.14-15]

Jesus' followers are not just encouraged to forgive. Instead, they are commanded to do so and warned that if they do not forgive, they are not forgiven!

But look at something else Jesus said:

If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” [John 20.23]

If Jesus was given authority to forgive, it sure sounds in John 20.23 that He is also giving authority to forgive! And, what does forgiveness do? In the case of the lame man brought to Jesus on a mat, it healed his body.

The Body of Christ today needs to get this figured out! No, really, the Body of Christ needs to OBEY it! We are to forgive people ...and that forgiveness will cause our lives to mirror the life of Christ!

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. [John 14.12]

Jesus did not say that those who believe in Him might have a healing ministry... Jesus said His followers WILL do the same works He did! This includes healing... but as we have already seen, healing comes through forgiveness!

It is not about how religious we become. Pleasing God is about showing mercy! Showing mercy is an enormous act of faith - and faith is the only way to please God:

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. [Hebrews 11.6]

Jesus' life and teaching so clearly shows us the Way. But it seems we would rather be religious and follow our religious protocols teaching others to do so... All the while, we pass right by opportunity after opportunity to forgive and heal for the glory of God those sinners - those sick people - who need forgiveness and healing.

May God upset our religion and our religious ways and establish us in obedience to Christ!

Father, Your ways have been shown to us in Christ. Your ways are mercy and forgiveness. Your mercy and forgiveness are our marching orders - to be like Christ. May we be found obedient soldiers of Your Kingdom of mercy and not man's kingdom of religion!