Anchor My Faith

Be Merciful

Scripture: Matthew 5:48; Luke 6:34-36

In the previous lesson we considered the importance of doing to others what you would like them do for you in a similar situation. In this lesson we will extend that principle to the area of lending. We will also look at the command to be merciful and perfect as our Father in heaven is.

Jesus continues his teaching by saying: ^{Lk 6:34} “And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. ³⁵ But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.” The question we need to answer first is, “What is being lent?” Going back to the Greek we find it has to do with money and is translated as lend in Luke and borrow in Matthew.

In the context of this section, I believe we have in view here a person who is poor and needs something, like a meal, and has no money. If asked, Jesus is suggesting, we should loan the money with no expectation of it being paid back. The bottom line of this principle is, don’t think of the money given as a loan but as a gift. We are to do this, especially if the one in need is someone we would prefer not to help, like the homeless that comes begging.

^{Lk 6:36} “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. ^{Mt 5:48} You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” To be merciful is to show or exercise mercy; to have pity on, to spare or to pardon. For example, it was the will of a merciful God that all should be saved. As sinners, we were enemies of God, but he saw that we were in need of salvation and out of love for us he sacrificed his Son to purchase our salvation and then once we are born spiritually, he is caring, compassionate and gentile with discipline to mature us. In the same way we are to reach out to others and show them mercy; to provide them what they don’t deserve.

The final command, to be perfect as our Father in heaven is, is beyond our natural reach since we were born as a sinner. However, when born again, our sin is transferred to Jesus and he provides us with his righteousness. As the Father looks at us he sees the righteousness of Jesus Christ and in his sight we are perfect. As we live out our life here on earth and seek to live in conformity to Scripture, we are pursuing the perfection of God. That perfection will be made complete in our resurrection.

Prayer

Father, this has been a challenging section and if truly applied to our lives and lived out would demonstrate how Jesus would live if he were here among us. Our western culture and even western Christianity is quite self-centered and tend to keep our resources to ourselves and remain comfortable and safe and secure. Father, as we looked at the need of us showing mercy, we need for you to show us mercy.