2. What does Jesus think about mercy?

3. Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

4. Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

5. In our first four Beatitudes we dealt with our inner attitudes that we are to have.

6. Humility Repentant over sins Meek Hungry and thirsty for righteousness

10. Now in the last Beatitudes we move to looking at our outer actions that can come about WHEN we have those inner attitudes.

11. Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “The merciful have an irresistible love for the downtrodden, the sick, the wronged, the

12. outcast, and those who are tortured with anxiety.... No distress is too great, no sin too appalling for their pity.”

14. Mercy is when we DON’T give people what they deserve.

15. It is a feeling AND an action

16. It was mercy in Abraham after he had been wronged by his nephew Lot that caused him to go and secure Lot’s deliverance.

17. It was mercy in Moses, after Miriam had rebelled against him and the Lord had given her leprosy, that made him cry, “Oh God, heal her, I pray!”

18. It was mercy in David that twice caused him to spare the life of Saul.

19. It was mercy in Joseph that caused him to spare the lives of his brothers.

20. Genesis 45:4 “Come close to me,” he said to them, wanting to love on them.”

21. There are two areas of being merciful to others we will look at:

22. 1) Mercy toward those who have wronged us

23. “Do you show them mercy?”

24. “Will you?”

25. 2) Mercy toward those who are needy.

26. 1 John 3:17 “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”

27. We see another great example of mercy in Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37):

28. 1) He saw the distress.

29. 2) He responded with a heart of compassion.

30. 3) He responded externally with a practical effort to relieve his distress.

31. 4) He showed this mercy even though he was an enemy.

32. So how can we be people of mercy?

33. Remember our source of mercy: “But God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.” Eph. 2:4

34. Remember our ultimate example of mercy-Jesus.

35. We can only show mercy when we have the inner attitudes of the first four Beatitudes AND we rely on the help of the Spirit.

36. The place to start with is our hearts

37. Today, pray and ask the Spirit to help you show mercy toward someone who doesn’t deserve it because of what they have done to you.

38. Pray and ask the Spirit to give you a mercy for those in need around you.

39. Get ready for the Mercy of Jesus to spill out on you.