we have a visiting speaker with us this morning from the minchinbury congregation that's brother Robert Wilson and we're looking forward very much now to his discussion of the topic imitate the father of Tender Mercies thanks brother Wilson I'd like to start this talk by reading a quote from a newspaper article Iranian woman Samurai elinajad had told the Associated Press that retribution had been her only thought after her teenage son was murdered but in a dramatic turn at the Gallows literally moments before the killer was to be executed a lineagead made a last-minute decision to Pardon The Man now Iranian law allows for the next of kin of a murdered victim to save the life of the murderer they still have to serve their prison sentence obviously but that's what this woman did and we might at first initially think that this is the perfect illustration or example of Mercy and it's true that in a legal sense Mercy is kind of referred to as the leniency that a judge would carry out by not imposing the full penalty for a particular crime interestingly though the original words translated Mercy in the Bible have quite a different meaning they have mostly an expression of kind consideration or pity that brings relief to the disadvantaged in fact the examples of Jehovah and Jesus show that Mercy has two components without both components it's not true mercy so the first component is feelings of compassion sympathy or pity towards somebody in a disadvantaged state and the second is action that brings relief to these ones so being merciful it has to have both elements so those who are merciful are actively compassionate they do things to help people because they care one reference work defines Mercy as a feeling of Sorrow over someone's bad situation and trying to do something about it well Jehovah of course is a wonderful example of someone who shows Mercy he his compassion and mercy it's just part of his makeup let's examine a scripture that teaches us this in second Corinthians chapter one and verse 3. and there it says praised be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ the father of Tender Mercies and the God of All Comfort so Jehovah's called the father of Tender Mercies what does that mean well the Greek word that Paul used there can convey the idea of feeling compassion for the sufferings of others and another Bible reference work says that this term could be translated feels pity or cares very much so Jehovah's Tender Mercies are what move him to act to help people and that's something that really draws us to him isn't it being that same verse notice Paul also referred to Jehovah as the God of All Comfort and he used a word that includes the idea of consoling someone in trouble or sorrow and the idea of giving active help or encouragement so Jehovah gives Comfort to a sufferer when he gives them the help the Courage the strength to Bear their pain how does he do this well there's mainly two ways that he does this firstly through his word the Bible and secondly through the gift of Prayer the Apostle Paul said that Jehovah gives us his word that through the comfort from the scriptures we might have hope so how does that work with the scriptures what do you find when you read through the scriptures what sort of things do you fight you find Jehovah's promises how he promises to be there to help to give strength and courage to his loyal worshipers we also see fulfilled prophecies and that really shows us and and reinforces US gives us that comfort that Jehovah will keep his word he will fulfill his promises to care for us and we also read accounts of the way that he's comforted his servants in the past and that again gives us comfort and hope that he'll do the same for us so that's Second Avenue prayer when we take our troubles to Jehovah in prayer then we can experience peace of God that surpasses all understanding it's a really amazing piece that Jehovah gives to the point where we don't even understand why we're not more worried not more concerned not more anxious about what we're going through and it's simply because Jehovah has given us his peace so even though Jehovah is the God of All Comfort he doesn't necessarily take away our pain or our sorrow whatever it is that we're going through but we can be sure of one thing that if we do turn to him for comfort he will provide the courage and the strength for us to get through anything we're going through who does Jehovah show Mercy to let's look at an interesting passage in Luke chapter 6. verses 32 to 36.
so this is some Council that Jesus gave starting verse 32 if you love those loving you of what credit is it to you for even the Sinners love those loving them and if you do good to those doing good to you of what credit is it to you even the Sinners do the same also if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment of what credit is it to you even the Sinners land to Sinners so they may get back as much on the contrary continue to love your enemies and to do good and to lend without hoping for anything back and your reward will be great and you will be sons of the most high for he is kind toward the unthankful and wicked continue being merciful just as your father is merciful so Jehovah is kind and merciful even to those who don't appreciate it even to those who don't acknowledge that they've received that kindness and mercy even to those who won't live by his standards how does he do that well as the scripture say he makes the sun rise and the rainfall on the wicked and the good and there are many other things as well that he provides for everybody no matter how they feel about him he could easily withhold these things from them if he wanted to couldn't he but he doesn't has Mercy another example is his Mercy toward the Israelites as a group and Judges chapter 2 verses 17 and 18 explains this thank you speaking about the Israelites but they refused to listen even to the judges and would prostitute themselves to other gods and bow down to them they quickly turned aside from the way in which their forefathers had walked those who had obeyed the Commandments of Jehovah they failed to do that whenever Jehovah did raise up judges for them Jehovah would be with the judge and save them from the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge for Jehovah was moved to pity over their groaning cause by those who oppressed them and those who were treating them abusively notice there that first aspect that first component of Mercy he was moved to pity when they cried out for help even though it was their own mistakes that led to their bad situation time and time again they did it didn't they they left Jehovah went off the Nations oppressed them they realized what their problem was they repented Jehovah showed Mercy to them and rescued them so that helps us to see the when a person repents and changes their course Jehovah shows Mercy to them and forgives them a good example this was King David now King David was a good man wasn't he yet he did commit some serious sins but he repented and he he never repeated those serious gross sins again Jehovah showed Mercy to him now perhaps a factor in this Mercy when forgiveness was the fact that David had shown Mercy to others in the past for example King Saul he was on and off for years chasing after David wasn't he to put him to death now during that time there was opportunities that David had to take Saul's life to rid himself of that problem but he didn't he had mercy on Saul So This falls into line with what Jesus stated he said stop judging that you may not be judged for with what judgment you are judging you will be judged so basically Jesus was saying well Jehovah treats us the way that we treat others so it's a relief isn't it to know that Jehovah will forgive our sins even serious things he'll do this if we ourselves have a forgiving spirit and if we confess our sins and we repent and we change our attitude towards those wrong things to the point where we hate those wrong things that we've done Jesus imitated his father perfectly in showing mercy and he demonstrated why it's so important and how to show Mercy let's see what he said about the importance of showing Mercy in Matthew chapter 9 and verse 13. now here he was speaking to the Pharisees he said go then and learn what this means I want Mercy and not sacrifice Jesus made sacrifices didn't he huge sacrifices in fact the life of a Christian is one of sacrifices isn't it yet Jesus said he wanted Mercy not sacrifice so it doesn't that show just how essential Mercy is as a quality in our lives we have to show Mercy in order to have a good relationship with Jehovah and what merciful Act was Jesus performing when he said that to the Pharisees he was teaching people the truth about Jehovah and his kingdom there are a lot of times when Jesus really felt for people he was moved to teach them to help them spiritually scriptures tell us that he viewed them as a sheep without a shepherd skinned and thrown about and his feelings of pity for them moved him to teach them things that were going to comfort them what should be our motive when being merciful let's again look at Jesus words just over in chapter six of Matthew and we'll read the first four verses take care not to practice your righteousness in front of men to be noticed by them otherwise you will have no reward with your father who is in the heavens so when you make Gifts of Mercy do not blow a trumpet ahead of you as the Hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they may be glorified by men truly I say to you they have their reward in full but you we're making Gifts of Mercy do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your gifts of Mercy may be in secret then your father who looks on in secret will repay you so if we were to perform merciful acts so that those around us would admire the work that we'd done well Jehovah's not impressed is he but if we show True Mercy out of genuine pity and concern and care for others well Jehovah notices that and he really cherishes that and he rewards that and that's so much better than getting recognition from humans isn't it see our motives for extending Mercy have to be pure in order to please Jehovah now we mentioned before that Mercy requires positive action that's the second component isn't it let's look at Jesus classic illustration of Mercy in Luke chapter 10. verse 30 to 37.
Jesus said A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell victim to robbers who stripped him beat him and went off leaving him half dead Now by coincidence a priest was going down on that road but when he saw him he passed by on the opposite side likewise the levite when he came to the place and saw him pass by on the opposite side but a certain Samaritan traveling the road Came Upon him and it's seeing him he was moved with pity so he approached him and bandaged his wounds pouring oil and wine on them then he mounted him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him the next day he took out two daenery I gave them to The Innkeeper and said take care of him and whatever you spend besides this I will repay you when I return who of these three seems to you to have made himself neighbor to the man who fell victim to the robbers notice the man's answer he said the one who acted mercifully toward him Jesus then said to him go and do the same yourself so how vividly the Samaritan's treatment of this injured man illustrates what true Mercy is he was moved by a feeling of pity on compassion and so he acted in a way that brought relief to that man what's more this man was a stranger to the Samaritan different nationality completely so that helps us to see also that Mercy should never be hindered by national or racial or cultural or any other kind of boundary and notice what Jesus said after giving in that illustration he said go and do the same yourself so obviously that applies to us as well thanks brother we can take that image to him so whenever there was a suitable occasion Jehovah sorry Jesus showed that Mercy and he wasn't devoid of emotion when he did merciful acts either he demonstrated real tender feelings of compassion let's look at another example in Mark chapter one verses 40 to 42. there also came to him a leper pleading with him even on bended knee saying to him if you just want to you can make me clean that that he was moved with pity first component of mercy and he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him I want to be made clean immediately the leprosy vanished from him and he became clean so notice Jesus reaction to the leper instead of sending him away as anybody else would have he dealt with this poor shunned man in a dignified and compassionate manner what Jesus saw here was a pitiful human in need of relief and he knew what life was like for this poor man the aversion that people had towards him and the disgust that he saw on people's faces when they looked at him having rocks thrown at him to keep him awake living as an outcast never being able to be with the ones he loved never feeling the the loving hand of assurance touching him well Jesus heart was stirred when he saw this man and those feelings of compassion turn into action you reached out touched him and healed him true Mercy thanks brother so how does Jehovah want us to respond to his Mercy let's look at a verse that we've already read today Luke chapter six verse 36. very short and sweet Jesus said continue being merciful just as your father is merciful so Jehovah wants us to respond to his Mercy not just by being appreciative but to imitate it to show that Mercy to others how can we do this well there's three main ways firstly by being forgiving it's Jehovah's Mercy that moves him to forgive us so how unmerciful would we be to withhold forgiveness from anyone the second way we can imitate Jehovah's Mercy is comforting others in their trials with encouraging words now what enables us to do that let's look at Second Corinthians chapter one and verse 4.
