Matthew 23:23
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier mattersof the law: justice and mercy and faith
The Israelites have the law.
People of Israel always thought following the commandments in a ritualistic way, like following sabbath, are the weightiest matters.
But Lord Jesus says the weightiest matters of the Law are
Justice.
Mercy.
Faith.
When we first know God we are so excited about Gods nature and all the important things of faith. but after some time, we might become ritualistic.
It is very easy common for people to say am believer but do we look at the weightiest matters of Gods heart or do we get into ritualistic matters.
Faith we have been hearing about it.
Today i want to speak about Mercy.
To talk about Mercy.First we have to look the source of Mercy . is God.
Exodus 34:6-8
6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
8 So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the earth
When God appeared to Moses, He proclaimed Himself
This is what God is Merciful,Gracious, Compassionate, Slow To Anger.
He is so abounding in Love, that mercy and compassion flows in Him.
The more we know God we will worship Him like Moses.
God is not just a God of words but actions.
Look at Israelites,
every time they sinned and they confessed, God showed mercy.
Right from egypt He showed mercy and delivered them out of Pharoah.
In Wilderness, when they murmured, when they complained He showed mercy.
After crossing Jordan, every time they sinned and became captive for others kingdoms and when they cried out He showed mercy.
He showed mercy after kings when they were in captivity in Babylon He showed mercy.
The best of His mercy to whole human race has come when God sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ.
In Titus 3:5 we read that “he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy….”
Our very Salvation is because of His mercy.
This is the one side of Mercy- the Word also says
Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain Mercy. It doesn't mean that we will obtain salvation by showing mercy. the intention is that Gods very nature should be reflected in us.
everything that God is in His nature, we should be that.
He says I am Holy, Be Holy,
Everything what God is , He wants to see that in us.
VALUE the Mercy that we received.
we fail to show mercy to others because we dont value the mercy we received.
Lord Jesus beautifully picture this in parable of wicked servant
Matthew 18:22 onwards
22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.
Here the servant asked for patience, time and said will pay it all.
And master took pity.
He did more than what the master asked for.
more than patience, time and payment,
He forgave all the debt.
28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet[a] and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’[b] 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.
The other servant also asked the same request.patience, time , will pay all.
But he didnt show any of merciful act. no time no patience. Mercy reigns in a person who is humble.
Humbleness is not about being nice to others , but humbleness is doing what God says. If we really understand the mercy of God, then we will be merciful to others.
2) Traditions: Getting caught up in Traditions we never see mercy.
10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, thatbehold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’[b] For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”[c]
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings
And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings
we can say i come to Church and tithe and do all things in Church. But God says I desire mercy and not sacrifice. If you don't have mercy on fellow believer then all your sacrifices are waste.
The problem with pharisees is When Jesus moved with compassion looking at the people, they all moved with judgement nature.
In the above passage, they were Judging the people hey they were sinners.
But Lord said that he came for them.
In the above passage, they were Judging the people hey they were sinners.
But Lord said that he came for them.
When they look some one healed on sabbath, instead of praising God they were more on judging why this is Jesus done most of miracles on sabbath to test their judgemental nature.
Traditions, ceremonial things are not required for God. But what God needs is mercy.
Mark 3:4-6
4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.”
get away from Traditions then we will show mercy others.
3) Knowing God will helps us to show mercy to others.
Jonah has the knowledge of God.
Jonah 3:10
10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.
Jonah 4:1
But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. 2 So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm.3 Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!”
Jonah has knowledge of God that God is merciful. But He couldn't accept that others needs mercy.
Today do we have knowledge or do we understand Gods heart.
Knowing God is eternal life.
5) Isaiah 58: Fasting is not just one day or 21 days not eating, it is about aligining to Gods ways,
Romans 12:1,2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
James 2:13
13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Finally Build our lives on Mercies of God.
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Letus look at life of Jonah .
Jonah knows God is merciful , the only question is whether do you realize the mercy of God in your life
We hear this verse many times.
Eternal life is knowing God.
Jonah knows the character of God.
Knowing character is one thing but knowing the heart of God and what He means to you ib the life is another thing.
Are we harsh on people today?
The harshness comes when we feel great in one area
Suppose if you are good in cooking, and some one who is not so good in that area is trying to do something, then you keep passing comments saying this is not good that is not good, you are actually making mercy.
Mercy triumphs judgement.
God is never tired of mercy.
He is always merciful.
Even when calling Peter to ministry, the Lord gave abundance of fish, and brought it repentance.
We hear this verse many times.
Eternal life is knowing God.
Jonah knows the character of God.
Knowing character is one thing but knowing the heart of God and what He means to you ib the life is another thing.
Are we harsh on people today?
The harshness comes when we feel great in one area
Suppose if you are good in cooking, and some one who is not so good in that area is trying to do something, then you keep passing comments saying this is not good that is not good, you are actually making mercy.
Mercy triumphs judgement.
God is never tired of mercy.
He is always merciful.
Even when calling Peter to ministry, the Lord gave abundance of fish, and brought it repentance.
What does God want
Matthew 9: 10-13
http://bible.com/111/mat.9.10-
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
Hosea 6:6
Matthew 9: 10-13
http://bible.com/111/mat.9.10-
Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
Hosea 6:6
For I desire mercy and not sacrifice,
And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings
And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings
we can say i come to Church and tithe and do all things in Church. But God says I desire mercy and not sacrifice. If you don't have mercy on fellow believer then all your sacrifices are waste.
The problem with pharisees is When Jesus moved with compassion looking at the people, they all moved with judgement nature.
In the above passage, they were Judging the people hey they were sinners.
But Lord said that he came for them.
In the above passage, they were Judging the people hey they were sinners.
But Lord said that he came for them.
When they look some one healed on sabbath, instead of praising God they were more on judging why this is Jesus done most of miracles on sabbath to test their judgemental nature.
Traditions, ceremonial things are not required for God. But what God needs is mercy.
Jesus said he did not come to judge the world.
James 2:13
13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Finally Build our lives on Mercies of God.
Romans 12:1,2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
