BE MERCIFUL, EVEN AS YOUR FATHER IS MERCIFUL.
In the name + of Jesus.
Some of the sayings of Jesus are
hard. Our Gospel lesson is one of
them. One of the lessons highlighted in
Jesus’ words is this: We are not like God.
Jesus said, “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke
6:36). The phrase, “As your Father
is,” convicts us. We rejoice that our
Father in heaven is merciful. If we are
children of our heavenly Father, we are supposed to be like him: “As your
Father is.” But we discover quickly that
we are not.
When we think of people who reject the
word of the Lord and don’t want to do what God says, we are quick to think of
unbelievers. But Jesus’ words expose our
sinful stubbornness. How warmly did you
embrace Jesus’ words when you heard them?
Or did you rather come up with excuses why you are not going to do what
Jesus said? Let’s review: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those
who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek,
offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold
your tunic either. Give to everyone
who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them
back” (Luke 6:27-30).
Which was your
response? “Amen”? “Thanks be to God”? Or “Come on; you’ve got to be kidding?!” I know what my response is. “If I do that, people will walk all over me.” “Why should I give away what I’ve worked hard
for?” “How can I love people who are cruel? Why should I bless those who vilify me? And if they keep on vilifying me, will I
really keep on blessing and praying for them?
Guess again!” If we are to call
Jesus, “Lord,” then it would be rebellious to tell him, “No, I’m not going to
do what you say.”
Be merciful, even as your Father is
merciful. “Even as your Father is.” We do not live up to that. We confess that we bear his name, and we are
right to do so because we have been baptized into him. If we are children of the Most High God, we ought
to act like he does. But we do not. We do not forgive freely. We do not give without expecting repayment. We would rather slap the other cheek
than offer up our own. We fantasize
about harm coming to those who hate us rather than praying for them and blessing
them. “Even as our Father is”? We are not worthy of the name. Repent.
But the Lord does not withdraw his name
from us. Our place in his kingdom is not
based on our performance in it. How
could it be? No one is “Even as our
Father is.” Our place in his kingdom
is based on the fact that God is most merciful to us. He does not treat us as our sins deserve. He sent Jesus to be treated as our sins deserve. Jesus not only preached these hard words, he lived
up to them. When he was reviled, insulted,
and falsely accused, he did not respond in kind. He silently absorbed the abuse and prayed for
those who persecuted him. When he was
beaten and punched by soldiers, he fulfilled what Isaiah said he would do: “I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull
out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I
have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame” (Isaiah
50:6-7). Jesus
entrusted himself to his merciful Father to vindicate him. When Jesus’ enemies took his cloak, he also let
them take his tunic. Stripped of his
undergarment, Jesus was nailed to the cross exposed. He died a merciless death to pay for every
time we withheld mercy from others. He
was condemned for our judging other people as unworthy of our time, our
compassion, and our attention. Your Lord
is merciful. Because of his mercy, you have
forgiveness for your sins.
In fact, our Lord’s mercy is super-abundant. Jesus tells us how richly God blesses us with
his mercy and forgiveness. He says, “Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be
put into your lap” (Luke 6:38). The image is of someone who comes with a
bushel basket to be filled with grain.
After the grain is poured into the basket, he shakes the basket to make the
grain settle. Then more is put in. He shakes it and presses down on it. More is added, and it even overflows. This is the mercy the Lord has upon us. We confess our sins to God; for we never measure
up to his standards. When we confess our
sins, we never hear God utter in disgust, “AGAIN?!?!” He continues to pour out his mercy upon
us. He forgives our sins and is faithful
to his promises. Your Father in heaven
is, indeed, merciful.
Be merciful, even
as your Father is merciful. “Even as your Father is.” We are
usually willing to forgive people because we think they deserve it, or because
they can pay us back for the damage they have done. But that is not mercy at all. In fact, there is nothing special about that
kind of love. Therefore, Jesus challenges
us: “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to
you, what benefit is that to you? For
even sinners do the same. 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. But love
your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return” (Luke
6:32-35).
Be merciful,
even as your Father is merciful. The
Father’s mercy is extravagant. It is
absurd. He has mercy on those who hate
him, those who attack him, and those who deny him. Jesus’ death on the cross paid for all the
sins of all the sinners. Sadly, by rejecting
the word of the Lord, many also reject the decree of forgiveness and they do
not receive the Lord’s salvation. No one
is condemned because God is stingy with his mercy. God’s mercy is poured out beyond what is
needed. Much of it is wasted and abused. But see how merciful he is! His mercy will always be greater than your sins. Therefore, you are always in good standing
with the Lord. Your sins are forgiven. Your salvation is sure.
Now, you are children of the Most High God. As children of the heavenly Father, your goal
is to be like him. Be merciful, even as
your Father is merciful. The mercy which
spills over from God spills over from us to others. Forgiveness can be given freely and
generously. For, you lose nothing by
being merciful even as your Father is no poorer for graciously giving you all things.
But mercy is not the same as turning a
blind eye to wickedness. It is true that
Jesus said, “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn
not, and you will not be condemned” (Luke 6:37). Sinners seem to know that verse very well,
and people use it to defend their sins. Planet
Fitness boasts that they are a judgment-free zone, which makes them appealing
to others. Several churches also have
adopted that slogan. But it is
impossible to go through life judgment-free.
If someone slaps you on the cheek, it is not okay. Violence, abuse, and insulting words are always
wrong. That is a judgment, and few would
say that you are wrong. Jesus does urge
us to turn and offer the other cheek rather than retaliate and escalate the
anger. But he does not to say to put up
with it because there is nothing wrong with it.
Judgment is not
the problem. The problem is whose
judgment is being made. Man’s judgment
favors himself. Ask any team that loses
and they will tell you how the refs cheated them. God’s judgment, however, is always true. He has entrusted all judgment to Jesus Christ. Since Jesus will judge the living and the
dead, we had better be sure that our judgment aligns with Jesus’ words. Jesus did not turn a blind eye to sins. He preached, “The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and
believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15).
Now, if people are told to repent, that means
they are under a judgment of guilt over sins for which they must repent.
We do not do
people any favors by pretending that sins are okay. If we speak, we let God’s word make the judgment
for us. That way, our Lord remains the judge. But even when we urge people to repent of
their sins, we can be merciful. We know
what it is to find temptations attractive.
We know what it is to be seduced by the devil and the world. We know what it is to bear guilt over
sins. We are superior to no one. We dare not judge anyone to be unworthy of
God’s word or his forgiveness. Think of
how Jesus interacted with the prostitutes and tax collectors. He did not turn a blind eye to their sins,
but neither did he shoo them away because they were too filthy or too far gone for
him. The Pharisees treated them that way,
but not Jesus.
The Pharisees were
good at judging and condemning. The Pharisees
always branded people according to their sins.
Now, it may be true that they were guilty of the sins the Pharisees noted. But to keep tattooing people with their sins will
drive them deeper into despair and further from the kingdom of God. Be merciful, therefore, even as your Father
is merciful. “For he is kind to
the ungrateful and the evil” (Luke 6:36). The Father sent Jesus because he chose not
to look upon people according to their sins, but acted in mercy according to
their needs. Jesus was sent not to
condemn, but to save. People will not be
rescued from drowning in a sea of sins by tying an anchor to them, but by giving
them a life-preserver which is Jesus’ mercy and by bringing them into the ark
of the Christian Church. Everyone you
ever meet is a person for whom the Father sent a Savior into the world. Everyone you ever meet is a person for whom
Jesus bled and died. Everyone is a
person upon whom the Lord desires to have mercy. Therefore, be merciful to them, even as the
Father is merciful to you.
Granted, it may
not always be easy to be merciful. Some people
will test your patience. Some will be
annoying, obnoxious, and crude. Some
people may even persist in their sin and unbelief. Do they not need your kindness, patience, and
mercy all the more? If they will be
saved, God will do that through his word.
And if they must be judged and condemned, God will do that through his
word, too.
You may find it hard to do what Jesus says
the children of God do. Some people will
make it especially hard to do it. Your
heavenly Father, however, seeks the good and the salvation of all. He wants to be merciful and to forgive. And finally, this is what saves you. You are not forgiven because you are so good
at forgiving others. You are forgiven
because you have a Savior who has taken away your condemnation. His mercy overflows to you. Be merciful, therefore. For the Father is most merciful. He saves sinners, and the abundance of his
mercy rightly spills over from you to other sinners who need it.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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