“Mercy Me!”

“Have mercy on me, Lord” Matthew 15: 22

Mercy is lenient treatment or a fortunate circumstance. Mercy is a forgiving response to wrongdoing. Mercy is a blessing of divine favour or compassion. A woman came to Jesus looking for healing for her daughter and she called out to Jesus for mercy. After an interesting conversation, Jesus commended her faith and healed her daughter. A cry for mercy answered by the Son of God.

Mercy, it’s not really a word we use all that often today but that doesn’t mean we don’t need mercy. When we are hurting, burdened by regret, we need mercy. When we hold onto grudges and bitterness, we need mercy. When we seek healing from the pain of our pasts, we need mercy. But, we not only need mercy, but we also need to give mercy. Giving mercy means having a little more patience, gentleness, courage, forgiveness, and love for one another. Mercy frees us to live more fully, to see the world with new eyes, and to re-think what we’ve always believed to be true. Mercy: the divine compassion of God given to each one of us. Thanks be to God.