Lenten Devotion - Mercy
by Susan Cundiff on March 24, 2025
Therefore, be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you (Luke 6:36-37).
Some translations use compassion instead of the word merciful in this passage. Is there a difference? To feel compassion for someone literally means to “struggle with” and to feel motivated to do something to relieve that suffering. Mercy is the action of showing kindness and leniency through forgiveness or refraining from punishment (or judgment and condemnation).
For example, we can feel or have compassion for someone who committed a crime because perhaps the individual experienced trauma or has a substance abuse problem, but still show no mercy in handing out punishment for the crime committed.
This verse appears in a section of Luke where Jesus is teaching specifically about love for our enemies and doing good to those who are not kind to us. In this passage, Jesus asks us to go a step further and show not just love for our enemies but to “be merciful.”
Are we willing to “struggle with” the enemy in the same way we would struggle with the widow, the poor, or the orphan? He asks us to withhold judgment and condemnation and forgive our enemies. I have a hard time reconciling this with my strong sense of what I think is “fair” when it seems undeserved.
I experienced this recently when I was waiting for a parking spot at Costco on a very crowded Saturday morning. I had both my kids in the car; a cranky toddler and a bored teenager – both HANGRY. This was a prime spot, right up front. I waited what felt like an eternity (ok, maybe it was only five minutes) when the car finally pulled out of the space.
A car suddenly appeared around the corner and, ignoring my protests, pulled right into the now-empty spot. I would like to say I turned the other cheek, but I didn’t. I judged him to have purposefully taken my spot to sabotage my efforts and condemned him to the fiery pits of the devil! Ok, that might be a bit strong, but in that moment when I had to wait for another spot that was much further away, mercy was not on my mind. I was definitely not praying for this parking spot thief. Inside (and kind of outside because I didn’t say very nice words), I was seething with the unfairness I had just experienced. It was not my finest moment.
Just as God forgives our sins, we are called to forgive others and extend mercy, even to those we feel don’t deserve it—even when it doesn’t seem fair. After all, God showed His mercy by sending His Son to die for our sins, even though we were His enemies (John 3:16; Romans 5:10). The cross is God’s greatest example of mercy.
The empty tomb on Easter morning is evidence of a risen Christ who offers forgiveness and salvation through His death and resurrection. This offer has no price tag. It is free of judgment, condemnation, guilt, or shame and is extended to us even though the punishment we truly deserve is death.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for your steadfast love that never ceases and your mercies that never come to an end (Lamentations 3:22).
Respond:
1. Who would you consider to be your “enemy” in this context, and how can you extend mercy to those you consider your enemies?
2. How can we encourage compassion in our interactions with others, even those with whom we disagree?
3. When was the last time you had an opportunity to show mercy?