Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Do you ask God for mercy?
Matthew 18:21-35
21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
It’s only as we give mercy, that we receive mercy. The kingdom of heaven operates different then the kingdom of man.
Mercy is at the discretion of the king. You may think, but Lord I deserve this. The truth is we deserve nothing. We crucified Jesus, we deserve hell. We’ve committed sins against God that are worthy of death. When we approach God as if we are entitled, we miss the mark of mercy. It’s through humility and brokenness that we ask God to show us mercy and receive it.
When you receive mercy you have to give mercy. You can’t take advantage of it. When the king heard that the man didn’t show the same mercy that was given to him, the king took it back. In order to receive mercy, you must give mercy to others.
Luke 18:9-14
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Tax collectors were hated by all, but this is the guy who says, Lord, I’m not worthy of any grace. I’ve sinned all of my life. I’m an evil man, but Lord have mercy on me. Which one of these men were justified before God? The Pharisee who trusted in himself and thought he was so righteous, or the tax collector who begged for mercy?
Was he an evil man? Yes, but he recognized his evil ways. He recognized his brokenness. He was desperate for mercy. When we come into the presence of God we have to discern our spiritual state and our spiritual brokenness. That we are pathetic, bankrupt people, without power, victory, mercy, and grace. We have to ask God to intervene in our life through His mercy. And when that happens heaven comes down and mercy can flow to restore.
1. Ask for mercy
2. Receive and give mercy
3. Don’t take advantage of God’s mercy