Mercy

Jesus assumed His audience understood the term:

  • Mathew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.
  • Matthew 9:13, 12:7 Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.”
  • Mark 5:19 “Go home to your friends and tell them what great things the Lord has done for your, and how He had compassion on you.”  (Man from whom 1000 demons were cast out)
  • Matthew 18:33 “Should you not also have compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?” (parable of the ungrateful debtor)
  • Luke 16:24 “Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.”

People used the term when asking Jesus for healing:

  • Matthew 9:27 “Son of David, have mercy on us.”
  • Matthew 15:22 “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David.”
  • Matthew 17:15 “Lord, have mercy on my son.”
  • Matthew 20:30 – 31, Mark 10:47, Luke 18:38 “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David.”
  • Luke 17:13 “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

More ways “mercy” was used:

  • Luke 1:58 When her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had shown great mercy to her, they rejoiced with her.
  • Luke 1:50 “And His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to generation.”
  • Luke 1:76 – 78 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest…through the tender mercies of our God.

Mercy classified with other positive character traits:

  • Matthew 23:23 “[You] have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith.”
  • Luke 10:37 “He [the Samaritan in the parable] who showed mercy on him.”
  • 1 Timothy 1:2, 2 Timothy 1:2, Titus 1:4, 2 John 3, Jude 2 Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.
  • Galatians 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them…
  • James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
  • Hebrews 2:17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest…

Attitudes of mercy:

  • Romans 12:8 …he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives with liberality; he whom leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
  • 2 Corinthians 4:1 Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.
  • 1 Corinthians 7:25 …yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy.

Sometimes connected to judgment:

  • Romans 11:30 For as you [Gentile Christians] were once disobedient to God, yet have not obtained mercy through their [unbelieving Jews’] disobedience, even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy.  For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.
  • Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.
  • 1 Timothy 1:13 Although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man, but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
  • 1 Timothy 1:16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me, first, Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
  • Titus 3:4 – 5 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us…
  • Hebrews 10:28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
  • James 2:13 For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy.  Mercy triumphs over judgment.
  • 1 Peter 2:10 …who once were no a people but now are the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
  • Jude 21 – 22 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.  And on some have compassion (mercy), who are doubting.
  • 1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope…

Sometimes connected to the promises of God:

  • Luke 1:54 “He has helped His servant Israel in remembrance of His mercy.”
  • Luke 1:72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant.
  • Romans 15:8 – 9 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God to confirm the promise made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy…

Sometimes synonymous with a blessing rather than forgiveness:

  • 2 Timothy 1:15 – 18 The Lord grant mercy on the household of Onesiphorus for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains…The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy.
  • Hebrews 4:16 Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
  • James 5:11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure.  You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord – that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
  • Romans 9:15 – 23 (Exodus 33:19) “’I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’  So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy. … Therefore He has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills, He hardens … that He might make known the riches of His glory on vessels of mercy…”
  • Philippians 2:27 For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

Mercy is one step beyond compassion, including a strong desire to fix the problem.