Be Merciful // Luke 6:36

Jesus taught that His followers are to be merciful like God the Father. But what does it mean to be merciful? Well, to put it simply, showing mercy is withholding a deserved punishment. We see this is what God did for us. Isn’t God just, though? ABSOLUTELY! The Father’s mercy isn’t in ignoring a problem but paying the required penalty another way. Enter Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us that “God made [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” This is the ultimate grace of God which exists like the other side of the same coin. The grace of God gives us the gift of Jesus we could never earn to save us from a sin-debt we could never pay. Some might equate mercy with weakness; however, it is anything but. Mercy requires a supernatural strength fueled by love. How will you allow this to shape your Saturday? Who in your life needs a little mercy? How might you remain just in your approach to living while showering grace-filled love on someone in your life? Start there and see what the Lord does in, for, and through you today.