In his book, “The Eight Blessings,” pastor and author, Shane Stanford, tells of a time he was coming out of a breakfast meeting and noticed a woman sitting in her car and crying intensely. He didn’t want to intrude. After all, she was a stranger. But, at the same time he felt he should do something. So, he tapped on the glass and said, “Ma’am, are you okay?” Knowing full well that she wasn’t. The woman looked up with the sort of expression that said, “If I were fine, I wouldn’t be here crying.” But, she graciously responded, “Yes, I’m fine.” “Can I do anything to help?” Stanford asked. “No, I’m fine,” came her reply. “Well, I hope your day gets better,” he said, before handing her a tissue and walking away.

Later on that day Shane Stanford says he was relating the whole scene to his wife, and he was feeling pretty good about himself. He fully expected his wife to praise him for his obvious sensitivity. Instead, she floored him and said, “Did you ask if she wanted to talk or if she needed you to call anyone?” “No,” he replied, somewhat taken aback. She said, “You didn’t ask what was wrong?” Again, all Shane Stanford could do was say, “No.” “Let me get this straight,” his wife said. “You approach an obviously upset woman sitting in a car, and ask her a series of questions that any friend would hesitate to answer in such a condition, much less a stranger to a stranger, you give her a tissue, and then walk away feeling as though you are Mother Teresa?” “Well, I … I…” he stumbled in reply. Placing her hand on his, she said, “So basically, honey, you were a glorified tissue dispenser. Doing the right thing, but for no good reason except the requirement of that’s what good Christians do.”

Of course, Shane Stanford’s wife was right. Simply being nice isn’t what mercy is about either. It may make us “feel” better. But, that’s not what Jesus meant. You see, instead of “feelings” we might think of mercy as “compassion in action!” It’s not just something we feel. It’s actually something we do. The scriptures are full of examples of “compassionate action.” For example, there’s the parable of the Good Samaritan. You all know that parable, about the man who stopped and cared for a stranger after several others had just walked by. The “kicker” is that the one doing the caring is an outsider, – a Samaritan,– a person no good Jew would ever have anything to do with. And yet, he is the one who shows mercy! It’s not by what he says, but by what he does! And at the end of the parable, Jesus tells us to go and do likewise. Jesus reminds us that mercy isn’t just about “feelings,” – but rather -- “feelings in action!” Mercy is the compassionate action of God.

Please join us for worship this Sunday at either 8:00 am or 10:30 am, as we look at the fifth of the beatitudes, “Blessed are the merciful.”  

Pastor John