Extending Mercy: Embracing Everyone with Love and Compassion

This is our third post in an eight-part series about mercy. Today’s post is about extending mercy to everyone. If you missed the first two you can find them here and here. Subscribe to our blog and newsletter to be alerted whenever we add new posts so you won’t miss any more of the series! Let’s get started.

In part one we introduced the idea of mercy, what biblical mercy is, and how Jesus calls us to share it with others. Part two delved deeper into the first of 7 ways Christianity calls us to show mercy in our community; caring for people instead of strictly adhering to rules and regulations.
Today we will go over the second way we can extend mercy to others around us. Extending mercy to everyone regardless of socioeconomic status, clothes, appearance, or career is a cornerstone of Christianity. Jesus often hung out with the lowest members of society in his day and he still loves a good underdog story.

Understanding Mercy

Mercy is a profound concept that goes beyond mere forgiveness. It encompasses kindness, compassion, and a readiness to help those in need. The Bible is rich with examples of God’s mercy towards humanity, and as followers of Christ, we are invited to reflect that same mercy in our interactions with others. In today’s world, we often hear non-believers say that a bad church experience or hurt from the church is their number one reason for not believing. As Christians, it is time we do some self-reflection and begin showing Christ’s mercy and unconditional love to all of those around us.

Micah 6:8 reads, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Being Christ-like requires us to humble ourselves and show mercy to those around us. How many times have you passed by a homeless person on the street? Have you ever felt a small voice urging you to give them a little money, but then thought that they might waste it on drugs or alcohol and decided not to? Jesus doesn’t want you to judge if the person deserves a blessing or not. He also doesn’t want you to worry about what the person does with the blessing once it is given. He simply asks us to act as his hands and feet in delivering the blessing he wants to give.

Practical Ways to Extend Mercy

One way to practice extending mercy to others is by practicing empathy. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes for a moment. If you think about it for a moment you can probably come up with a time when you needed a little mercy too. I have met lots of adversity in my life. There was a time when my oldest son was just a baby when I could barely pay the bills on my own. My first husband left us shortly after Sam was born and being in a single-parent home was difficult. I had to humble myself a few times and ask my extended family for money or help with food. If it weren’t for them showing me empathy and mercy I don’t know what I would have done to survive.

Another really simple way to show the love and mercy of Christ is just by validating someone’s feelings. Sometimes when we are going through a hard time it helps just to know that someone will listen. Lending an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on could be the thing that keeps a person holding on for one more day. Acknowledging how someone feels without judgment is such a small and easy way to extend God’s mercy. Who could you listen to today and perhaps pray for that might brighten their day or ease their struggle?

Here is a list of a few other simple ways to extend mercy today.

• Offer help and support. This could be as simple as cooking a meal for your neighbor or offering a ride to someone you know who doesn’t have a reliable way to work. Sometimes just listening to someone vent could be an act of mercy as well.
• Forgive freely. Let go of any grudges you’re holding today. Anger and bitterness end up hurting you more in the long run. Release those past hurts and try to reconcile your damaged relationships. Jesus urges us to forgive others because he has first forgiven us.
• Show kindness daily. The more you practice small acts of kindness the easier it will get. Why not buy a friend a cup of coffee today or offer to help someone carry their groceries at the store? You never know when your small act of kindness could have a really big impact.

Jesus and Zacchaeus: A Lesson in Extending Mercy

One powerful example of Jesus extending mercy and compassion to those considered less savory by society is His encounter with Zacchaeus, the tax collector. This story is found in Luke 19:1-10. Jesus was passing through the city of Jericho, where a man named Zacchaeus lived. Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector, a position that made him wealthy but also despised by his fellow Jews. Hearing that Jesus was coming, Zacchaeus wanted to see Him. However, because he was short and could not see over the crowd, he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to get a better view.

When Jesus reached the spot, He looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” This invitation shocked the crowd, who began to mutter about Jesus choosing to be a guest of a sinner. Overwhelmed by Jesus’ acceptance and kindness, Zacchaeus came down and welcomed Him gladly. During their time together, Zacchaeus made a remarkable declaration: “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus responded with words of salvation and mercy: “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Real-Life Examples of Extending Mercy

When I think of the story of Jesus and Zacchaeus I am reminded of a young man I knew in junior high and high school. We were in the same grade but he had been held back a few times so he was a bit older than the rest of our class. His family had moved to our small town from another state so he was viewed as an outsider right away. Furthermore, his family didn’t have much money and they lived in a mobile home, which wasn’t common in our area. To make matters worse, this boy had some past trauma in his life that caused him to have some pretty serious behavior issues at school.

One day at lunch I took my tray and sat with him. He didn’t speak to me at all that day or the next. Eventually, though he asked me why I was sitting there. I simply said, ‘You looked lonely’. We struck up a friendship after that day and I later invited him to church with me. Two summers later at a church revival he accepted Jesus as his savior. After we graduated we went our separate ways and I eventually lost touch with him. However, I’ve always kept that time as a reminder to show mercy to others. You never know when it could have an eternal impact.

Just as Jesus extended kindness to a man widely hated by his community, we are called to reach out to those outcasts in our communities. Jesus’ actions remind us that embracing everyone with love and compassion means reaching out to those marginalized or deemed unworthy by society. His example calls us to extend grace and build bridges rather than erect walls.

Living Out Mercy In Everyday Life

Extending mercy and embracing everyone with love and compassion is a journey that requires intentionality and practice. By grounding ourselves in biblical principles and actively seeking to embody Christ’s love, we can make a profound impact on those around us. Let us strive to be beacons of mercy in a world that so desperately needs it. I encourage you to reflect on ways you can extend mercy in your own life. Consider who in your community might need an extra measure of love and compassion today. Share your experiences and encourage others to join you in this vital mission.