Thursday Scripture: Luke 11
Mercy
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An expert in religious law who wanted to justify himself asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers.
They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.
So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.
He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine.
Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.
The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in religious law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
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Mercy is one of the foundations of Jewish faith, and the beloved story of the good Samaritan shows that Jesus placed it high on his list of priorities.
Mercy does not ask what color, what gender, or what age.
Mercy is God's way of using us to heal the world.
Mercy does its best work when it is blind.
It does not show favoritism.
You cannot deserve it.
You cannot earn it.
Mercy and grace go hand in hand.
One easy way to show mercy in 2020 is to give blood--especially for those who have recovered from Covid.
Another easy step is to make sure your family knows you are an organ donor.
That decision can save at least 8 lives.
And random acts of kindness can also change the world.
At a time when the world is crying out for justice, what we really need is mercy.
Go and do likewise.