... For he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your father is merciful. (Luke 6:35)
Then his master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you? (Matthew 18:32-33)
Awhile back I received a strong rebuke from one of my roommates about my attitude toward another guy. I had been harboring deep bitterness for the pain and grief he had caused me. As a result, I was full of anger and resentment. He had put me through so much that I was unable to forgive him, or so I told myself. In response to my unforgiving attitude my roommate shot this question at me, "Do you have any idea the crap you and I did to Christ?!" It was one of the strongest rebukes I've ever had. And through it, I saw that I had really failed to grasp that the gospel affects how we live with--and show mercy--to one another. We can never stare too often or too long at the mercy of God. It is so easy to forget how much I have been forgiven, nothing anyone has ever done to me can ever match the amount of evil I have done to God in my rebellion. We were once his enemies, waging war against him with our sin but it was his kindness and mercy that paid for our sins and reconciled us to himself. It is vital that we dwell on the riches of his kindness to us. We fail to believe the gospel when we treat another sibling in Christ or an unbelieving neighbor with contempt, scorn, or resentment because we fail to remember the horror we inflicted on the son of God.
Furthermore, our refusal to show forgiveness and mercy demonstrates that we have not truly received the father's forgiveness and mercy. A good friend pointed it out to me, that the king in the Matthew 18 parable was angry with the unmerciful servant not simply because he was cruel (he was) but that the servant never truly received the King's mercy. Showing mercy to others is a fundamental part--an outpour--of our receiving, treasuring, and trusting in the mercy of God the father. So, are you harboring any bitterness in you heart? Has someone just really ticked you off big time? Do you feel that some people aren't worthy of your interest, time, or patience? Then run to the cross! Remember what you have been spared. It is only by dwelling on how patient and merciful God has been to you that you can be merciful to your brother, sister, or neighbor. And trust God to keep His promise to make obedience "healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones" (Proverbs 3:8).
