1. Once a little girl prayed simply, yet profoundly, "God make all the bad people good, and make all the good people nice." Good people sometimes forget to be kind and merciful toward others. Good people sometimes can be neglectful and harsh.

• This is so unlike Jesus who was full of mercy. The Bible repeatedly describes Him as "being moved with compassion." He showed compassion every day for others whether they were rich or poor, educated or uneducated, Jew or Gentile.

• The Bible also teaches that we must be like Christ to be saved. We are to follow in His steps by being full of compassion.

2. Jesus said in the fifth beatitude, "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." (Matt. 5:7).

• This beatitude emphasizes that Christians are to be merciful, kindhearted people.

• They must never allow their hearts to be callused by the cruel, heartless world.

Mercy is to be demonstrated in many ways by the Christian. It is to be demonstrated in the ways Jesus demonstrated it.

1. Jesus had mercy for the lost. (Lk. 7:36-38).

• Jesus said. (Lk. 19:10).

• Jesus came "to seek and save the lost."

• He laid down His life that the lost might be saved.

• We must also have mercy for the lost.

• Once a lady missionary and her porters had crossed a swollen stream. They sat down on the bank to rest a bit. An African mother with her dearly loved baby on her back tried to cross over. The swift waters were too much for her and she and her baby perished. The porters saw them drowning but made no effort to save them. They were merciless.

• We say that is horrible! This is true. But are we not sometimes that way. People are perishing all around us. They are not going to a watery grave, but are headed for the devil's hell and often we stand by and do nothing. We let them perish. We cannot be saved with cruel, heartless attitude. We must rescue the perishing and put the saving of the lost above every other consideration. (Mk. 16:15).

2. Jesus had mercy by forgiving others.

• Jesus forgave those who crucified Him even though according to strict justice they did not deserve it.

• One time a mother visited Napoleon on behalf of her condemned son. The emperor told the mother her son had committed the same crime twice and justice demanded he forfeit his life. "But, sir," cried the mother, "I don't plea for justice, but for mercy." The emperor said: "He does not deserve mercy." The mother said, "But it would not be mercy, sir, if he deserved it." "Well then," said Napoleon, " I have mercy."

• Christians are also willing to extend mercy to the undeserving because they know God forgave them when according to strict judgment they should have been punished.

• Jesus said. (Matt. 6:14, 15).

• Paul wrote. (Eph. 4:32).

3. Jesus had mercy for the afflicted. (Mk. 1:40,41; Matt. 20:29-34).

• Today we must have compassion for the afflicted. We do not have the power to miraculously heal them as Jesus did, but this does not mean we cannot have compassion for them.

• We can help them financially when needed, give them jobs and threat them with dignity and respect. It is shameful how the afflicted are often treated today.

 4. Jesus had mercy for physical wants and needs.

• The sight of the poverty-stricken people of the world always stirred the Lord's heart with pity and sympathy. He himself knew what it was like to be poor. He came from a very poor home. He had no place to lay His head and undoubtedly suffered many times from the pangs of hunger.

• Jesus was always moved with compassion at the sight of famished people.

• One Jesus said to His disciples. (Matt. 15:32).

• He then fed the multitude that numbered 4,000 men, besides women and children.

• Yes, Jesus was concerned about the bodies (physical needs) of men.

• As Christians we must be concerned about the physical needs of others. We must not be indifferent to the hungry, to those without clothing and shelter. Perhaps we cannot help every poor person, but we should and must help every poor person we can.

• The late G.C. Brewer used to tell of a fine Christian who was walking along the street and noticed a little ragged, sick, but bright-eyed and intelligent looking boy reclining against a building. He gently laid his hand upon the boy's shoulder and asked him what he was doing three. In answer to the man's question, the little boy said, "I have been waiting for God to come to me." "What do you mean?" kindly asked the good man. The little boy told the man how God had taken his family into heaven and that his mother before she died had told him to wait for God to come and take care of him. As he spoke, the child looked up through his tears into the man's face. "Yes," said the man, with tears in his eyes, "your mother was right about it. God has sent me to take care of you." Then he took the ragged boy into his arms and hugged him and started home with him, and the little fellow put his arms about the man's neck and said, "I knew God would come or send someone."

• Brethren, somewhere, someone is waiting for God to come and take care of him. God will do this through us.

• He commands us to help those in need. (Gal. 6:10; Jas. 1:27; 1 Jno. 3:17).

5. Jesus had mercy for the bereaved.

• Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, became sick and died. Jesus came to the tomb of Lazarus after he had been dead for 4 days. When he saw Mary and Martha and the others weeping, the Bible says "Jesus wept." (Jno. 11:35). Jesus wept because of His compassion for Mary and Martha. He then raised Lazarus from the dead to alleviate their unhappiness and to prove His Deity.

• We cannot raise people from the dead, but we can show compassion for the bereaved. We can week with them and show genuine sympathy. We can also seek to help and alleviate their unhappy plight.

6. Jesus had mercy for the sick. (Matt. 8:14, 15).

• We are to show mercy to the sick.

• We should visit the sick, but even more so we should help them during their illness.

1. Jesus promised that Christians who show mercy will receive mercy from God.

2. On the other hand, Jesus taught God will not have mercy on those who have not been merciful to others. (Matt. 18:34, 35; Jas. 2:13).

1. Jesus also promised that God will extend mercy to those who will repent and be baptized and give their lives to Him.

2. We urge those outside of Christ to come and accept God's mercy. God is willing to bestow mercy on those who are humble enough to accept it. Come as we stand sing.