Who Finds Mercy
As he entered a village, ten men with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” – Luke 17:12-13, CSB
“What is clear is that, in naming Jesus as master, these lepers place themselves in a position of subordination to him in the hope of receiving from him some form of benefaction. This benefaction, they seem to believe, will have its source in God; in effect, they request from Jesus a merciful visitation from God.” – Joel B. Green
Over these last two weeks, we’ve taken in a good bit of Luke’s Gospel (17:1-19:10). And while there are a whole bunch of different topics and episodes captured in the text, there is at least one common thread. It is the recurring idea of mercy. We meet those who seek and find it and those who miss it altogether. Jesus is the conduit of God’s mercy for many that He encounters but, we find there are those who encounter Jesus and do not receive mercy. In fact, they often end up further from mercy than before their meeting with Him. The controlling factor is this: how one approaches Jesus. If one’s approach to Jesus is humble and earnest, they find mercy in their interaction with Jesus (think the lepers or Zacchaeus). If one is haughty and self-righteous, they either receive nothing from Jesus or leave their interaction with Him in crisis (think the ruler who was very rich). The controlling factor is not someone’s status coming into their encounter with Jesus, it is their approach. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. So, the blind beggar receives mercy from David’s Son but the muttering crowd (19:7) does not. In total then, this whole section calls us to carefully observe Jesus’ words in Luke 18:9-14. There, Jesus tells the parable of the two men at prayer- one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. Luke prefaces it by saying that the teaching is for those who, “were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else…” He ends the parable by reminding us that, “all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” And so it is observed in all the interactions around the parable. If you come with pride to Jesus, you will be sent home empty handed. If you come trusting in yourself and your works, you are about to be humbled. But, if you have nothing else to fall on but the grace of God, His mercy as ministered by and through His Son, then you will find a wonderful Savior in this Jesus. So, let us be sure to carefully inspect our lives. Are we those who feel self-righteous or those who will claim only the righteousness supplied in the mercy of God’s Son? Are we trusting in our own works or wealth for rescue or are we depending only on the work of God, Who will do the impossible thing and rescue and save through His Son? To receive mercy, we must be those who humbly ask it of Jesus.
Questions for discussion/life application:
· What are leading indicators that you’ve begun to shift your posture from humility to pride in your approach to Jesus?
· How can you ensure that your experience of God’s mercy is new each day?
· Looking back on your story, is there a season in your life when you powerfully encountered mercy from God? What were key elements to that season?
· Is there anything you can do to help others experience mercy in their encounter with Jesus? How will you do that this week?
Blog Bonus: “Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy”
Here is the original text of the Hymn we know as, “Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy”
1 Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched,
Weak and wounded sick and sore,
Jesus stands ready to receive you,
Full of Pity, Love and Pow'r;
He is able,
He is willing; doubt no more.
2 Ho! ye Needy, come and welcome,
God's free Bounty Glorify,
True Belief and true Repentance,
Every Grace that brings us nigh,
Without Money,
Come to Jesus Christ and buy.
3 Let not Conscience make you linger,
Nor of Fitness fondly dream,
All the Fitness he requireth,
Is to feel you Need of him;
This he gives you,
'Tis the Spirits glimm'ring Beam.
4 Agonizing in the Garden,
Lo! your Maker prostrate lies!
On the Bloody Tree behold him,
Hear him cry before he dies,
It is finish'd
Sinner, will not this suffice?
5 Lo! th' incarnate God ascended,
Pleads the Merit of his Blood;
Venture on him, venture freely,
Let no other Trust intrude,
None but Jesus
Can do helpless sinners good.
6 Saints and Angels join'd in concert,
Sing the Praises of the Lamb;
While the blissful Seats of Heaven,
Sweetly Echo with his Name,
Hallelujah
Sinners here may do the same.
You can learn more about the history of this lyric and its author here: https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-come-ye-sinners-poor-and-needy