06/12/16: Mercy

Pastor’s Impartation:

     A friend asked me recently if “mercy” was a spiritual gift.  This was a good question.  Looking at the scripture in the obvious place of 1 Corinthians 12 you don’t see “mercy” listed within the confines of the “listed gifts”.  It seems as though “mercy” is not a spiritual gift.

    Is it a “fruit of the Spirit”?  Well, looking at Galatians 5:22-23 “mercy” does not appear to be on that list, either.

    What then IS “mercy”?

    Jude 1:22-23 says, “Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear– hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.” NIV 

    Matthew 5:7 says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” NKJV

    Matthew 23:23 says, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith.  These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.”

    What do all of these scriptures have in common (and many more).  “Mercy” is not a noun which gives the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.  It appears to be an

adverb

which is defined by: a word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree.

    Example: Mercy qualifies the gift of healing.  Much like the scribes and Pharisees…many miss the mark by doing what the Word says without having the mercy it takes to qualify it in God’s sight. 

    When I say I am holding some grapes…the vine is “understood”.  Mercy is the vine that holds the fruit together.  Mercy is the wrapping paper of the gift.  You would only say, “I brought you a gift”.  Without mercy…the rest would be unconnected and not very pretty. 

    This is my simple way of explaining “mercy”.  Many would describe it much better, I’m sure.  I hope this helps my friend and additionally anyone who might be reading this impartation.

 

By Pastor Linda A. Skeen