Preserved & Prolonged (Prov. 20:28)

Read Proverbs 20:28.

Rulers, to be successful, need both truth and mercy. It is mercy (MEV) that is mentioned twice.  I would've expected truth to be mentioned doubly. Perhaps the double mention of mercy is to remind us that leadership, while it has principles and rules, is primarily about people. Our pursuits and decisions affect people. Let's not minimize truth; rather, let us maximize mercy. To whom can you show mercy today? What will that look like?

Proverbs 29:1

Read Proverbs 29:1.

1.  God's steadfast mercy.

2.  Man's steadfast stubbornness.

3.  The sudden destruction.

Luke 6:37-38

Read Luke 6:37-38.

Structure:

A    Judge not . . .
B       Condemn not . . .
B1     Forgive . . .
A1  Give . . .

Observations:

1.  The solution for judging is giving.  Giving what?  Mercy (Lu. 6:36).

2.  The solution for condemnation is forgiveness.

3.  These contrasts fit in with Jesus' overall theme in His "Sermon On The Plain" -- life in the Kingdom is counter-intuitive.

When Jesus Stopped (Mk. 10:46-52) (Part 3)

3. FAITH THAT WILL NOT STOP DEFIES THE PREFERENCE OF THE RELIGIOUS. “Many were sternly telling him to be quiet, but he kept crying out all the more . . .” (Mk. 10:48).

Religious people prefer things compact, quiet, predictable and appropriate. They have little patience for anything that seems off script. The best friends of the religious are an agenda and a clock.

The religious crowd – the “many” – reasoned this way:

• “Jesus would've stopped already, had He wanted to minister to you. He's not interested. What part of that don't you get?”
• “Jesus is teaching right now; He's not doing miracles. Don't be disruptive!”
• “Don't you know Jesus doesn't have time for this right now? He's on His way to Jerusalem, where we will publicly recognize and welcome Him as Messiah.”

Bartimaeus didn't listen; and it is good for him (and a good example for us) that he didn't. A person who wants mercy from Jesus cannot be at the mercy of the crowd. Seizing your moment with Jesus must rank higher than satisfying a placid crowd.

You must not only act wisely around the religious preferences of others, but you must also act wisely concerning your own religious preferences. Very rarely will God ask you to do what is comfortable, convenient, popular or without cost. For example, verse 52 will tell us that Bartimaeus “began following [Jesus] on the road.” This infamous road from Jericho to Jerusalem would be a 15-mile ascent with sporadic places for rest. Forget 60 laps around a flat track.

Two Blind Men (Mt. 9:27-31)

1. The two blind men had faith in Christ's ability to heal them.  They followed after Jesus and cried out to Him loudly and publicly.  They seemed sincere, right?  So why did Jesus ask them if they believed in His ability?  Just because someone is desperate doesn't mean he has faith. Just because someone is demonstrative physically or emotionally doesn't mean he is positioned spiritually.
2. The two blind men  had no respect  for Christ's authority to direct them.  They wanted relief without responsibility, a miracle without a mandate, refreshed sight without restrained speech. They had faith to be healed, but not to be obedient.  "How dare this miracle-worker tell us what to do or what to say!"
3. Notice the generous mercy of Jesus.  He healed the two blind men, knowing they wouldn't obey.  Aren't you glad Jesus chooses to be kind, even when He knows our response won't be optimal? Let us not abuse His mercy and power by suggesting obedience is irrelevant.  What's accentuated here is mercy.

The Commendation of A Rogue (Lu. 16:1-9) (Part 1)

FIRST, CONSIDER THE MERCY OF THE OWNER.  Let's look at the definition of mercy.  Mercy is not getting what you do deserve.

Let's look at the demonstration of mercy.  What did the manager deserve?  The manager deserved immediate firing from his position, immediate accounting of his mismanagement and immediate publicizing of his incompetency.  What did the manager receive?  The manager received from the owner adequate time for transitional considerations.  The owner wasn't obligated to provide this courtesy.

Ephesians 2:4 teaches that God is "rich in mercy."  Aren't you glad God shares His abundance?  Can you recall a time when God didn't give you what you did deserve?  If you aren't moved with gratitude right now, something is wrong!