Mercy in our Relationships Luke 6:36-42

 Mercy in our Relationships.  Luke 6:36-42

     We are all well acquainted with the Sermon the Mount,  but Luke has Jesus delivering it on the plain. It certainly is not a contradiction as Jesus delivered it and Luke repeats it in his own way; it describes a way of life .  Luke adds woes to his descriptions of the Christian life at the end --- the woes are there to strongly remind us of their truth.  I think the heart of today's message is the first word we heard. " Be ye merciful...."

The word is strong in the orig language---compassionate, experiencing deep pity (lamentation) as God has for people.  The word means a deep feeling of compassion. VISCERAL | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary---based on deep feeling and emotional reactions rather than on reason or thought.

The human brain is divided into two hemispheres connected by a bundle of nerves. The left hemisphere controls movement for the right side of the body, while the right hemisphere directs the left side1. The left hemisphere is more verbal, analytical, and orderly than the right hemisphere. It’s sometimes called the digital brain. It’s better at things like reading, writing, and computations2. The right hemisphere is associated with creativity, intuition, and holistic thinking.Intuition should be given more respect. It’s not infallible, and can be hard to defend in court, but the right brain is capable of much more incisive, subtle, and creative thinking than is the left brain. Einstein is said to have envisioned his theory of general relativity well before he had the math to back it up.

Another way of saying the above is " 

The left brain’s analytic ability has helped people to move out of caves and, metaphorically speaking, into Bel Air, with a good chance of living long enough to enjoy the view. The left brain is most effective, though, in a subordinate role. The right–left team must re-learn how to work optimally together, or risk destroying not only the quality of human life but also life itself." ( psychology today )

Does this fit what Jesus is saying?   Actually it does.  He tells us to be merciful, but having that quality requires more than just facts. Mercy is not just a fact.  It is a deep emotion according to what our Lord is saying.

Then He goes on to describe what mercy looks like:

1.  Have we mis-judged something or someone because of our judging incorrectly? The log and speck is described by Jesus 6:41. As Leon Morris said it, " The true disciple is not judgmental."  He goes on, " When God accepts a man, God's grace changes him.  A forgiving spirit is evidence that the man has been forgiven."

We call this pre-suppositional thinking.  In other words, my thinking about someone or something can cloud our judgment about them or the situation.  But how do we deal with people problems or should I say problems and certain people who aggravate ?

2.  There are several ways in a practical sense in how to deal with these things:

Have humility---see things and people how they really are .

Joy- Life has ups and downs.  Photographers say without the cloudy day they would not get the brilliant colors.  We need joy in life .

Patience-Kindness-Integrity ( make decisions in the right way...despite the pain and embarassment)

  from People can't drive you crazy if you don't give them the keys. Mike Bechtle

3. Jesus says we are like the blind leading the blind v. 39 if we fail to recognize our own faults before we try and help others out of theirs.

The Golden Rule applies here v. 31  Mercy is at the root of all of this discussion by our Lord.  Be merciful .  God is merciful.

In conclusion we see what Jesus says about the houses.  One is upon sand.  The other is on the rock. " And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" v.46

Conclusion----The words of our Lord are so deep and true.  The true disciple is forgiven and not judgmental.  Perhaps our view of mercy is only intellectual.  But we need to deeply feel the hurt and pain in our own lives and know that others with whom we interact are also feeling these things as well.  Two cloudy judges of character collide and the only thing we have is a collision.

The last thought is that we need commitment.  " A healthy person does not go to their first impulse...to escape.  The person who sticks around when the going gets tough makes an impact on any relationship."   Bechtle

Does our Lord give up on us?  He certainly could based on our actions and thoughts of others and ourselves.  But He does not give up.  Neither should we.