Setting a Place at the Table for Mercy

“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”
Luke 6:36

Mercy me! Has every ounce of common, every day courtesy, decency and mercy gone out with the wind? Could the growing lack of empathy and sympathy for others in our society be the cause of so many discouraged, disheartened or heartless responses to today’s realities? Can we all see the exasperating struggles that hatred, disrespect, and negative comments are stirring among us? I feel the mercilessness quenching our spirits and stifling our spirits of hospitality. I see it alienating us and making it normal to close ourselves off, settle in seclusion, grow cautious and become defensive at every turn. The dysfunction breeding in our relationships is affecting each of our homes and hearts.

However, God doesn’t want us to live this way and shows us how to set a place at our tables for mercy. Heartbreaking news doesn’t have to overshadow or overtake our lives. No matter how heavy the troubles and tragedies hurt or hinder us, God always provides a solution to relieve our pain.

Let’s clear a place at our table today, open our hearts, grab a cup of hot coffee or tea and sit down for a little chat about God’s solution for today’s burdens. You ready?

It can be really hard at times to know just how to address the many grievances we find challenging, confusing and choking the life out of us. Whether we are enduring these experiences from a distance or engaging in them up close, much of what we see going on today may be out of our control and our ability to help make things better can feel limited. We may be asking, “What can we do about it?”

(Now, let’s pause for a moment, sip and savor our hot drinks,
and think about that … )

“What can we do about it?”

Okay, you good? Let’s continue.

As I was pondering that exact question, I sensed God pointing me to the passage in Luke 6 that teaches about being merciful as He is merciful.
It may sound simple, but that is truly a profound solution gifted from our Creator. 

Mercy is what Jesus showed to those who rejected, dishonored, disrespected and hurt Him. Mercy was what He extended to His betraying friends and fiercest enemies. So, surely if Jesus, who suffered all he suffered for us, could still show mercy, share grace, and forgo holding grudges or pursuing retaliation, why wouldn’t showing mercy work for us today in dealing with our destructive relationships?

Setting the Table with Mercy

“Use hospitality one to another without grudging.”
1 Peter 4:9

How can we maintain a sincere spirit of hospitality, as God teaches us to do, without serving some mercy at our table? Could this be the exact answer to what we can do about it?

Maybe our hearts aren’t ready. Maybe there is distance or closed doors in some of our relationships. Maybe the hurt is too fresh and painful. Maybe the loss, rejection or betrayal is too great. Maybe we’ve grown comfortable in our dysfunction. Maybe we’ve forgotten how God has shown mercy to us. Maybe.

But, even if our hearts are closed or we can’t host in our homes right now and we aren’t ready to meet up with some people in person, we can ready our hearts and set our tables to be merciful when the time comes. We can soften our hearts, let the grudges go, set sound boundaries, guard our attitudes and actions and prepare to listen, love and show kindness with a bowl of patience.

Sharing Mercy with the World

Sharing mercy isn’t always easy. Many of us are hurting, angry, scared and sometimes just plain ol’ stubborn. But, thankfully, the source of mercy doesn’t come from us. It comes from God and He has enough to go around the world endlessly.

“O give thanks unto the LORD;
for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever.”
1 Chronicles 16:34

God shows mercy and has never asked us to do things He doesn’t do or that He won’t enable us to do. Notice His instruction found in this Luke 6 passage:

“And as ye would that men should do to you,
do ye also to them likewise.
For if ye love them which love you,
what thank have ye?
for sinners also love those that love them.
And if ye do good to them which do good to you,
what thank have ye?
for sinners also do even the same.
And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive,
what thank have ye?
for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
But love ye your enemies,
and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again;
and your reward shall be great,
and ye shall be the children of the Highest:
for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”
Luke 6:31-36

Mercy in the Greek means “compassionate” which teaches us that, if we are going to show a hospitable spirit with mercy, we are going to have to show compassion. This will require us to look at others through God’s eyes—with His kind of mercy—even when it feels impossible.

We can do it; because, we can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13) We can do unto others as we would have them do unto us. We can love unconditionally, lend without expecting anything in return, and do good to those who are bad. We can be kind to the unthankful and the evil. We can be merciful because our Heavenly Father is merciful. We can. The question is, “Will we?”
(I’m personally getting another cup of tea and giving that more thought …)

BRINGING IT HOME

How have you seen God’s mercy in your life? Is there someone in your life that needs invited to your table of mercy? Will you listen to their heart and try to show compassion? Praying we can all grow in God’s mercifulness today.
(Feel free to share your replies in the comments. It’s okay…I don’t bite. Wink!)

Growing With You,
Smiles, BRC