Jesus was merciful

JESUS WAS MERCIFUL
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Matthew 15:22-30 22A Canaanitewoman from that
vicinitycame to him, crying out, "LORD, Son of
David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-
possessedand suffering terribly."23Jesus did not
answer a word. So his disciplescame to him and urged
him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after
us." 24He answered, "I was sent only to the lostsheep
of Israel."25The woman came and knelt before him.
"LORD, help me!" she said. 26He replied, "It is not
right to take the children'sbread and toss it to the
dogs." 27"Yes it is, LORD,"she said. "Even the dogs
eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table."
28Then Jesus said to her, "Woman,you have great
faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was
healed at that moment. 29Jesusleft there and went
along the Sea of Galilee.Then he went up on a
mountainsideand sat down. 30Greatcrowds came to
him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the
mute and many others, and laidthem at his feet; and
he healed them.

BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
A Claim On God's Mercy
Matthew 15:22
R. Tuck
Have mercy on me. The woman was wiserthan she knew. She could bring no
claim; as a foreignershe had no sort of right to our Lord's help. She made no
pretence of having any claim, save the claim which every sufferer and every
sinner may have on God's mercy. But that is the bestof all claims; the one to
which response is always assured. The sufferer and the sinner may fully hope
in God's mercy.
I. THE CLAIM OF THE SUFFERER ON GOD'S MERCY. Mercyincludes
interest, pity, sympathy, consideration, and desire to help. The goodman feels
merciful toward the suffering creature;the father is merciful to the suffering
children. God is merciful to the suffering being he has made. But God's mercy
is assuredbecause, to him, all suffering is the fruitage of sin; and God knows
how the suffering has to fall on those who have not committed the sin. If God
saw only sin, he would respond with judgment. He sees so much suffering
following on sin, to which he can only respond with mercy. The child pleaded
for was not suffering directly for sin. The mother's suffering was part of the
race burden, and not distinctively her own. So, here, suffering claimed mercy.
We might be led on to indicate that God's mercy can be shown to sufferers by
prolonging the suffering as truly as by removing it. Mercyin its operationis
ever guided by an infinite wisdom.

II. THE CLAIM OF THE SINNER ON GOD'S MERCY. Nota natural claim.
There is no reasonwhy God should bear with sinners in the nature of things.
Every notion of government shows demand for justice. Officially God must
deal justly. Mercybrings in the qualification that belongs to God's character.
We see this in the case ofa human magistrate. As a magistrate he has no
mercy; he is strictly to apply the law. As a man, and as a character, he can
bring mercy in to qualify the strict applications of law. It is wellto remember
that God never deals with men simply as an official. He is always a character,
a noble character, and therefore "merciful and gracious."Leadon to show
that the supreme interestof the manifestation of Christ, the supreme interest
of such a scene as is now before us, lies in its revelation of the characterof
God, and especiallyits disclosure of the fact that God's having a character
gives both sufferers and sinners a claim upon his mercy. - R.T.
Biblical Illustrator
Then Jesus wentthence and departed Into the coasts ofTyre and Sidon.
Matthew 15:21, 28
The woman of Canaan
J. Ker, D. D.
I. WHAT MADE THE FAITH OF THIS WOMAN SO REMARKABLE?
1. She had much againsther in her original circumstances.In the eye of a Jew
she belongedto the most hated of all the Gentile races. There was a frontier
line of dislike to cross, farwider than any distance betweenTyre and
Palestine. Yet it did not keepher from finding her way to the greatTeacherof
the Jewishnation.
2. She got little countenance from Christ's disciples. Annoyed at her
importunity, and desiring to be freed from the trouble of her presence, they
desired Christ to send her away. She could not but feel they would gladly be

rid of her, in the way some castan alms to a persistent beggar. Weakerfaith
would have felt the chill, and would have desisted. But it is not from them that
she seeksananswer. She will take her dismissalfrom none but Christ Himself.
3. The woman's faith reaches its greatesttrial in the conductof Christ. The
disciples, cold as they are, seemmerciful compared with their Master. As she
cries, and pours her heart into her prayer, He moves awaywith silent neglect.
That dreadful silence is harder to bear than the sorestword that canbe
spoken. Still she cried after Him, and at lastHe spoke. But His words, were
they not evenharder than His silence? ForHe did not speak to her, but only
of her, and that in such a slighting manner as almostto quench all hope. Still
she persists, and at length — as Christ all along intended she should — gains
her heart's desire.
II. WHAT HELPED HER FAITH TO HOLD ON AND TRIUMPH? We do
not speak ofthe first cause ofall, which was Christ's eye watching her steps,
and His hand bearing her up, but of the mediate causesby which her faith
was upheld.
1. She had a deep home and heart sorrow, spurring her on to make every
exertion. In other means had failed, but something told her there was hope
here, and to this she clung. The greaterthe feeling of the trouble, the more
surely will it carry you into the presence ofthe only Saviour.
2. She had learned to take a very humble view of herself. As humility goes
deep down, faith rises up high and strong, for humility furnishes the roots by
which faith holds on.
3. Her faith was so strong, because it had hold of another Christ, greaterand
more merciful than her eyes saw. She lookedbeyond appearances, andfixed
her gaze on things unseen and eternal. It is this which keeps men right, amid
adverse surroundings. Thick thunderclouds of Atheism and Pessimism
sometimes hang lowering over the earth, and threaten to quench all the higher
hope; but God has given to the spirit a powerby which it can pass up through
them and sing like the lark in the sunshine and the blue sky. It is the work of
the Lord Jesus Christto educate and strengthen it by drawing it, often
through much tribulation, to Himself.

(J. Ker, D. D.)
Victorious wrestling in prayer
C. E. Luthardt.
Of all the expressions of Christian life, prayer is the foremost, h precedes and
accompanies everyother. It is the breathing of the soul, the palpitation of the
heart of the new inward man.
I. (1) Prayer is a NECESSITY. A Christian cannotlive without inward
intercourse with his God and Saviour. Love cannotexist without unbosoming
itself.(2)It is also a spiritual power. It not only reacts upon ourselves and our
temper, it also acts from us outwardly on the course of things; for it both cases
our heart, and overcomes God's.
II. THE SENSE OF OUR WANT URGES US TO PRAY. Knowledge of our
sinfulness drives us to God. As the drowning man attaches himself to the
saving hand, and does not let go his hold, so the soul attaches itselfto the hand
of Jesus, and refuses to be shakenoff. Then the wrestling prayer for salvation
begins, for it is begottenof the feeling of the soul's misery.
III. WHAT HELPS US TO OVERCOME IN THE STRUGGLE IS THE
PERSEVERANCE OF HUMBLE FAITH. Jesus is the conqueror; but Jesus
we seize by faith, and with Him is victory.
1. We must seek Jesus. No resttill we come to Him. No other can help us, or
rid us of our sin.
2. We must not let Jesus go. If He goes away, follow Him; if He seems to be
stern, become more urgent; if He hides His face, cry the louder; if He will not
listen, assailHis heart. Every No of Jesus is an Aye in disguise. It is true we
deserve none of the things we pray for; but He has enough and to spare for
all; and after the children are filled, He can afford to castthe crumbs to the
dogs. If we have but the crumbs from His rich table, we shall be satisfied.
Even if we are the lastin His kingdom, it is sufficient, so that we only have
some share of His grace. If it is only one look of His eye; only one glance from

Him. If we are not allowedto reston His breast with John, we shall be
satisfiedif only with Thomas we are permitted to behold the print of the nails.
And when we have become quite exhaustedin wrestling with Him, and all our
strength is broken; when, so to speak, the hollow of our thigh is out of joint;
when we canonly cling to Him and declare we will not let Him go except He
bless us; even then we shall overcome, and He will declare Himself to be
vanquished.
IV. WHAT DO WE WIN IN THE VICTORY? The blessing of Jesus Christ —
"Be it unto thee, even as thou wilt." What a wonderful word. To whom does it
apply? To him who first has sacrificedhis self-will, and has learnt to say, from
the bottom of his heart, "Lord, not as I will, but as Thou wilt." Then God's
will and man's are become one. Just before, almostpowerless:now, almost
almighty. He who thus wins God's heart, wins everything. A child of God is
lord over all things,
(C. E. Luthardt.)
The woman of Canaan
Leonard W. Bacon, R. Newton.
This story is the simplest of dramas, having two persons and a chorus.
I. THE FIRST PERSONIS THE HEATHEN WOMAN, AND HERE WE
NOTE:
(1)Her trouble;
(2)Her faith, which is neither a superstitious credulity, nor a hesitating
experiment;
(3)Her reward.
II. THE OTHER PERSON IS THE LORD JESUS. Looking onHim as the
model of human duty, and the expressionof the Divine nature, we find in this
story things amazing and perplexing. What are we to learn from them?

1. The perplexities in the life of Christ are like the perplexities in the
government of God.
2. This incident exhibits Christ gazing inexorable, for a time, on human
suffering.
3. His apparent unkindness is only apparent.
4. His blessing is already given, while yet the supplicant is unaware of it.
(Leonard W. Bacon)
I. THAT IT IS HIGHLY GRATIFYING TO MEET WITH DEVOUT
PERSONSWHERE WE EXPECT NOT TO FIND THEM. She was a
heathen, not a Jew.
II. THAT AFFLICTIONS, BOTHPERSONALAND DOMESTIC, ARE
POWERFULINCENTIVES TO PRAYER.
III. THAT IN OUR EXERCISES OF DEVOTION WE OUGHT TO PRAY
FOR OTHERS AS; WELL AS FOR OURSELVES.
IV. THAT SINCERE SUPPLICANTSMAY MEET WITH GREAT
DISCOURAGEMENTSIN PRAYER. Delays are not denials. We are apt to
value highly that which costs us effort
V. THAT SINCERE SUPPLICANTS ARE ALWAYS PERSEVERING.
VI. THAT THE PRAYER OF FAITH MUST ULTIMATELY PREVAIL.
(R. Newton.)
Significant silence
W. Burrows, B. A.
The Saviour's silence was not the result of intellectual poverty. Was not that
of one takenwith mere self-considerations.Was notcausedby indifference.
I. The Saviour's silence indicates thoughtfulness.

II. Denotes loving estimates.
III. Manifests the greatness ofself-control. Effective speechis power over
one's fellows, but silence is powerover one's own self.
IV. And yet the Saviour's silence may have been sympathetic.
V. Was preparative. What powerin a judicious pause. Delaymay enhance the
preciousness ofthe gift.
(W. Burrows, B. A.)
The Woman of Canaan
C. Bradley., T. Mortimer.
I. WHAT WE CAN FIND IN THIS WOMAN TO COMMEND.
1. Strong and wise parental love.
2. Her earnestness.
3. Deephumility.
II. WHAT OUR LORD HIMSELF ACTUALLY COMMENDEDIN HER —
"Greatis thy faith." This virtue singled out because allothers flow from it.
III. THE GRACIOUS TREATMENT SHE RECEIVED FROM OUR LORD.
1. Christ delayed His answerto her petition.
2. He gave her strength to persevere in prayer for it, and made that prayer
more humble and earnest.
3. He put on her signalhonour.
4. He at last gave her all that she desired.
5. There is often more love towards us in the heart of Christ than we cansee
in His dealings with us.

6. The prayer of faith is always crownedwith success.
(C. Bradley.)
I. WHO THIS WOMAN was. She was not an Israelite. The cause of her
sorrow was not her own. Her prayer.
II. HER SAVIOUR.
1. His silence when we should not have expectedit.
2. He seems to plead that His commission had been exclusively to Israel.
3. He appears to add insult to cruelty.
4. He suffers Himself to be conquered by faith.
II. WHAT DOES THIS SAY TO YOU?
1. YOU may go to Christ for yourselves.
2. You may go to Christ for your relatives.
3. Jesus canand will do helpless sinners good.
(T. Mortimer.)
God's delays in answering prayer
C. M. Merry.
1. To try our faith.
2. To fosterhumility.
3. To intensify desire after the blessings we request.
4. To enhance the joy of success whenthe answeris vouchsafed.
5. Blessedare they that wait for Him.
(C. M. Merry.)

The elements of prevailing prayer
J. B. Jeher, D. D.
I.Sincerity.
II.Humility.
III.Importunity.
IV.Faith. Conclude with a few practical remarks.
(J. B. Jeher, D. D.)
Faith triumphing over difficulties
Anon.
Faith overcomes —
I.Obstacles in our personalcircumstances.
II.The concealments ofJesus.
III.The silence of Jesus.
IV.The refusals of Jesus.
V.The reproaches ofJesus.
(Anon.)
The woman of Canaan
T. Manton.
This is an instance of a wrestling faith; faith wrestling with grievous
temptations, but at length obtaining help from God. We ought to consider

this(1) because Christpronounced it to be greatfaith;(2) it instructs us that
the life and exercise offaith is not easy, but will meet with great
discouragements;(3)because ofthe successattending it.
I. The quality of the woman.
II. She was a believer.
III. The greatness andstrength of her faith; seenin her trials and
temptations; and in her victory over them, by her importunity, humility, and
resolvedconfidence.The woman's temptations are four.
I. Christ's silence. Thougha sore temptation, this should not yet weakenour
faith; for God's delay is for His own glory and our good:to enlarge our
desires, and put greaterfervency into them.
II. The small assistance she had from the disciples.
III. Christ's seeming to exclude her from His commission.
IV. Christ's answer implying a contempt of her, or at leasta strong reason
againsther.The woman's victory over her temptations.
I.By her importunity.
II.Her humility.
III.Her resolvedconfidence. All which are the fruits of greatfaith.
(T. Manton.)
The woman of Canaan
Daniel Wilcox.
I. THE TRIALS AND DIFFICULTIES this supplicant's faith met with.
1. Christ is wholly silent.
2. Christ intimates that He had nothing to do with her.

3. Christ seems to answerwith reproach and contempt.
II. How THE WAS DISCOVERED IN ITS TRIALS, AND WORKED
THROUGH ALL.
1. Though Christ was silent she did not drop, but continued her suit.
2. She passes overthe doubt she could not answer, and instead of disputing,
adores Him, and prays to Him still.
3. She humbly let pass the (seeming) indignity, and turned that which seemed
to make most againsther into an argument for her obtaining the mercy she
came to Him to beg for.
III. THE HAPPY ISSUE OF THIS, HOW GLORIOUSLY IT WAS
REWARDED.
1. Her faith was owned, commended, and admired by the Author of it.
2. The reward of her faith was ample.
(Daniel Wilcox.)
Christ and the woman
J. Jortin.
In judging our Lord's treatment of this woman —
1. Observe that Christ, while He was upon earth, said nothing and did nothing
of Himself.
2. Our Lord, who knew the hearts of men, both saw and esteemedthe good
disposition of this petitioner, but for a time concealedHis kind intentions,
being willing to exercise her faith and submission, her patience and
perseverance.The woman's faithwas great —
1. With relation to her religion, and to her country.
2. In comparisonwith the unbelieving Jews.

3. Consideredin itself.
4. Becauseit stoodso severe a trial.
(J. Jortin.)
T/he Canaanite's faith
Adolphe Monod.
The position of this woman and the conduct of our Saviour to her.
1. She believed in Jesus before the scene relatedin this gospel;we distinguish
in her conversionthat strength of soul which is sure to triumph over all
obstacles;all that follows is explained by such a commencement. She was a
heathen, and only receivedGod's Word indirectly, through the prejudices of
the Jews. The feeble ray which reachedher proved sufficient to guide her feet.
2. The conduct of our Lord corresponds with His manner of acting towards
the heathen generally, and with His especialdesigns ofmercy towards her.
Our Lord did not so treat this woman merely because she was a heathen; but
to make His mercy more conspicuous. While He proves He strengthens her.
From the heroes of faith He draws back to exercise their courage.
3. See how this woman wrestles with our Lord. Jesus soughtretirement. She
anticipated His coming. She was alone in seeking Him. She had to force
herself into His presence. But Christ could not escape from the faith of this
woman. He allows us to conquer Him. She triumphs over the preventives
which our Lord opposedto her. Once in the presence ofJesus she in satisfied.
His silence. To try her patience. Only for a time. His speechseems cruel. The
Word of God does seemsometimes againstthe child of God. In the love of
Christ she finds refuge againstHis silence and words; His love is only hidden
for a moment under harshness. She could not be defeatedbecause she would
not doubt. She triumphs.
(Adolphe Monod.)

A word to parents
F. F. McGlynn, M. A., The Pulpit.
I. On this occasionCHRIST HAD LEFT HIS OWN COUNTRYAND
PEOPLE. Perhaps to avoid the hatred of the scribes and Pharisees;or to
abate His popularity. We find Him coasting to Tyre and Sidon. Her need was
her plea.
II. THE LEADING PRINCIPLES OF HER FAITH
1. In this prayer she recognizes the unity of the Deity, "Lord."
2. What a beautiful trait in her characterwhen she prays, "Have mercy on
me;" but we know the chief objectof her prayer was her daughter. She
identifies herself with her daughter's misery.
3. She asks for mercy and help (ver. 25).
4. RegardJesus as Godable to save or destroy.
(F. F. McGlynn, M. A.)
I. THE CHARACTER OF THE INDIVIDUAL.
1. A Greek.
2. A believer in Christ.
II. THE CAUSE OF HER COMING.
III. THE IMPEDIMENTSSHE MET WITH.
1. A long delay.
2. A mortifying rebuke.
3. An apparent refusal.
4. A silent denial.Then her conduct:
1. An humble request.

2. A persevering prayer.
3. An humble confession.
4. An affecting reply.
IV. THE BLESSINGS AT LAST RECEIVED.
1. The principle our Lord commends is her faith; from faith all other graces
spring.
2. He granted her request.Improvement:
1. The use we should make of affliction.
2. The efficacyof prayer.
(The Pulpit.)
The triumph of faith
J. T. Woodhouse.
I. FAITH'S APPROACH
1. She came to the right person.
2. In a right spirit.
3. With a right plea
II. FAITH'S TRIAL.
1. Christ tried her faith by perfect silence.
2. By seeming indifference.
3. By apparent reproach.
III. FAITH'S APPEAL.
1. She was a devout suppliant.

2. An earnestsuppliant.
3. An ingenious suppliant.
IV. FAITH'S TRIUMPH
1. Christ commends her faith.
2. He grants her request.
3. He healed her daughter.
(J. T. Woodhouse.)
The secondSunday in Lent
J. A. Seiss, D. D.
I. THE DISCOURAGEMENTS WHICH SHE OVERCAME. These were
great, numerous, and increasedas she proceeded.
1. The first was the seeming unwillingness of the Saviour to have his
retirement disturbed by any one, in any way(Mark 7:24).
2. Her case was itselfa very unpromising one. She was a Gentile.
3. The coldness in our Lord's behaviour, which seemedto disdain the least
attention to her — "He answeredher not a word."
4. The conduct of the disciples introduced a still further dissuasion, well
calculatedto dampen her hope of success.
5. To this was added the still further disheartening answerof the Master, "I
am not sent," etc.
6. Children's bread was not to be given to the dogs. This was the current spirit
of the religion of the times.
II. THE MEANS OF HER VICTORY.
1. She felt her need, and the true characterofher affliction.

2. She credited what she had heard of Christ.
3. And believing as she did, she improved her opportunity. Jesus was in the
neighbourhood.
4. She confessedherunworthiness.
5. She had a true and powerful faith.
6. And as the result of her faith, she was invincible in her prayers.
III. THE LESSONS WHICH THIS CASE TEACHES.
1. It impressively reminds us of the sorrowful condition of human life.
2. This gospelassuresus where our help is.
3. It indicates how to avail ourselves of our great mercies.
4. Precious encouragementdoes it bring to us.
(J. A. Seiss, D. D.)
A woman of Canaan
R. Glover.
The movements of mankind are best studied in the lives of individuals.
I. THE WOMAN HERSELF. All we know of her origin and feeling is
containedin the three terms that are applied to her — Canaanite, Syro-
Phoenician. a Greek. The first two imply her race. She belonged to that race
that the Hebrews calledCanaanites — that is, Lowlanders, for the great
Phoenicianpeople had settled themselves in the fertile valleys, and on the
maritime plains of Palestine, and there in their walled cities had developedin
the highestdegree an ancient civilization. To this Phoenicianstock she
belonged. It was divided into two parts — the African and the Syrian stock.
She belongedto the Syrian, to the people who inhabited the narrow strip of
land betweenLebanon and the sea. The lastterm "Greek," has ofcourse
nothing to do with race, nor does it sayanything of her language;but religion.

St. Paul divides men into Jew and Greek;the word means heathen. She was
one of those that worship Baaland Astarte.
II. IN HER CASE OBSERVE THE WORKINGS OF SORROW. Thatfrom
the outsetthere began to operate compensating results which took awaysome
of the bitterness.
1. This sorrow workedout in a greaterlove "Have mercy on me; my daughter
is vexed." As if she and her daughter were one. It was a mitigation, and in
some degree a compensation, that with her sorrow grew such love.
2. The love and the sorrow togetherco-operatedto produce something higher
still. They enlargedthe heart, purified her feeling, lifted the thought to
immortality; Astarte could no longerfill her heart. She wanted a deity that
could be a God of love, not of passion;who would create purity, not crush it.
This I gatherfrom the fact that she calls Christ " Son of David." She beganto
think trustfully of Israel's God. Such were the workings ofsorrow in her
heart.
III. AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE GREAT DRAWINGS BETWEENTHE
SAVIOUR AND THE SOUL THAT NEEDS HIM. There is something
mysterious here. It is not by accidentthat greatmercy and misery meet. What
is the secretofthat journey to Tyre and Sidon. I suppose the Saviourfelt some
magnetic need pulling upon His heart, claiming the help of His pity and
power. She was fifty miles away;the road was mountainous; in all the journey
there and back He cures no other affliction and preaches no sermon; His sole
purpose was to minister to this single sufferer. The prophetic soul knows when
its Lord is nigh.
IV. THE SERENE RESULT THAT IS REACHED. She learned the powerof
prayer. The disciples were changed; educatedfor their missionary work; they
see how rich a thing a human heart is. She came asking a mercy for herself,
and went awaycarrying it to others.
(R. Glover.)

The woman of Canaan
J. Wonnacott.
I. THE GREAT FAITH OF THIS WOMAN IS TO BE TRACED IN HER
HUMBLE CONFESSION.
1. She confesseshermisery when imploring the mercy of Christ.
2. She confessesherweaknesswhenimploring the help of Christ.
3. She confessesherunworthiness by admitting the mission of Christ.
II. THE GREAT FAITH OF THIS WOMAN IS TO BE TRACED IN HER
FERVENT PRAYER.
1. Mark her recognitionof the characterof Christ.
2. Her confidence in the powerof Christ,
3. Her earnestness in seeking the aid of Christ.
III. THE GREAT FAITH OF THIS WOMAN IS TO BE DISCOVERED IN
HER DETERMINED PERSEVERANCE.
1. Her faith overcame the difficulty of obtaining u personal interview with
Christ.
2. It overcame the singularly apparent coldness ofChrist.
3. It overcame the limitation of the usual ministrations of Christ.
(J. Wonnacott.)
The disciples sending awaythe Canaanite woman
E. Bersier, D. D.
Amongst the causes whichkeepsouls at a distance from Jesus, we must count
the attitude of the disciples of Jesus as one of the most powerful. To the
Masterwe must go; not to the disciples. Let us first dispel all

misunderstandings. When I declare that we must look to the Master, not to
the disciples, I do not forget that the apostles were enlightenedby special
revelations and were calledto found the Church. I do not oppose their
teaching to that of the Master;there is no contradictionbetweenthem. But
when we leave the apostolic age the situation changes. The Church is placed
before Christ. But now let us descendto the sphere of the individual
conscience. To leadto Jesus!What a privilege and glory. Fidelity of testimony
is necessaryto this mission. Some are brought to Christ by words, some by
indirect influences, others by a love that nothing wearies.But it is possible to
put souls awayfrom Jesus Christ. Betweenthem and Christ there have been
our sins, pride, etc.
1. Let us remove the hypocrites; to make of their duplicity an arm againstthe
gospelis an unworthy proceeding. You see their inconsistencies;are you sure
you do not exaggerate them? Have you weighedall that Christian faith
produces of excellentworks? Granting that your complaints are well founded:
in what way can they justify your unbelief? They could only do so if you had
the fairness to seek their cause in the gospelitself. But van contrastthe two. Is
it not rather the fidelity that offends you, rather than the faults of Christians?
2. A word to you who believe:
1. Judge yourself as you are seeking whatis lacking in others. Savedby grace,
shall we not exercise mercy?
2. Let us learn to see in our brethren along with the evil that distresses us, the
Roodthat we have misunderstooduntil now.
3. Raise your look to the Master, there van will find peace and certainty.
(E. Bersier, D. D.)
The woman of Canaan
G. Moberly, D. C. L.

I. "THIS POOR WOMAN'S UNREMITTING OBSTINACY, it may so call it,
IN PRAYERS. See the power of persevering prayer. They may seemfor a
while unanswered; they may not seemto work any alteration in our secret
hearts.
II. THE POWER OF INTERCESSION. Itis our duty to pray for others.
III. That this poor woman's reiterated prayers are by our Lord called faith.
Greatis the faith that prays without ceasing. The sphere of common duty is
the sphere also of secretspiritual growth.
IV. Regardagainthis poor woman thus singledout in all the heathen world to
receive the only cure, as a type of the Church of God. The Church, like her,
has many sons and daughters grievously vexed with the evil spirit. They are
brought to Christ in prayer.
(G. Moberly, D. C. L.)
Greatfaith
J. Vaughan, M,A.
How singularly and beautifully appreciative Jesus always was ofanything,
that was good. His words show accuracyofobservationand calculation.
I. There are many striking features in the characterofthis woman. Her
motherly care, energy, humility, pleading; but Christ selectedonly one. Faith
the rootof all, Some think we make too much of faith, and place it out of its
proper proportion.
II. The elements which went to make the "greatfaith." Sorrow seems to have
been, if not the cradle, yet the schoolof her faith. She comes and makes her
petition as faith always ought, leaving details with God. The test to which she
was put was exceedinglysevere.
(J. Vaughan, M,A.)

Help from he, heaven
A. O.
"Lord, help me." This prayer is suitable —
I. Forthose who are seeking salvation.
II. For a soulunder spiritual darkness.
III. For the believer amidst worldly perplexities.
IV. For the Christian labourer.
V. For the dying saint.
(A. O.)
The faith of the Syro-Phoenicianwoman
CongregationalPulpit.
I. THE EXTRAORDINARYCHARACTER OF HER FAITH.
1. It was basedon the most limited knowledge.
2. It conquered natural prejudice in herself, and the fearof its influence in
others.
II. WHY CHRIST SO SEVERELYTESTED IT.
1. His first object was to expose and rebuke the intense bigotry of the Jews
around Him.
2. He wished to draw out and exhibit the full strength of her faith.Lessons:
1. Christ's mercy and mission extend to all, howevervile and outcastthey may
be.
2. The true way to derive goodfrom Him is by faith, rather than by
knowledge oracts of worship.

3. An encouragementto the utmost tenacity and desperationof faith.
4. An illustration of the way in which appearances may deceive us. God may
seemto repulse us, but never does so actually.
(CongregationalPulpit.)
This woman of Caananteaches us to pray
Lapide.
(1) With greathumility in that she acknowledges herselfto be a dog;(2) with
faith, in that she calls Christ the Son of David, i.e., the Messiah;(3)with
modesty, because she sets before Christ the right of dogs and her own misery;
yet does not draw from thence the conclusionthat Christ should heal her
daughter, but leaves that to Him;(4) with prudence, in that she takes hold of
Christ by His ownwords, and gently turns His reasoning againstHimself, into
an argument for obtaining her desire;(5) with reverence, with religion and
devotion, because she made her application on her knees;(6)with resignation,
in that she did not say, "Heal my daughter," but "Help me," in the manner
that shall seemto Thee best;(7) with confidence, because,althougha Gentile,
she had a firm hope that she would be heard by Christ:(8) with ardour;(9)
with charity, in that she made intercessionfor her daughter, as if she were
anxious for herself, saying, "Help me";(10) with constancyand perseverance,
in that she persistedwhen she was twice repulsed, and became yet more
earnestin prayer.
(Lapide.)
A double miracle
J. H. Burn, B. D., Harry Jones, M. A., J. Morison, D. D.
1. Of Faith.

2. Of Healing. Thrice did Christ commend " greatfaith," and in eachcase
outside the fold of Israel. In this case the wonder is not that the woman had
greatfaith, but that she had faith at all. Her faith was greatbecause —
I. (1) it would stand trial.(2) It was a wrestling faith. She heard the repulse, yet
is neither daunted nor disheartened. She will not take His No. She will even
resistHis arguments.(3)It was victorious. Just now Jesus seemedto deny the
smallestboon; now He opens His treasures, andbids her help herself.
II. Learn from this that when God delays a boon, He does not necessarilydeny
it.
(J. H. Burn, B. D.)Under this story there is the touch of nature which binds us
all together. Let us learn from it —
1. Perseverance. Few things can be reachedby a single stride. All successis
the outcome of previous patience;the finest pictures result from
multitudinous touches of the brush. Let. us keepour faces to the light, and the
persevering desire shall at length be gratified.
2. Faith. This is a far larger thing than canbe clothed in any form, and the
most tenacious professiondoes not imply that we have that vivid apprehension
of the living God which makes us really trust in and reston Him. Have you
faith as well as a creed? Are you daily trusting in the living God amidst all
your wants, and sorrows, andsins?
3. Toleration. We are often inclined to look with insular exclusiveness orhalf-
disdainful curiosity on such non-Christians as we come in contactwith. Let us
remember that Christ took the children's bread and castit to dogs. With such
an example before us, we dare not disclaim any as too degradedto share with
us the " one flock and one shepherd."
(Harry Jones, M. A.)Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat, etc. — The woman's
remark is admirable and delightful. It is full indeed of true theologyand real
philosophy. She apprehended clearly(1)that it was right that our Lord's
personalministry should be devoted to the Jews;(2)that He bore a benignant
relation to the Gentiles — that He was not a sectarianSaviour;(3) that it
would not in the leastinterfere with His ministry in relation to the Jews, to

put forth by the way His blessedenergy in behalf of such suppliant Gentiles as
herself. She was not asking Him to forsake Palestine, orthe Jews.
(J. Morison, D. D.)
A woman's master-stroke
Luther.
Was not this a master-stroke? She snares Christin His own words.
(Luther.)
An incident like this
DeanPlumptre gives the following story from the Talmud. "There was a
famine in the land, and stores ofcorn were placed under the care of Rabbi
Jehudah the Holy, to be distributed only to those who were skilled in the
knowledge ofthe law. And, behold, a man came, Jonathan, the son of Amram,
and clamorouslyaskedfor his portion. The Rabbi askedhim whether he knew
the condition, and had fulfilled it, and then the suppliant changedhis tone and
said, 'Nay, but feed me as a dog is fed, who eats of the crumbs of the feast,'
and the Rabbi hearkenedto his words, and gave him of the corn."
Asking for crumbs
Laurence Justinian. first Patriarch of Venice, resembled this womanin the
prayer he offered when at the point of death. "I dare not ask for a seatamong
the happy spirits who behold the Holy Trinity. Nevertheless,Thy creature
asks forsome portion of the crumbs of Thy most holy table. It shall be more
than enough for me, O, how much mere than enough! If Thou wilt not refuse
some little place to this Thy poor servant beneath the feet of the leastof Thine
elect."

The, coasts ofTyre and Sidon
Harry Jones, M. A.
This narrative records a visit of Jesus to a regionwhich lay beyond the
borders of the Jewishland. It did not lie at any greatdistance;it was within a
day's ride of Capernaum, and it could be seenfrom hill-tops just behind
Nazareth; yet it was an alien country, and that notable strip of the
Mediterraneanshore on which Tyre and Sidon were situated had never
belongedto the Jewishpeople. The coastofTyre and Sidon was fringed by an
almost continuous line of buildings; quays, warehouses, and private residences
dotted the whole shore-line, and it was therefore no retired spot, but one
which swarmed with a large and busy population, with ships sailing on the
face of the waters, and the fishermen plying their trade within sight of the
shore. The scene was very unlike those which were most associatedwith our
Lord's presence. He was here surrounded by abundant tokens ofvigorous
maritime and naval life. Insteadof shepherds, sowers, cornfields, scribes, and
Pharisees,there were warehouses,docks,ship-building yards, and sailors,
amongstwhich He moved when He departed into the coasts ofTyre and
Sidon.
(Harry Jones, M. A.)
Spread of truth to foreign lands
J. Wells.
Captain Cook found in the South Seas some uninhabited islands, waving with
the fruits and flowers peculiarto Europe. No human hand had planted the
seeds in that soil. How, then, were they there? A boy in one of our valleys is
amusing himself with seeds. A few of them fall from his hand into the tiny
stream at his cottage door:they are carried down to the river, which floats
them out to sea. Theyare drifted about for thousands of miles, and at last cast
upon the shore of a South Sea island. A bird picks them up, and flies to its
nest; but, scaredby a hawk, lets them drop. They are coveredwith the leaves
of the foresttill spring calls them forth. By and by the wind shakes outthe

ripe seed, and carries it abroad. Again it falls into the kindly bosomof the
earth, and againspring draws it forth. Thus, we may suppose, the deserted
island is soonclothedwith an Europeanharvest. And thus the seedof God's
Word is often scattered, we cannottell how.
(J. Wells.)
Grievously vexed with a devil
Bishop Gregg.
(demoniacalpossession):— It is agreedon by all soberinterpreters of
Scripture that, at this period of the world, God permitted evil spirits to take
possessionof, and to afflict, individuals to an extent that He did not before
and has not since permitted;(1) to show to all the power and malignity of
Satan; and(2) to exhibit the compassionate kindness ofthe Saviour, and His
powerto relieve those thus oppressedOften may we, in a spiritual sense, see
such a thing nowadays — a believing, godly parent, having an unbelieving,
ungodly child, whose heartis held and governed by a wickedspirit. Often,
when there is life in the parent's soul, there is death in the child's; light in the
parent's understanding, but darkness and ignorance in the child's; love in the
parent's heart, but hatred and enmity in the child's. What a painful and
afflicting sight to a parent's eyes. And the case maybe often reversed!
(Bishop Gregg.)
Silence
W. Denton., J. Morison, D. D.
Silence is not refusal. The reasons forChrist's silence at this time were:
1. In order that by exercising her faith He might strengthenand deepen it.
2. That He might manifest it to others, and so give her as an example to those
who stoodby, as well as to future generations.

3. That He might not offer an additional stumbling-block to the Jews, to
whom the calling-in of the Gentiles was an abomination.
(W. Denton.)Notbecause He was unwilling to speak, but because there are
occasions onwhich silence is more eloquent and stirring to the thought than
speech. Notinfrequently silence is golden, while speechis "silvern;" and this
was one such occasion.
(J. Morison, D. D.)
The lostsheep of the house of Israel
J. Morison, D. D.
It was necessarythat there should be some limits to our Lord's personal
ministry; and it was wise that these limits should be fixed at the circumference
of the circle of Israel. To have spreadout His ministry farther, during the
brief period of His terrestrial career, would simply have been to have thinned
out and weakenedHis influence. What might have been gained extensively
would have been lost intensively. It was of primary moment that He should
make sure of a foothold, on which He might plant His moral machinery for
moving the world. That foothold He did secure in the house of Israel, the
household of Israel, the family of Israel; for the whole nation was but a
developed family circle.
(J. Morison, D. D.)
Moralpersistence
T. Manton.
To sink under the burden argueth weakness,but it is strength of faith to
wrestle through it. We read of Pherecides, a Grecian, in a naval fight between
his nation and Xerxes, that he held a boat in which the Persians were fighting,
first with his right arm; when that was cut off, with his left; when that was cut
off, with his teeth; and would not let go his holdfast but with his life.

(T. Manton.)
The use of delay
J. Wells.
Some old writer thus quaintly explains the case. "Christ's love is wise. There
is an art in His strange delays, which make us love-sick. We cheapenwhatis
easilygot, and under-rate anything that is at our elbow; but delays heighten
and raise the market value of Christ's blessings. He wishes to make our faith
stronger, and His trials are for the triumph of our faith. He did as we do when
we hold toys dangling before our children, that we may make them desire and
enjoy them more. He acts as we do with musicians at the door; for when they
please us, we do not give them their penny at once, that we may hear their
music longer."
(J. Wells.)
The kindness of refusals
J. Wells.
, the mother of , prayed that her godless boy might not go to Rome, for she
fearedthat Rome would be his ruin. Goddid not grant that request, because
He had something better in store for her. Augustine went to Rome, and was
convertedthere.
(J. Wells.)
Stern truths
Bishop Gregg.
This was the most cutting of all — telling her in plain terms that she had no
more right to get what she asked, than the dogs have to getthe children's

bread; and also intimating very plainly that she was no better than a dog. Still
she was not discouraged:even this did not put her off. If she had not possessed
greatfaith, how would she have acted? Justas many at the presentday do
when they hear a plain sermon (as they call it); when they hear in plain words
what the Bible says of human nature; they don't like that; they can't be so
very bad as all that; they don't approve of what that preachersays at all, and
so they go to some other place where they will hear more palatable language
about the kindness of man — his goodnature, generosity, noblemindedness,
and so forth; but they who are of the truth will not listen to this, for they know
it to be a lie, and the children of the truth can take no pleasure in a lie. People
think it is very bad to hear themselves called" great sinners; " they think very
strangelyof a man if he tells them they are poor, wretched, miserable, blind,
and naked;but, I suppose, if they heard the term " dog" applied to them as
Christ applied it to this woman here, they would be up in arms at once, openly
scoutat so unwarrantable an affront, and take goodcare never to go near that
preacheragain. So did not this woman; she had faith — strong faith; she
acknowledgesthe aptness of the illustration, and humbly accepts Christ's
estimate of her as the right one.
(Bishop Gregg.)
The dogs
J. Morison, D. D.
There was some reasonlying at the base of the designation. The heathens
around were, in the mass, exceedinglyunclean and ferocious:barking too,
incessantly, at the true God and true godliness. Butour Lord, in this case,
refers not to the wild, fierce, filthy dogs, belonging to nobody, that prowl
about Oriental cities; but to little pet dogs, in which children are interested,
and with which they play. Mostprobably there might be one or more of them,
within sight, in the company of some children.
(J. Morison, D. D.)

Greatthoughts of Christ
C. H. Spurgeon.
The Syro-Phoenicianwomangained comfort in her misery by thinking great
thoughts of Christ. The Masterhad talkedabout the children's bread. "Now,"
argued she, "since Thou art the Masterof the table of grace, Iknow that Thou
art a generous housekeeper, andthere is sure to be abundance of bread on
Thy table. There will be such an abundance for the children that there will be
crumbs to throw on the floor for the dogs, and the children will fare none the
worse because the dogs are fed." She thought Him one who kept so gooda
table that all she needed would only be a crumb in comparison. Yet remember
what she wantedwas to have the devil castout of her daughter. It was a very
greatthing to her, but she had such a high esteemof Christ, that she said, "It
is nothing for him, it is but a crumb for Christ to give." This is the royal road
to comfort. Greatthoughts of your sin alone will drive you to despair; but
greatthoughts of Christ will pilot you into the haven of peace.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Perseverance offaith
Salter.
An unbelieving heart may have some flash of spirit and resolution, but it
wants free mettle, and will be sure to jade in a long journey. Faith will throw
in the net of prayer againand again, as long as God commands and the
promise encourageth. The greyhound hunts by sight, and when he cannot see
his game he gives over running; but the true hound by scent, he hunts over
hedge and ditch; though he sees notthe hare, he pursues all the day long.
Thus an unbelieving heart may be drawn out upon some visible probabilities
and sensible hopes of a coming mercy to pray and exercise a little faith, but
when these are out of sight, his heart fails him; but faith keeps the scentof the
promise, and gives not over the chase.
(Salter.)

Faith gives prevalency to prayer
Gurnall.
In the severalprecedents of praying saints upon Scripture record you may see
how the spirit of prayer ebbed and flowed, fell and rose, as their faith was up
and dawn .... This made the woman of Canaanso invincibly importunate; let
Christ frown and chide, deny and rebuke her, she yet makes her approaches
nearer and nearer, gathering arguments from His very denials, as if a soldier
should shoothis enemy's bullets back upon him again;and Christ tells us
what kept up her spirit undaunted — "O woman, greatis thy faith."
(Gurnall.)
Children's bread given to dogs
C. H. Spurgeon.
1. When her case was come to such a point, she heard of the Lord Jesus;and
what she heard she actedupon. They told her that He was a great Healerof
the sick, and able to castout devils. She was not content with that information,
but she set to work at once to try its value.
2. This womanwas most desperatelyresolved. She had made up her mind, I
believe, that she would never go back to the place from whence she came till
she had receivedthe blessing.
3. I may not leave this picture without observing that this woman
triumphantly endured a trial very common among seeking souls. Here is a
woman who conqueredChrist; let us go by her rule and we will conquer
Christ too by His own grace.
I. In the first place, observe that SHE ADMITS THE ACCUSATION
BROUGHT AGAINST HER. JESUS calledher a dog, and she meekly said,
"Truth. Lord." Neverplay into the devil's hands by excusing sinners in their
sins. The woman in this case, if it had been a sound way of getting comfort,

would have argued, ".No, Lord, I am not a dog; I may not be all I ought to be,
but I am not a dog at any rate; I am a human being. Thou speakesttoo
sharply; goodMaster, do not be unjust." Instead of that she admits the whole.
This showedthat she was in a right state of mind, since she admitted in its
blackest, heaviestmeaning whateverthe Saviour might choose to sayagainst
her. By night, the glow-wormis bright like a star, and rotten touchwood
glistens like molten gold; by the light of day the glow-wormis a miserable
insect, and the rotten woodis decay, and nothing more. So with us; until the
light comes into us we count ourselves good, but when heaven's light shines
our heart is discoveredto be rottenness, corruption, and decay. Do not
whisper in the mourner's ear that it is not so, and do not delude yourself into
the belief that it is not so.
II. But notice, in the secondplace, SEE ADHERES TO CHRIST
NOTWITHSTANDING. Didyou notice the force of what she said? "Truth,
Lord, yet the dogs eatthe crumbs that fall from" — where? "Fromtheir
Master's table."
III. Furthermore, the woman's greatmaster weapon, the needle gun which
she used in her battle, was this, SHE HAD LEARNED THE ART OF
GETTING COMFORTOUT OF HER MISERIES. Jesus calledher a dog.
"Yes," saidshe, "but then dogs get the crumbs." She could see a silver lining
to the black cloud. If I deservedanything there would be the less room for
mercy, for something would be due to me as a matter of justice, but as I am a
sheermass of undeservingness, there is room for the Lord to revealthe
aboundings of His grace. There is no room for a man to be generous amongst
yonder splendid mansions in Belgravia. Suppose a man had thousands of
pounds in his pocket, and desiredto give it away in charity, he would be
terribly hampered amid princely palaces.If he were to knock atthe doors of
those greathouses, and say he wanted an opportunity of being charitable,
powdered footmen would slam the door in his face, and tell him to be gone
with his impudence. But come along with me; let us wander down the mews,
all among the dunghills, and get awayinto back alleys, where crowds of
raggedchildren are playing amid filth and squalor, where all the people are
miserably poor, and where cholera is festering. Now, sir, down with your
money-bags;here is plenty of room for your charity; now you may put both

your hands into your pocket, and not fear that anybody will refuse you. You
may spend your money right and left now with ease and satisfaction. When
the Godof mercy comes down to distribute mercy, He cannot give it to those
who do not want it; but you need forgiveness, foryou are full of sin, and you
are just the person likely to receive it. "Ah!" saith one, "I am so sick at heart;
I cannot believe, I cannotpray." If I saw the doctor's brougham driving along
at a greatrate through the streets, I should be sure that he was not coming to
my house, for I do not require him; but if I had to guess where he was going, I
should conclude that he was hastening to some sick or dying person. The Lord
Jesus is the Physicianof souls. Do try now, thus to find hope in the very
hopelessness ofthy condition, in whatever aspectthat hopelessness maycome
to thee. The Bible says that thou art dead in sin, conclude then that there is
space for Jesus to come, since He is the Resurrectionand the Life. Your ruin
is your argument for mercy; your poverty is your plea for heavenly alms; and
your need is your motive for heavenly goodness. Go as you are, and let your
miseries plead for you.
IV. Let me, in the fourth place, notice THE WAY IN WHICH THE WOMAN
GAINED COMFORT. SHE THOUGHT GREAT THOUGHTS OF CHRIST.
It was a very greatthing to her — but she had a high esteemof Christ. She
said, "It is nothing to Him — it is but a crumb for Christ to give."
V. And so you see, in the lastplace, she WON THE VICTORY. She had, first
of all, overcome herself. She had conquered in another fight before she
wrestledwith the Saviour — and that with her own soul.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
The little dogs
C. H. Spurgeon.
I. THE MOUTH OF FAITH CAN NEVER BE CLOSED.
1. It cannotbe closedon accountof the closedearand mouth of Christ.
2. Notby the conduct of the disciples.

3. Notby exclusive doctrine which appeared to confine the blessing to a
favoured few.
4. Notby a sense ofadmitted unworthiness.
5. -Not by the darkestand most depressing influences.
II. FAITH NEVER DISPUTES WITHTHE LORD.
1. Faith assents to all the Lord says — "Truth, Lord."
2. It worships.
3. She did not suggestthatany alterationshould be made for her.
III. FAITH ARGUES.
1. She argued from her hopeful position — "I am a dog, but Thou hast come
all the way to Sidon, — I am under Thy table."
2. Her next plea was her encouraging relationship — "Master's table."
3. She pleads her associationwith the children.
4. She pleads the abundance of the provision
5. She lookedat things from Christ's point of view.
IV. FAITH WINS HER SUIT.
1. Her faith won a commendation for itself.
2. She gained her desire.This womanis a lessonto all who imagine themselves
outside the pale of salvation; an example to all whose efforts after salvation
have been apparently repulsed; a lessonto every intercessor.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Our Lord had a very quick eye for spying faith
C. H. Spurgeon

If the jewelwas lying in the mire His eye caughtits glitter, if there was a
choice earof wheat among the thorns He failed not to perceive it. Faith has a
strong attractionfor the Lord Jesus;at the sight of it "the king is held in the
galleries" andcries "thou hastravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with
one chain of thy neck." The Lord Jesus was charmedwith the fair jewelof
this woman's faith, and watching it and delighting in it He resolvedto turn it
round and set it in other lights, that the various facets of this priceless
diamond might eachone flash its brilliance and delight His soul. Therefore He
tried her faith by His silence, and by His discouraging replies that He might
see its strength; but He was all the while delighting in it, and secretly
sustaining it, and when He had sufficiently tried it, He brought it forth as
gold, and set His own royal mark upon it in these memorable words, "O
woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt."
(C. H. Spurgeon)
The elements of prevailing prayer
J. B. Jeter, D. D.
1. Sincerity.
2. Humility.
3. Importunity.
4. Faith.
(J. B. Jeter, D. D.)
The greatnessofa woman's faith
B. J. Hoadley
1. It was exercisedby a woman.
2. It was a mother's faith.

3. It had an aim.
4. It disregardedapparent partiality.
5. It was not discouragedby apparent delay.
6. It was devoid of selfishness.
7. It gatheredstrength from its exercise.
8. It won.
(B. J. Hoadley).
The trial and triumph of faith
S. Rutherford.
Thee parts of the miracle are —
I. THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS WROUGHT.
II. THE PARTIES ON WHOM.
III. THE IMPULSIVE CAUSE.
IV. The miracle itself, wrought by the woman's faith: in which we have —
1. Christ's heightening of her faith.
2. The granting of her desire.
3. The measure of Christ's bounty — "As thou wilt."
4. The healing of her daughter.
(S. Rutherford.)
"She crieth after us
1. Christ's love is liberal, but yet it must be sued.

2. Christ's love is wise. He holdeth us knocking till our desire be love-sick for
Him.
3. His love must not only lead the heart, but also draw. Violence in love is most
taking.
Christ looking beyond His temporary limits
S. Rutherford.
Christ doth but draw aside a lap of the curtain of separation, and look
through to one believing heathen: the King openeth one little window, and
holdeth out His face, in one glimpse, to the woman of Canaan.
(S. Rutherford.)
Grace working on unpromising material
S. Rutherford.
Christ, then, canmake and frame a fair heavenout of an ugly hell and out of
the knottiesttimber He can make vessels ofmercy, for service in the high
palace of glory.
(S. Rutherford.)
Prayer strengthenedby adversity
S. Rutherford.
Also, the prayers of the saints in prosperity are but summer prayers, slow,
lazy, and alas!too formal. In trouble, they rain out prayers, or castthem out
in co-natural violence, as a fountain doth castout waters.
(S. Rutherford.)

COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(22) A woman of Canaan.—The terms Canaanite and Canaan, which in the
earlier books ofthe Old Testamentwere often applied in a wider sense to all
the originalinhabitants of what was afterwards the land of Israel(Genesis
10:18;Genesis 12:6;Judges 1:10), were used more specificallyof Phœnicia
and its inhabitants (Exodus 3:8; Exodus 3:17; Ezra 9:1, and elsewhere), and
are employed here with that meaning. St. Mark describes her more definitely
as “a Greek” (i.e., a heathen, the name “Greek” having gained a wider
connotation, much as “Frank” has done in recent times), a “Syro-Phœnician
by nation.”
Came out of the same coasts.—Better, ofthose regions, coming forth (i.e.,
from some house or village), cried . . .
O Lord, thou son of David.—The words show that the fame of the Prophet of
Nazarethhad travelled beyond the limits of Galilee, and that He was knownto
the people of the Tyre and Sidon district by the most popular of the Messianic
names. This was natural enough, even if we think only of popular rumours as
the channelthrough which the fame had reachedher. Luke 6:17, however,
suggestsa more direct source ofknowledge. Among the multitude that
listened to the Sermon on the Plain, and brought those that were “vexed with
unclean spirits,” had been people “from the sea-coastofTyre and Sidon.” The
mother of the demoniac daughter may well have cherishedfor months the
hope that one day the greatDelivererwould come within her reach. And now,
beyond all expectation, He had come across the boundary of Israel, and she
saw Him in her owncountry. St. Mark adds, significantly, that “He would
have no man know” of His presence, but He “couldnot be hid” (Mark 7:24).
The scene, as describedby St. Mark, was in the house into which He had
retired in order to avoid notice.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
15:21-28 The dark corners of the country, the most remote, shall share
Christ's influences; afterwards the ends of the earth shall see his salvation.
The distress and trouble of her family brought a womanto Christ; and though
it is need that drives us to Christ, yet we shall not therefore be driven from
him. She did not limit Christ to any particular instance of mercy, but mercy,
mercy, is what she beggedfor: she pleads not merit, but depends upon mercy.
It is the duty of parents to pray for their children, and to be earnestin prayer
for them, especiallyfor their souls. Have you a son, a daughter, grievously
vexed with a proud devil, an unclean devil, a malicious devil, led captive by
him at his will? this is a case more deplorable than that of bodily possession,
and you must bring them by faith and prayer to Christ, who alone is able to
heal them. Many methods of Christ's providence, especiallyof his grace, in
dealing with his people, which are dark and perplexing, may be explained by
this story, which teaches that there may be love in Christ's heart while there
are frowns in his face;and it encouragesus, though he seems readyto slayus,
yet to trust in him. Those whomChrist intends most to honour, he humbles to
feel their own unworthiness. A proud, unhumbled heart would not have borne
this; but she turned it into an argument to support her request. The state of
this woman is an emblem of the state of a sinner, deeply consciousofthe
misery of his soul. The leastof Christ is precious to a believer, even the very
crumbs of the Breadof life. Of all graces, faithhonours Christ most; therefore
of all gracesChrist honours faith most. He cured her daughter. He spake, and
it was done. From hence let such as seek help from the Lord, and receive no
gracious answer, learnto turn even their unworthiness and discouragements
into pleas for mercy.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
A woman of Canaan- This woman is called, also, a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician
by birth, Mark 7:26
In ancient times, the whole land, including Tyre and Sidon, was in the
possessionofthe Canaanites, and calledCanaan. The Phoenicians were

descendedfrom the Canaanites. The country, including Tyre and Sidon, was
calledPhoenicia, or Syro-Phoenicia. Thatcountry was takenby the Greeks
under Alexander the Great, and those cities, in the time of Christ, were Greek
cities. This woman was therefore a Gentile, living under the Greek
government, and probably speaking the Greek language.She was by birth a
Syro-Phoenician, born in that country, and descended, therefore, from the
ancient Canaanites. All these names might, with propriety, be given to her.
Coasts -Regions or countries.
Thou son of David - Descendantof David. See the notes at Matthew 1:1. The
phrase here means the Messiah.
Is grievously vexed with a devil - See the notes at Matthew 4:24. The woman
showedgreatearnestness. She criedunto him, and fell at his feet, Mark 7:25.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
Mt 15:21-28. The Womanof Canaanand Her Daughter.
For the exposition, see on[1309]Mr7:24-30.
Matthew Poole's Commentary
See Poole on"Matthew 15:23".
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
And behold a womanof Canaan,....Thatis, of Phoenicia, which was called
Canaan;so Shaul, the son of a Canaanitishwoman, is, by the Septuagint in
Exodus 6:15 calledthe sonof a Phoenician;and the kings of Canaanare, by
the same interpreters in Joshua 5:1 called kings of Phoenicia:hence this
woman is by Mark saidto be a Greek, that is, a Gentile, as the Jews usedto
call all of another nation, and a Syrophenician, being a native of Phoenicia,
calledSyrophenician; because it bordered upon Syria, and had been formerly
a part of it, by conquest: so Cadmus, who is reported to have first brought
letters from Phoenicia to Greece, is called(i) a Syrophenician merchant.
Came out of the same coasts;being an inhabitant, it is very likely, either of
Tyre or Sidon: this shows that Christ did not go into these places, but only to

the borders of them, since she is said to come out of them to him; who, having
heard of him, and the miraculous cures wrought by him, and being informed
that he was near, at such a place, as the Persic version says, "suddenly came
forth out of a corner";and the Ethiopic reads it, "out of the mountains
thereof";and made to the house where he was privately retired, and would
have hid himself, as Mark suggests,
and cried unto him; with a loud voice, with much vehemency, being in great
distress,
saying, have mercy on me; meaning, by curing her daughter, with whose case
she was so much affected, that she made it, as it were, her own:
O Lord, thou son of David. The first of these characters expressesher faith in
his power, dominion, and government, that all persons and things, and so all
diseaseswere athis command, and control; and that being Lord of all, he
could remove them at his pleasure:the other shows her knowledge and belief
of him, as the Messiah, thatbeing a name by which he was usually known by
the Jews;See Gill on Matthew 1:1 and which she, though a Gentile, might
come at the knowledge of, either through being a proselyte to the Jewish
religion, or through a generalreport which might reach, especiallythe
neighbouring nations, that the Jews expecteda wonderful deliverer to arise
among them, under this characterofthe sonof David; and from what she had
heard of him, she concludedhe must be the person.
My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil, which had took possessionof
her, and most grievously afflicted her: and her request to him was, that he
would casthim out of her: believing he had power so to do, without seeing or
touching her, only by a word speaking:her faith was like that of the
centurion's.
(i) Lucian. Dialog. Deor. Coneil. sect. 2,
Geneva Study Bible
And, behold, a woman of {f} Canaancame out of the same coasts, andcried
unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my
daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

(f) Of the people of the Canaanites, who dweltin Phoenicia.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Matthew 15:22. Χαναναῖα] Severaltribes of the Canaanites, ‫כ‬ְּ‫ַנ‬‫ע‬ֲ‫נ‬ ִ‫,י‬ who were
the originalinhabitants of Palestine, wentand settled in the north, and
founded what was subsequently known as the Phoeniciannation, Winer,
Realwörterbuch. Lightfooton this passage.
ἐξελθοῦσα] She crossedthe frontier into the contiguous territory of the Jews,
where Jesus happened to be. According to Paulus, the woman came out of her
house; according to de Wette, Bleek:from some place nearerthe centre of the
country. Both views are in oppositionto the terms of our passage,which
plainly state where she came out from.
υἱὲ Δαυ.] She so addressesJesus,because, from living in the neighbourhood of
the Jews, she was familiar with their Messianicexpectations,and with the
Messiah’s title, as well as with the Messianic reputationof Jesus. Looking to
what is said in Matthew 15:26, she cannot be supposedto have been a
proselyte of the gate. The Gentiles also believed in demoniacalpossession.
ἐλέησόν με] “Suamfeceratpia mater miseriam filiae,” Bengel.
Expositor's Greek Testament
Matthew 15:22. Χαναναία: the Phoenicians were descendedfrom a colony of
Canaanites, the original inhabitants of Palestine, Genesis10:15 (vide
Benzinger, Heb. Arch., p. 63). Vide notes on Mk.—ἐλ. με, pity me, the
mother’s heart speaks.—υἱὲ Δ. The title and the request imply some
knowledge ofJesus. Whence got? Was she a proselyte? (De Wette.)Or had the
fame of Jesus spreadthus far, the report of a wonderful healer who passed
among the Jews for a descendantof David? The latter every way likely, cf.

Matthew 4:24. There would be some intercourse betweenthe borderers,
though doubtless also prejudices and enmities.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
22. a woman of Canaan]Called in Mark “a Greek, a Syrophœnician by
nation.” The two expressions are identical, for the land of Canaan, literally,
the low lands or netherlands, at first applicable to the whole of Palestine, was
confined in later times to the maritime plain of Phœnicia. In Joshua 5:12 “the
land of Canaan” appears in the LXX. version as the “land of the Phœnicians.”
The important point is that this woman was a foreignerand a heathen—a
descendantof the worshippers of Baal. She may have heard and seenJesus in
earlier days. Cp. Mark 3:8, “they about Tyre and Sidon … came unto him.”
out of the same coasts]Literally, those coasts. Jesus did not himself pass
beyond the borders of Galilee, but this instance of mercy extended to a Gentile
points to the wide diffusion of the Gospelbeyond the Jewishrace.
Have mercy on me] Identifying herselfwith her daughter. Cp. the prayer of
the father of the lunatic child: “Have compassionon us and help us,” Mark
9:22.
Song of Solomon of David] A title that proves the expectationthat the Messiah
should spring from the house of David. It is the particular Messianic prophecy
which would be most likely to reachforeign countries.
Bengel's Gnomen
Matthew 15:22. [693]Ἐξελθοῦσα, κ.τ.λ., having come forth, etc.)For Jesus did
not enter the borders of the Canaanites.—ἐκραύγασεν, criedout) from a
distance, from behind; cf. Matthew 15:23;Matthew 15:25.[694]—με, me)The
affectionate mother had made her daughter’s misery her own; see Matthew

15:25;Matthew 15:28.—Υἱὲ Δαυὶδ, Song of Solomonof David) Therefore the
woman had heard of the Promise either long ago or lately.
[693]Χανανάια) of the posterity of Canaan.—V. g.
[694]That is, Matthew 15:23, “She crieth after us,” shows she was in the rear,
behind Him; Matthew 15:25, “Then came she,” etc., shows she had previously
been at a distance.—ED.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 22. - Behold. The word marks the sudden and unexpected characterof
the incident. A woman of Canaan. She belongedto the accursedrace of
Canaan, the ancient inhabitants of the land, doomed, indeed, to destruction,
but never thoroughly extirpated. St. Mark calls her "a Greek," i.e. a Gentile,
and "a Syro-Phoenician," whichexplains her proper nationality. Out of the
same coasts. Some jointhese words with "a woman;" but came out would still
imply that she left her own territory to meet Christ. Have mercy on me. She
speaks as though she herself were the one that needed healing, identifying
herself with her diseaseddaughter, as though the horrible incubus lay upon
her own spirit and could not be relieved without the cure of the suffering girl.
O Lord, thou Son of David. Living among a mixed population of Jews and
Gentiles, she had heard this title applied to Jesus;she knew something of the
hopes of the Hebrew nation, that they were expecting a Messiah, sonof the
greatKing David, who should preachto the poor and heal the sick, as she
heard that Jesus had done. We know that the reputation of Jesus had spread
into these parts, and that persons from this country had come to him to be
healed (Mark 3:8; Luke 6:17). There is no reasonto suppose that the woman
was a proselyte;but evidently she was of a humble and religious spirit, open to
conviction, and of an enlightened understanding, which neededonly grace and
instruction to ripen into faith. At present she saw in Christ only a merciful
Wonder-worker- an error which he often combated, and which now by his
conduct he corrected. My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. She must

have learned from her Hebrew neighbours to attribute her child's malady to
demoniacalinfluence, as such an idea would not have naturally occurredto a
heathen Greek. The powerof the devil was shownmore openly in heathen
localities. We do not read of many bad casesofpossessionin strictly Jewish
districts. It is in Gentile or semi-Gentile regions that the worstinstances
occur;and while the paganinhabitants attributed the mysterious maladies to
natural causes,the truer insight of believers assignedthem, and often most
justly, to spiritual agencies.In the present case, the possessionmust have been
unconnectedwith any ethical relations. It was not that the child, by any act of
her own, had put herselfinto the demon's power. We must regardit, like the
sufferings of innocent infants, as a providential arrangementwhich Godfor
wise purposes allows.
Vincent's Word Studies
Out of the same coasts (ἀπὸ τῶν δρίων ἐκείνων)
Lit., as Rev., from those borders; i.e., she crossedfrom Phoenicia into Galilee.
Cried (ἐκραύγασεν)
With a loud, importunate cry: from behind. Compare after, Matthew 15:23.
Me
Making her daughter's misery her own.
Grievously vexed with a devil (κακῶς δαιμονίζεται)
Lit., is badly demonized. Sir J. Cheke, very evil devilled.
END OF BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Bible verses about Jesus Christ's Mercy
(From Forerunner Commentary)
Matthew 9:10-13

In saying that He desires mercy and not sacrifice, Jesus is teaching that He
prefers it when people practice mercy and not blindly follow ritual. He is not
condemning the laws of sacrifice that He set up for Israelto practice until He
fulfilled them, but explaining that He is more pleasedwith acts of forgiveness
and kindness than strict external compliance to the law.
He is telling the Phariseesthat, though they were exacting in keeping the letter
of the law, they had completely missed its intent. In Matthew 23:23, He
reminds them of this very point: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have
neglectedthe weightiermatters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These
you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone."
It is goodand right to tithe to God, even to be exacting in our accounting, but
not at the expense of the far more important matters of justice, mercy, and
faith! These weightiermatters are a Christian's priorities, so if a question of
"What do I do?" ever comes up betweenpracticing them and keeping the
strict letter of the law, our judgment should lean toward these Christian
virtues. If we can do both, all the better!
Jesus Christ is the personificationof mercy. Exodus 25:17-22 describesthe
Mercy Seatconstructedin the wilderness. Essentially, it was the golden lid of
the Ark of the Covenant, on which were figures of two cherubim facing each
other with their wings stretchedout, covering the Mercy Seat. God, the pre-
incarnate Christ, says in verse 22, "And there I will meet with you, and I will
speak with you from above the mercy seat, from betweenthe two cherubim
which are on the ark of the Testimony." The MercySeatrepresentedGod in
His dealings with sinful humanity, and the chief element He employs is mercy.
Now notice Romans 3:23-25:
. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely
by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whomGod set
forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His

righteousness, becausein His forbearance Godhad passedoverthe sins that
were previously committed. . . .
This passagetells us that Jesus Christ is our Mercy Seat, but the translators
have hidden it. "Propitiation" (Greek hilasterios)in verse 25 is literally "place
of conciliationor expiation" or "MercySeat." The Septuagintused hilasterios
to translate the Hebrew noun kapporeth ("MercySeat"). This Hebrew word's
root is kaparmeaning "to cover" or "to conceal." This illustrates that the
nature of God is to be merciful.
The apostle Peterwrites in I Peter2:21 that we are to follow in Christ's steps,
thus as Jesus Christ is merciful, we also are to show mercy in our judgments.
John O. Reid (1930-2016)
Mercy: The BetterOption
Have Mercy on Those Who Doubt
Article by Jon Bloom
Staff writer, desiringGod.org
When the elevendisciples saw Jesus afterhis resurrection, at the moment of
receiving the GreatCommission, in fact, Matthew tells us “they worshiped
him, but some doubted” (Matthew 28:17). Do you find it remarkable that
some disciples doubted this extraordinary phenomenon? I find it both
remarkable and eminently reasonable. And comforting, because we find

ourselves in goodcompany when we and our brothers and sisters also struggle
with doubts.
The Greek wordtranslated “doubt” here (distazō) often refers to a wavering,
hesitant uncertainty — a generallack of confidence. What made some of the
disciples waver on that Galileanmountain? Matthew doesn’t tell us, which is
the Lord’s mercy, I think. I imagine eachdoubter’s doubt varied to some
degree, depending on his experience and temperament. Suffice it to say,
strange encounters with the resurrectedSon of God and the scope of the
mission he was giving them, colliding with all their prior conceptions and
contrasting with their experience of normal life, would have been a surreal
experience for any normal person. It would be strange if some didn’t doubt.
Doubting Disciples
Scholars debate whether or not members of the elevendoubted or whether the
doubters were those among the broader group of disciples who may have
accompaniedthe elevento Galilee. The text seems to point to the eleven, but it
doesn’t really matter. Doubt was presentamong the elevenand the broader
group on and after EasterSunday.
We know Thomas refused to believe Jesus’s resurrectiontill he saw Jesus with
his owneyes (John 20:25–29). We know members of the elevenstruggled to
believe even what their own eyes saw whenthe resurrectedJesus appearedto
them (Luke 24:36–43). And we know that members of the broader group of
disciples doubted the initial resurrectionreports they heard (Luke 24:13–34).
“Notall doubt is the same. Therefore, mercytoward doubters doesn’t always
look the same.”
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The remarkable and comforting fact is that some of Jesus’s first disciples, who
personally saw and heard so many amazing things, doubted. Is it any surprise
that some of us also experience a wavering, hesitant uncertainty — doubt —
that what we have seen, heard, and experiencedis all real?
This is why I’m so thankful that Jesus’s brother, Jude, wrote, “Have mercy on
those who doubt” (Jude 22).
Jude’s Mercy
The brief book of Jude is mostly a soberwarning againstfalse teachers. Like
John’s epistles, Peter’s secondepistle, and Hebrews, Jude wants us to feel the
seriousnessoftheir perversion of and departure from the gospelso that we
will persevere in faithfulness.
But in his closing remarks, he says, “Have mercy on those who doubt.” Jude
uses the Greek word (diakrinō) that also means a wavering uncertainty, and
as one dictionary puts it, “being at odds with oneself.” In other words, be
merciful to those who are struggling overthe competing truth claims. Don’t
crush them or condemn them; help them.
I can’t help but think that Jude recalledhow Jesus once showedmercyto him.
Becausethere was a time when he doubted his divine brother’s claims, and
Jesus atsome point helped him (John 7:5). And there are numerous other
examples of Jesus’s mercyto doubters.
Jesus’s Diverse Mercy
The New Testamentuses a number of different Greek words for doubt,
because not all doubt is the same and not all doubters are the same.
Therefore, mercy towarddoubters doesn’talways look the same. Some cases
call for patient, compassionate understanding and encouragement. Some cases
call for an exhortation or even a rebuke. That’s why we see a range of
responses from Jesus towardthose who doubted.

John the Baptist
In Matthew 11:2–6, we see a touching example of Jesus’s kindness to a
surprising doubter: John the Baptist. God had revealedJesus’s identity to
John in utero (Luke 1:41) and by specialrevelation (John 1:29–34). But
confined in Herod’s prison, likely knowing he wasn’t getting out alive, and
likely experiencing significantspiritual oppression, John was second-guessing
whether he had been right about his calling as forerunner. So, he sent his
disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for
another?” (Matthew 11:3).
Jesus’s responsewas merciful kindness, intended to fortify John’s faith in his
last, brutal days. Jesus does not break a bruised reed(Matthew 12:20). He
knows when to deal gently with the doubts that assaultus in the darkness of
suffering and isolation.
Peter
In Matthew 14:28–33, Jesus addressesa different kind of doubt with a
different kind of mercy. Peter had just exercisedsignificantfaith in Jesus,
getting out of the boat to walk on top of the stormy sea. But when he was
partway to Jesus, Peterrealizedjust how incredible this whole experience was
— people don’t walk on water!
“Jesus knowswhento dealgently with the doubts that assaultus in the
darkness of suffering and isolation.”
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As he lostfaith in Jesus’s power, Jesus lethim sink. This prompted Peterto
scream, “Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:30). Which Jesus did, along with giving
this rebuke: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31).
Jesus’s responsewas merciful disappointment, intended to imprint upon Peter
(and the other disciples)the dangerof transferring his trust (manifested in his
fear) from the powerof the Word to the power of the world. He knows when
to deal firmly with the doubts that assaultus in the storms of life that demand
focused, persevering faith.
Thomas
John 20:24–29,ofcourse, is the most famous instance of Jesus dealing with a
disciple’s doubt. When Thomas heard that the other ten disciples had seenthe
risen Jesus, while he hadn’t, he declared, “Unless I see in his hands the mark
of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand
into his side, I will never believe” (John 20:25). We canonly speculate what
was going on inside of Thomas, but this is a different kind of doubt than either
John the Baptist’s or Peter’s. This is skepticaldoubt about the central claims
of Christianity. It’s doubt in Jesus’s ownpredictions and in the eyewitness
accounts ofpeople Thomas knew.
Jesus’s responsewas merciful delay — he let Thomas sit in his unbelief for
eight miserable, lonely, probably scarydays. And then, when the time was
right, Jesus appearedto him, saying, “Do not disbelieve, but believe” (John
20:27). He knows whento dealsilently, and for how long, with doubts that
assaultus when, for whatever reason, we elevate our wisdom above God’s (1
Corinthians 1:25).
Wired to Doubt
I’m not addressing the issue of doubt as a dispassionate observer, but as one
who is well-acquaintedwith doubt in its wide spectrum, including the kinds
illustrated in the three examples above. And I believe I’ve receivedJesus’s

merciful encouragement, his merciful rebuke, and his merciful silence in
response to my various doubts.
To some extent, I’m wired to doubt. This is partly because, like you, I’m a
human being possessing a reasonable,yet fallible, capacityfor rational, logical
analysis, living in a world full of competing truth claims, uncertainty, error,
and deception, and therefore nearly constantly needing to discern what’s true
and what’s not. This is not easy.
“The fight of faith is hard. Doubt, in whateverform, is part of the hard fight.”
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But it’s also partly because Ihave by constitution — and, I’m sure,
conditioning — a kind of sensitive consciencethat is fairly easilygiven to
uncertainty that my perspective is accurate and that I’m doing the right thing.
I’ve been this wayas long as I remember. So, I’m familiar with riding waves
that are “driven and tossedby the wind,” which James warns us about (James
1:6). His warning, like those of other apostles, is well-placed, and I’m grateful
for its gravity.
But I am also grateful that James’s brother Jude included his kind, pastoral
word to doubters and those who pastor them: “Have mercy on those who
doubt” (Jude 22). And I’m grateful for the varied forms of mercy Jesus
showedto doubters.
Our Mercy
The fight of faith is hard. Doubt, in whatever form, is part of the hard fight.
Doubt is dangerous to faith and, to some degree, a necessaryexperience of
believers in an age where “the faith . . . once for all delivered to the saints” is
under constant assault(Jude 3), where well-aimed “flaming darts” are

frequently being shot at them (Ephesians 6:16), and where believers on their
best days see only “in a mirror dimly,” and know only “in part” (1
Corinthians 13:12). On their worstdays, this mirror can seemvery dim
indeed.
So, let us be merciful on those who doubt. Let us not crush them or condemn
them. Let us learn from Jesus that this mercy takes different forms for
different doubts — none of which is crushing or condemning. And let us tread
carefully here, “praying in the Holy Spirit” that we may “keep[ourselves and
others] in the love of God” (Jude 20–21).
Did God become more merciful after being human in Jesus?
Q. For years I’ve been struck by the stark contrastbetweenhow God’s
judgment is portrayed in the Old Testamentand how it is portrayed in the
New Testament. Evenbefore Jesus’s death, Godseems to have a gentlerspirit
with his people. I pondered this for a long time but never came up with an
explanation that seemedto make sense until the other day.
Let me run a hypothesis by you. Do you think Godchanged after Jesus
walkedon the face of the earth, because he experienced first-hand some of the
struggles we face? This may seemlike a pretentious suggestion, andI really
don’t mean any disrespectto our sovereignGodwho createdthe universe and
is all-knowing. But I do see a an inexplicable difference betweenthe Old and
New Testaments. Wouldlove to hear your thoughts.
I think you may actually be on to something here, but let me offer a couple of
qualifiers first.
We should observe, for one thing, that God actually shows mercyas wellas
judgment towards people in the Old Testament, and judgment as well mercy
to people in the New Testament.
For example, there’s a beautiful passage inHosea that speaks ofGod’s love
for the waywardnation of Israel: “Therefore I am now going to allure her; I

will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. . . . I will betroth
you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness andjustice, in love and
compassion.” And then there are the words that open the secondpart of the
book of Isaiah: “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly
to Jerusalem. . . He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in
his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have
young.” And so forth, in the Old Testament.
On the other hand, in the New Testament, along with all the grace and mercy,
we find passageslike this one in 2 Thessalonians:“Godis just: He will pay
back trouble to those who trouble you . . . This will happen when the Lord
Jesus is revealedfrom heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will
punish those who do not know God . . . They will be punished with everlasting
destruction.” Even from the lips of Jesus himself we hear things like this,
spokento the Pharisees: “You snakes!You brood of vipers! How will you
escape being condemned to hell?” (I won’t even getinto all the plagues and
destruction in the book of Revelation.) So it seems there’s plenty of both
mercy and wrath to go around in eachtestament.
Still, we have the impressionthat there’s more wrath in the Old Testament.
What creates that impression? Forone thing, in that period God was using
the law to govern His relationship with His people. The New Testamentitself
says that the law has a positive purpose, to restrain and to teach. But laws
need to specify what the consequenceswill be if they’re broken. That’s one
reasonwhy we hear so much about punishment in the Old Testament.
If teenagers found themselves constantlythreatened with punishment, or
actually being punished, they might marvel at how different their parents
seemedfrom the days when they used to cuddle them and coo over them as
babies. But the parents haven’t necessarilychanged. The teenagers have
actually moved into a life stage where they need the guidance and restraint of
enforceable rules to help them become more mature and eventually
independent adults. In the Old Testament, that’s the stage the people of God
are in. Things do change in the New Testament, where God’s relationship
with His people is governed insteadby the Holy Spirit living in them. “The
law was given through Moses;grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

One more considerationis that the Old Testamentis the story of how the
original chosenpeople kept disobeying the covenant through which they were
supposedto be God’s instruments to reachthe restof the world, and how they
needed to be correctedas a result. Ultimately, a new kind of covenantwas
promised. The New Testamentis the story of how Jesus came to earth to live
out perfectobedience, inaugurate that new covenant, and fulfill the intentions
of the original covenant, to bring all peoples in. So the story of disobedience
in the Old Testamentis going to feature a lot more judgment and punishment
than the story of obedience in the New Testament. It’s not so much God’s
“learnings” as a human being that lead Him to be more merciful in the New
Testamentas the unfolding of a plan by which God, in Jesus, supplies the
obedience that He was looking for from humans all along.
All of that said, however, let me return to your hypothesis and explain why I
think you may still be on to something. The book of Hebrews says, “In the
days of his flesh, Jesus offeredup prayers and supplications, with loud cries
and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard
because ofhis reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience
through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of
eternal salvationto all who obey him.” As a result, “we do not have a high
priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every
respecthas been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
This seems to suggestthat there was some kind of “learning” as a human
being on Jesus’part that has resulted in Him being a more effective
intercessorforus in heaven. Should we therefore conclude that when Jesus
intercedes for us, since God is talking to God (that is, God the Son is
addressing God the Father), God is now more able to “sympathize with our
weaknesses” in His own self-reflections? Ifso, this would reflect no prior
deficiency in objective knowledge onGod’s part, but rather a gain in God’s
subjective or experiential knowledge. Itmakes sense to me, at least, that even
if God knew everything from the beginning, He hadn’t necessarily
experiencedeverything. Something to think about, anyway!
This would not accountfor any difference in God’s dealings with us “before
Jesus’s death,” however, becauseJesushad not yet takenHis place back in

heaven as our intercessorat that point. So I wouldn’t appealto this to explain
how justice and mercy work in the Old and New Testaments. ButI would still
marvel, and worship, at the thought that Jesus came and sharedour humanity
to such an extent that He could bring an experiential appreciation of it back to
share with the Fatherin heaven.
I don’t know that this has necessarilychangedGod’s character, to make Him
more merciful. Even as God is first giving the law through Moses, He
describes compassionas His primary and outstanding characteristic, at
length, before describing justice as well: “The Lord, the Lord, the
compassionateand gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and
faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness,
rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished . . .” Still, I
recognize that God in His graciousness has identified with us in an amazing
way through Jesus, and this must give a very specialquality to His
compassion.
Christopher R Smith
Postedon
August 26, 2016
Categories
Redemptive History
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The world seems to be witnessing increasing levels of violence, fearand hatred
that challenge us eachday. There are ongoing debates about how or whether
to welcome immigrants and refugees to the United States;news headlines
remind us about the plight of Syria and about the horrors of the Islamic State.
In such times, talk about mercy may seemmore like wishful thinking. But
mercy matters – now more than ever.
The extraordinary Holy Year of Mercycalled by Pope Francis ended in
November 2016. Pope Francis has encouragedPresidentDonaldTrump to
draw upon “the rich spiritual and ethical values that have shaped the history
of the American people.”
I recently wrote about mercy in a book, “MercyMatters:Opening Yourself to
the Life Changing Gift.” Mercyhas touched my life in many ways – such as in
my recoveryfrom alcoholismand through my experiences as an adopted
child. So, to me, mercy is a “love that responds to human need in an
unexpected or unmerited way.”
At its core, mercy is forgiveness. The Bible speaks ofGod’s love for sinners –
that is, for all of us. But the Bible also relates mercy to other qualities beyond
love and forgiveness.
So, how can we begin to understand the true meaning of mercy?
Mercy in the Hebrew Bible
Christians usually understand the “Hebrew Bible” as the “Old Testament,”
which is replacedby the “New Testament” ofJesus Christ as found in the
gospels ofMatthew, Mark, Luke and John.

How Christianity has interpreted the Hebrew Bible, often not fully
appreciating its Jewishcontext, continues to be a matter of scholarly debate.
But many Christians see connections betweenthemes expressedin the “Old
Testament” and Christ’s later teachings about the importance of mercy.
The Hebrew Bible. FirewallJC,CC BY
In the Hebrew Bible, there is a cluster of relatedwords that are often
translated as “mercy,” depending upon where they appear in the text. There
is “ahavah,” which refers to God’s enduring love for Israel, much like the love
betweenhusband and wife. Then there is “Rachamim,” which comes from the
root word “rechem,” orwomb, and therefore might be more literally
understood as suggesting a “maternal connection” betweenGodand human
beings.
In a famous passagefrom Psalm 85 that speaks ofthe Israelites’return from
exile, it is said that when “mercy and truth have met together, righteousness
and peace have kissed.”
“Chesed,”the word translatedas “mercy” in this verse, additionally suggests
God’s quality of “steadfastloyalty.” The psalm thus relates steadfastnessand
mercy with “truth” – in Hebrew “emet”– which means behaving ethically and
being faithful to God’s will.
Mercy in the Christian gospels
A point of connectionbetweenthe Jewishand Christian traditions is what is
calledthe “GreatHallel.” Hallel means “praise” and refers to a group of
psalms regularly recited at the time of the new moon as wellas during
important Jewishfeasts like Tabernacles orSukkot, which commemorates the
period the Jewishpeople spent in the desert on their journey to the Promised
Land.
The greatHallel is the refrain of Psalm136 that celebrates how God’s “mercy
endures forever.” Some scholars believe Jesus sang the Great Hallel with his

disciples when they went out to the Mount of Olives after the Last Supper, the
final meal that he shared with his Apostles before his crucifixion.
Mercy sets the context for many of Jesus’teachings.In the Gospelof
Matthew, Jesus tells the story of the “unmerciful servant” who has his own
debt wiped away but refuses to forgive another servantwho only owedhim a
few cents.
The story teaches us that we need to forgive others, because we have been
forgiven ourselves.
Jesus as the face of mercy
Also in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus tells his disciples to understand the meaning
of the phrase:
“I desire mercy, not sacrifice. ForI have not come to callthe righteous, but
sinners.”
Perhaps most significantly for Christians, Jesus shows us what it means to be
merciful: He healedthe sick, welcomedthe stranger and pardoned those who
persecutedand killed him.
As Pope Francis tells us in Misericordiae Vultus, his letter introducing the
Holy Year of Mercy, Jesus’mercyis not abstractbut “visceral” – it’s
something that quite literally changes us from the inside out.
And Christians believe that this visceralaspectofmercy comes in the personal
relationship Jesus promises to all of us: a relationship basedon forgiveness
and love, reconciliationand truth. As Pope Francis writes in the very first
sentence ofMisericordiae Vultus,
“Jesus Christis the face of God’s mercy.”
Practicing mercy
According to the Bible, mercy does matter: It matters because we all need
forgiveness. Butmercy also matters because it is what canjoin us all together
in spite of our differences.

Protestagainstthe immigrant ban in Minneapolis, Minnesota. FibonacciBlue,
CC BY
But what does it mean – in concrete terms – to be merciful to the refugee, the
immigrant, not to mention to those nations, institutions and communities that
face the challenge of welcoming them? What does mercy mean in Syria? What
is a merciful response to the atrocities of the Islamic State, or ISIL/ISIS – a
group that has been merciless in persecuting Christians, Yazidi and the Shia?
How might mercy shape the Trump administration’s response to Iran
following its missile tests, or to the Chinese expansion in the Spratly Islands
and the South China Sea?
I certainly can’t say how mercy can be specificallyapplied to these challenges:
The possibilities, and pitfalls, are as numerous as the various meanings
associatedwith mercy in the Bible itself.
But I would like to suggesta starting point for thinking about how mercy
matters. In a recentdiscussionabout my book “MercyMatters,” a participant
related how she’s been watching both Fox News and MSNBC in a effort to
expose herselfto different views about crucial issues facing the United States.
I never learned whether she was a Democrator a Republican; a liberal,
conservative or libertarian.
But what I did learn is that mercy begins by opening oneselfto those with
whom one might strongly disagree. Mercydoesn’tend there, of course, but it
begins with such small acts of understanding, which canlead to life-changing
experiences oflove.
http://theconversation.com/what-is-the-true-meaning-of-mercy-72461
Question:"What does it mean that God is merciful?"

Answer: God being merciful basically means that, when we deserve
punishment, He doesn’t punish us, and in factblesses us instead. Mercyis the
withholding of a just condemnation. Throughout the Bible, God gives many
illustrations of His mercy. God fully demonstrates His mercy in Jesus Christ.
God was merciful to the waywardSolomonin 1 Kings 11:13. God was
merciful to Israel in captivity (Psalm 106:45;Nehemiah 9:31). David
illustrated God’s mercy when he showedkindness to Mephibosheth (2 Samuel
9:7). God’s mercy was illustrated every year on the Day of Atonement, when
the high priest entered the Holiest Place and sprinkled the blood of the
sacrifice before the mercy seat(Leviticus 16:14).
Another illustration of God’s mercy is found in Matthew 18:23–27.In this
parable, Jesus describesa rich ruler who was oweda large sum of money. The
ruler ordered that money be collected, but then the debtor came and begged
for mercy. The ruler, in turn, graciouslyforgives the debt. Here’s the point:
we owed God a debt we could never repay, and He has freely forgiven us that
debt in Christ! Interestingly, after the ruler in the parable forgives the debt,
the personwho owedthe money refuses to forgive someone else. The ruler
then judges that ungrateful person. God requires us to be merciful and
forgiving to others here on earth (see Matthew 6:15). We who have been
forgiven so much have no right to withhold forgiveness from others.
Mercy is coupled with other attributes of God in Psalm86:15, “You, O Lord,
are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast
love and faithfulness” (ESV). God’s mercy is rooted in His love for us. He is
merciful, in large part, because He is love (1 John 4:8). As sinners, we deserve
punishment (Romans 3:23). God’s righteousnessrequires punishment for
sin—He wouldn’t be holy otherwise. Since Goddoes love us and is merciful,
He sent His Son (John 3:16). The fullness of His mercy is seenin Matthew 27.

Jesus is brutally beaten and murdered on our behalf; Jesus receivedour just
condemnation, and we receivedGod’s mercy.
BecauseofHis love for us, God wants us to be with Him. His mercy is
required for that to take place;there is an inseparable connectionbetween
God’s love and mercy. Jesus laid down His life and became the sacrificial
lamb (Isaiah 53:7; John 1:29) so that God’s mercy could be extended to us.
Instead of punishing us for our sin, God allowedHis Son to take the
condemnation in our place. That is the ultimate act of God’s mercy (see
Ephesians 2:4–5). To our eternal benefit, “mercy triumphs over judgment”
(James 2:13b).
https://www.gotquestions.org/God-is-merciful.html
What does the Bible say about the mercy of Jesus?
Dutch art, TED talks and the Gospels – they all feature in theologianMarijke
Hoek's exploration of Jesus'attitude to mercy and what that might mean for
us.
Christ and the Woman Takenin Adultery is a small, near monochrome
painting by the Dutch artist PieterBruegelthe Elder. This Renaissance
painter knownfor a peasant’s eye view of the 16th century delicately crafted
this drama from the Gospelof John in shades of grey on a small panel, which
is signed and dated 1565.
Image courtesy of The SamuelCourtauld Trust, The Courtauld Gallery,
London
It shows a solitaryfemale standing at the centre of the composition,
surrounded by her accusers andpotential assassins.Beside her, Jesus is
kneeling down. Slightly raisedare the teachers ofthe law and the Pharisees

who’ve brought in the womanand have just challengedhim. ‘Teacher, this
woman was caughtin the actof adultery. In the Law Moses commandedus to
stone such women. Now what do you say?’(John 8.4–5). Stooping lowly, Jesus
begins to formulate his answerin the dust – in close proximity to the stones
that could become the tools of her execution. When they kept on questioning
him, he straightenedup and said to them, ‘Let any one of you who is without
sin be the first to throw a stone at her’ (John 8.7). It’s a merciful response
drafted in a hostile, legalistic climate.
John’s Gospeldoes not appealto the Law as prescriptive of moral conduct
There is nothing formulaic about Jesus’response. John’s Gospeldoes not
appeal to the Law as prescriptive of moral conduct. Rather, John presents
Jesus as the one who has come from God to bring life. He is the lamb of God
taking awaythe sin of the world (1.29;5.39, 46ff.). Sin is a reality in the
community John addresses.Our lives are indeed lived out in shades of grey.
In fact, those who claim to be without sin are lying. Yet, once sin is brought
into the light and confessed, forgivenessand cleansing follow (1 John 1.8–10).
We know from John’s accountthat the stage will gradually empty until we are
left with Christ and the woman. The conversationwill geta private,
restorative character. He will not condemn her either but simply declare, ‘Go
now and leave your life of sin’ (John 8.11). His gracious answercontains both
a clearrejectionof sin and a mandate to live righteously. God’s mercy is
extended to her.
The teachers ofthe law and the Phariseeswho had enquired after Jesus’
verdict had done so to seta trap in order to have a basis to accuse him (John
8.5-6). The wisdom in his response both circumvents this ploy and bears
witness to the weightymatter of mercy. In fact, in severalrecordeddisputes
with the PhariseesJesuscites Hosea 6.6: ‘I desire mercy not sacrifice’
(Matthew 9.13, 12.7).
God’s loving kindness to us has given us the base and pattern for our kindness
to others

We know from Luke’s portrayal of the pharisee that there was no awareness
of the need for mercy, as depicted in the prayer: ‘God, I thank you that I am
not like other people – robbers, evildoers, adulterers’(Luke 18.11). Suchself-
righteousness contrastssharply with the man humbly calling on God for
mercy. Only one went home justified (Luke 18.9–14).
John’s Gospeltells a story about Jesus’life and ministry in explicitly didactic
passagesand in narratives. Interwoven in the stories are matters pertaining to
discipleship. Mercyis a critical characterquality that he instills in teaching
the disciples. Here in John’s narrative of the adulterous woman, Jesus
demonstrates what is good. As the prophet Micah asserted, ‘He has shown
you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act
justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’ (6.8).
In order to extend mercy, we have to be proximate to the broken
The mercy – hesed – we are to love, alongside justice and humility, is also
translated in our Englishtexts as ‘faithfulness’ or ‘loving kindness’. The word
occurs nearly 250 times in the Scriptures, mostly depicting a quality of God
and his dealings with people. Yet a quarter of its occurrencesreferto the
merciful qualities there are, or ought to be, betweenpeople. So the ‘mercy’
that we are to love is in fact God’s loving kindness to us that has given us the
base and pattern for our kindness to others. When his disciples are sentinto
the world, their lives are patterned after his: ‘As the Fatherhas sent me, I am
sending you’ (John 20.21).
In order to extend mercy, we have to be proximate to the broken. It requires
us to draw a line in the sand, stand up for the accusedandbe a witness to
mercy. Recounting 30 years of legalexperience defending the most
marginalised, the Christian lawyer Bryan Stevensoncompels us to be merciful
to the accusedandmonitor our posture:
Today, our self-righteousness, ourfear, and our angerhave causedeven the
Christians to hurl stones atthe people who fall down, even when we know we
should forgive or show compassion… we can’t simply watch that happen …
we have to be stonecatchers.

In his book Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, Stevensoncalls
for a merciful justice that is redemptive.1 As a young US lawyer troubled and
concernedabout the deep fractures and flaws causedby injustice, racial
prejudice and inequality, he was compelledby an urgent sense of vocationto
help the accused, particularly those who have no means to pay for an advocate
to shield them from injustice. His commitment to people who are (wrongly)
sentencedin a criminal justice system that still supports capitalpunishment
vividly shows that such advocacy – ‘stone catching’if you like – literally is a
matter of life and death.
We have to be stonecatchers
While the legalcomplexity requires tenacious commitment, what emerges
powerfully is his work ethic that is shapedby a merciful, respectful and
pastoralapproachtowards eachclient. His compassionateand restorative
advocacychanges the lives of his clients as well as the characterof the
procedures, thus reorienting individuals and marginalisedcommunities
towards hope. Moreover, Stevensonhas persuasivelyargued in the Supreme
Court the case forsystemic change, thus effecting amendments in legislation
and shaping the quality of justice in the nation. As Abraham Lincoln asserted
in his era, ‘I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict
justice.’
The callto love mercy, actjustly and walk humbly with our God shapes our
relations with individuals and communities and implies the challenge to think
through a constructive subversion of the frameworks ofsociallife. In his book
To Change the World, James DavisonHunter’s theologicalreflectioncentres
on the Christian vocationto live faithfully in seeking the wellbeing – shalom –
of the community.2 ‘For Christian believers, the call to faithfulness is a callto
live in fellowship and integrity with the person and witness of Jesus Christ.
There is a timeless characterto this callthat evokes qualities of life and spirit
that are recognisable throughout history and across cultural boundaries.’
We are meant to challenge structures or dynamics that dishonour God and
dehumanise people

Such faithfulness, Hunter argues,needs to be workedout in the multifaceted
realities of actual situations, in the contextof complex, social, political,
economic, and cultural forces that prevail at a particular time and place … To
face up to the challenge of integrity and faithfulness in our generation, then,
requires that Christians understand the unique and evolving characterofour
times.
In every sphere of our society(media, enterprise, education, judiciary, etc.) we
are meant to challenge structures or dynamics that dishonour God and
dehumanise people, and offer a constructive alternative that extends into the
institutions of which we are part.
her parents feared that she would be humiliated to death
In a recent TED talk, ‘The Price of Shame’, Monica Lewinsky reflectedon the
‘virtual stone throwers’.3 The woman at the centre stage following the
exposing of her affair with President Clinton and the focus of a federal
investigationinto her private life receivedno mercy in the endless cycle of
media, political and personalharassment. At the time, her parents fearedthat
she would be humiliated to death – literally. In this era of cyber-bullying,
young people have indeed ended their lives, as they could no longerenvisage
bearing up in such a culture of humiliation.
There is nothing virtual about such mobs, their stones or the tragic deaths.
Jesus would not have condemned her but rather engagedher in a
conversationwith a restorative character. In the contemporary renaissanceof
public shaming, we ought to be mindful of our merciful witness – in public
and private contexts. As she advocates fora saferand more compassionate
socialmedia, CNN rightly commented; ‘We could all learn a few things from
Monica Lewinsky, particularly about ourselves.’
‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’
The inward gaze Jesus evokes teachesus indeed a few things about ourselves.
Such honing of the lens is found in another occasionin Matthew’s Gospel
when Jesus teaches on‘mercy’ in response to Peter’s question, ‘Lord, how
many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins againstme? Up to seven
times?’ (Matthew 18.21)While Petermay have hoped to extract the

redeeming formula, Jesus opts to tell a parable about debts instead. In fact, 19
of Jesus’30 parables concernan economic or socialcontext. In an era in
which the yoke of unpayable debts would have weighedheavily and could
even cause a person to become a debt slave, his teaching on mercy is critical.
He voices a harsh critique of the merciless:
Then the mastercalled the servant in. “You wickedservant,” he said, “I
cancelledall that debt of yours because you beggedme to. Shouldn’t you have
had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” In angerhis master
handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he
owed. This is how my heavenly Fatherwill treat eachof you unless you forgive
your brother or sisterfrom your heart.
(Matthew 18.32–35).
Daily expressions ofmercy express the nature of God's Kingdom
Proximity to brokenness willmove us to uncomfortable places and sharpen
and direct our lens. ‘We have for once learnt to see the greatevents of world
history from below, from the perspective of the outcast, the suspects, the
maltreated, the powerless,the oppressed, the reviled – in short, from the
perspective of those who suffer.’ 4 The fact that Dietrich Bonhoefferwrote
this from his prison cellspeaks volumes, as his audacity to draw a line in the
toxic German soil and actup for the vulnerable would come at a colossal
price. Blessedare the merciful (Matthew 5.7). In Micah’s Challenge Tim
Chesterwrites:
The beatitudes of Matthew 5 are not statements of piety or advice for happy
living. They are declarations ofliberation. The Christian community is to be
God’s light in the world, demonstrating that it is goodto live under God’s
rule. The liberated community is to be a liberating community – a community
of the broken for the broken.5
In Paul’s epistle to the church in Ephesus we read:
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His greatlove with which He loved
us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive togetherwith Christ
and raisedus up together… that in the ages to come He might show the

exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For
by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves;it is
the gift of God, not of works, lestanyone should boast. For we are His
workmanship, createdin Christ Jesus for goodworks, whichGod prepared
beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2.4–10, KJV).
Mercy candefine the characterof our justice
To ‘walk’ is a metaphor of daily conduct. We are to monitor how we walk,
walking in a manner worthy of our calling, not as the Gentiles, but humbly
walking in the light and in sacrificiallove (4.1–2, 17;5.1–2, 8). In such daily
faithfulness, we can count on powerful help. John’s Gospelcontains
distinctive teaching on the Paracletewho will be with us and help us:
When the Advocate comes, whom I will sendto you from the Father—the
Spirit of truth who goes outfrom the Father—he will testify about me. (John
15.26)
John’s portrayal of the world characterisedby binary polarities (light and
darkness;good and evil; truth and lies; life and death) sketchesthe contours
of this Spirit-led Existenzwandel in a fractured world where people suffer
hostile life-relations and accusatoryrhetoric. The Spirit will help us testify
about him before the world. The Paraclete willgive powerand steadfastness
to bear witness to God’s merciful truth (John 16.7–15).
Whether our daily walk and the goodworks that he has prepared for us lie in
pastorate, law, enterprise, IT, educationor elsewhere, mercyis meant to
shape all our vocations. Daily expressions ofmercy express the nature of his
Kingdom. Mercy restores a brokenperson to a meaningful life in community.
Mercy candefine the characterof our justice. Mercyneeds to be the hallmark
of our virtual and our actualpresence. Whateversphere we operate in, we
need a spirited wisdom that is pure, peace-loving, considerate,submissive,
impartial, sincere and full of mercy (James 3.17). Living faithfully, Christ’s
reign invades the world, not hindered by our own‘shady lives’ but rather
displayed in it.

Dr Marijke Hoek is part of the adjunct faculty at Regents TheologicalCollege,
where she teaches in modules on biblical justice for the poor at undergraduate
and masters level. She is also co-editorof Micah’s Challenge (Carlisle:
Paternoster, 2008)and Carnival Kingdom (Gloucester:Wide Margin, 2013).
Jesus, A Model of Mercy
Audio MP3
When he heard that it was Jesus ofNazareth, he began to cry out, and say,
Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.—Mark 10:47
Robert Brand
One of the definitions of “mercy” is “compassionatetreatment, especiallyof
those under one’s power.” Since Jesus was the spiritual, intellectual, and
physiologicalsuperior of everyone with whom he came in contact, it is easyto
see how this important virtue was part of the Savior’s everyday life. His was a
life of compassiontowardthe undone human condition, for in his pre-human
existence as the Logos he had personallywitnessedmankind’s fall into sin and
condemnation. John statedof our Lord, “He knew what was in man” (John
2:25). As he walkedthe earth during his brief ministry, Jesus was also aware
of the coming time of blessing—a realitythat not even his closestdisciples
appreciated. His awarenessofthe “big picture” of the heavenly Father’s plan
gave our redeemera unique perspective in all his dealings with others.
Three Reasons forJesus’Miracles
A key aspectof the ministry of Jesus Christ was the performance of miracles,
many of which involved healing the sick. There were at leastthree basic
reasons forthose miracles. The first was to establishhis messiahship. The
disciples of John the Baptist were sent to Jesus to determine, “Art thou he that
should come, or do we look for another” (Matthew 11:3)? Our Lord
responded by giving his miracles as evidence, an answermore powerful than a
simple yes or no.

A secondreasonfor miracles was to provide a typical picture of the work of
the kingdom to come. At the time Lazarus died, Jesus saidto Martha: “Thy
brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise
againin the resurrectionat the last day. Jesus saidunto her, I am the
resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet
shall he live.” (John 11:23-25).
Mercy was a third reasonfor our Lord’s miracles. A quick word searchin a
concordance for“compassion” willquickly demonstrate that mercy was a
significant factorin our Lord’s miracles. Forexample: “Jesus had compassion
on them [two blind men], and touched their eyes:and immediately their eyes
receivedsight” (Matthew 20:34). While we appropriately apply the phrase
that Jesus was “touchedwith a feeling of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15) to
the prospective Bride of Christ, there is no doubt that Jesus was also moved
by seeing mankind’s imperfections first-hand. He had the power to heal the
sick, and he used that power generously.
A Woman of Canaan
Mercy was shownin many of our Lord’s experiences with believers and
nonbelievers alike. Once a “womanof Canaan” approachedJesus, requesting
that he heal her daughter who was “vexedwith a devil.” The Lord, however,
ignored her, and his disciples askedhim to send her away. Jesus explainedthe
reasonfor his lack of response by saying, “I am not sent but unto the lost
sheepof the house of Israel.” In other words, since the Jewishnation was
God’s chosenpeople and in relationship with God under the Law Covenant,
our Lord’s ministry was focusedon the nation of Israel, not on the Gentiles.
Since this woman was a Gentile, Jesus had no responsibility to respond to her.
She againbeseechedhim with the words, “Help me.” The Saviormaintained
his positionby saying, “It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast
it to dogs” (“dogs”—housepets, not vicious dogs—was a pejorative term used
by the Jews in that day for Gentiles). She agreedwith him, and yet, she
continued her plea with an insightful response:“Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat
of the crumbs which fall from their masters’table.” What persistence!This
Canaanite was not disagreeing with Jesus;she was reasoning with him, and he
appreciatedher tenacity. “Then Jesus answeredand said unto her, O woman,

greatis thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was
made whole from that very hour.” (Matthew 15:22-28).
This healing was an expressionof mercy. Jesus had no obligation to this
foreigner, and yet, her respectfulimportuning caught his attention and he
decided to help her daughter. In our experiences, we also maysee a situation
where we have no responsibility to lend assistance, andyet, there may be an
opportunity to be merciful, and thus be more like our Master. It canbe
something as simple as a traffic situation where we technically have rights but,
upon viewing another driver in an unsafe predicament, we yield with a
friendly wave and smile. We are all better off for such efforts.
Jesus, Jairus, and a Sick Woman
Another example of Jesus’mercy involved a woman with a request for herself,
not her child. Jairus, “a ruler of the synagogue,”came to Jesus in anguish
over his dying daughter. But before Jesus couldattend to his request, a
woman who had been ill for twelve years and had spent “allher living” on
physicians, simply touched the hem of Jesus’garment. That actof faith
resulted in her immediate healing. The Lord asked, “Who touchedme?”
When the details were known, he said, “Daughter, be of goodcomfort: thy
faith hath made thee whole; go in peace” (Luke 8:40-48.)Jesus then
responded to Jairus’ urgent request.
Jesus demonstratedmercy not only in attending miraculously to Jairus’
daughter’s condition, but also in interrupting what he was doing with Jairus
to assistthe sick woman. Jesus could easilyhave told the woman he was busy
with an urgent request and she would have to wait, but we cannot imagine
him doing such a thing. He was too generous, too merciful, for that kind of
remark. Jesus was never too busy to help someone, especiallythose who
demonstrated faith. We would all do well to heed the apostolic admonition to
be “in season” and help others at every opportunity, even when doing so is not
personally convenient(2 Timothy 4:2).
The Ten Lepers

Mercy canalso be demonstrated in what a person choosesnotto do. The
expression“less is more” can often fit into expressions ofmercy. Such was the
case in our Lord’s dealings with the ten lepers (Luke 17:11-19). Jesus was
traveling to Jerusalemwhen ten leprous men stoodat a distance and
beckoned:“Jesus,Master, have mercy on us.” The Savior told them to show
themselves to the priests in accordance withthe guidelines contained in
Leviticus chapters 13 and 14. As they walkedawayin compliance, they were
miraculously healed. Only one of these lepers, a Samaritan, returned to give
thanks to Jesus.
Our Lord’s wonderfully subdued reflectionwas an evidence of his merciful
disposition: “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” This was
not a strong and forceful rebuke, but rather a searching question. While the
healed men indeed should have returned to give thanks, Jesus no doubt had
mercy on their failure to thank him due to their understandable exuberance
at their miraculous healing. We can do the same in our dealings with those we
help. When proper gratitude is not demonstrated, we can simply be thankful
they are now better off for our efforts, and be compassionate towardtheir
lack of an expressionof appreciation.
Jesus and Peter
There are few examples of mercy more powerful than our Lord’s dealings
with the impetuous apostle Peter. All readers of the Bible know the story of
Peter’s three denials of Jesus. Peterboldly declared: “Thoughall men shall be
offended because ofthee, yet will I never be offended” (Matthew 26:33). Our
Lord’s response in the next verse was prophetic: “Verily I sayunto thee, That
this night, before the cock crow, thoushalt deny me thrice.” Matthew records
the poignant result of Peter’s eventual three denials: “Peterremembered the
word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me
thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:75).
After our Lord’s resurrection, Jesus met with Peterin the well-knowndialog
where he askedPeterthree times, “Lovestthou me,” and ended with the
admonition, “Feedmy sheep” (John 21:15-17). There is little doubt that

Peter’s three denials were the reasonbehind Jesus’three persistentquestions.
Our Lord’s discussionwith the apostle Peterwas a reassurance thathe was
forgiven. It was an act of mercy, an act of compassion. Peterthen went on to
be a faithful apostle and leaderof the early Christian church.
There is anotherexample of Jesus’concernfor Peter. When an angel
announced the Lord’s resurrectionto the women gatheredat the tomb, he
added: “Tellhis disciples and Peterthat he goethbefore you into Galilee”
(Mark 16:7).
Peter, like all of us, was subject to human frailties. No matter how spiritually
strong we might be, we cannotescape human shortcomings. We are all
thankful for the Lord’s mercy as reflectedin his forgiveness of these
shortcomings and providing yet another opportunity to serve him further. We
can likewise be merciful to those who disappoint us.
Jesus’Instructions to Us
In the beatitudes, we read, “Blessedare the merciful, for they shall obtain
mercy” (Matthew 5:7). This statementby Jesus is similar in conceptto his
admonitions on forgiveness. Laterthe Saviour laid down a principle that we
can use to obtain forgiveness forourselves:“Forif ye forgive men their
trespasses, yourheavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14).
Apparently, as we show mercy to others, it will providentially be shown to us.
Developing the virtue of mercy will cause us to be more Christ-like. Thus our
efforts containa triple blessing:We become more like our Master, we benefit
all we come in contactwith, and we personallyobtain additional mercy from
the Lord.
Mercy is a wonderful virtue and we see it demonstrated repeatedly in the life
and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us take his example to heart, and
likewise endeavorto developthis same characterquality.

Jesus is Righteous and Merciful
Jesus has mercy toward the sinner.
One time the religious teachers ofJesus’day brought in a woman caught in
adultery.
"They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, 'Teacher, this
woman was caughtin the actof adultery. In the law, Moses commandedus to
stone such women. Now what do You say?'They were using this as a trap for
Him.
"But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with His finger.
When they kept on questioning Him, He straightenedup and said to them, 'If
any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.'
Again He stoopeddown and wrote on the ground.
"At this, those who heard beganto go awayone at a time, the older ones first,
until only Jesus was left, with the womanstill standing there. Jesus
straightenedup and askedher, 'Woman, where are they? Has no one
condemned you?'
"'No one, sir,' she said.
"'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Go now and leave your life
of sin.'" (John 8:3-11)
Jesus has pity towardthe misled masses.
He called people to righteousness andconfronted sin, yet was merciful and
compassionateto those who came to Him for forgiveness. His heart ached
even for those who would not come to God. In speaking ofthe city of
Jerusalem, He said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, youwho kill the prophets and
stone those sent to you, how often I have longedto gatheryour children
together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not
willing!" (Luke 13:34).
Jesus’love had no boundaries.

God can see the hearts of people. He does not only regardoutward
appearances.Jesus’coming was a better way of showing us what God is like.
He traveled around Israel, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and
comforting those in despair. The book of Isaiahhad predicted a leveling and
straightening: it did not make any difference whether people were rich or
poor. (Isaiah40:1-5) Through Jesus, God’s love was extended to all those
willing to humble themselves and come to Him.
https://somethingbetter.us/journey-through-jesus-life/part-6-jesus-is-
righteous-and-merciful?v=15753852339512852
On Jesus’MercifulCall of St. Matthew, a GreatSinner
38
On this FeastDayof St. Matthew, we must acknowledge a greatmercy in
Jesus’call. As a tax collector, Matthew was considereda greatsinner. In fact,
the term “taxcollector” was a biblical euphemism for greatsinner. Yet
despite this, Jesus calledhim to be an Apostle.
In our times, many set mercy and the fact that we are sinners in opposition to
eachother, but the Lord Jesus unites these realities together. Forthe Lord,

mercy is necessarybecausethere is sin, not because sinis “no big deal.” It is
because sinis a big deal that mercy is needed and is glorious.
Bishop RobertBarron aptly states, Many receive the messageofdivine mercy
as tantamount to a denial of the reality of sin, as though sin no longermatters.
But just the contrary is the case. To speak ofmercy is to be intensely aware of
sin and its peculiar form of destructiveness (Vibrant Paradoxes:The
Both/And of Catholicism, p. 1).
Mercy does not deny sin; it acknowledgesit and supplies an often-challenging
remedy. Jesus shows mercy by calling us from our sin and healing us from its
effects.
This understanding is evident in the Gospelfor the Feastof St. Matthew:
As Jesus passedby,
he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post.
He said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followedhim.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors andsinners came
and satwith Jesus and his disciples.
The Pharisees sawthis and said to his disciples,
“Why does your teachereat with tax collectors andsinners?”
He heard this and said,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
Go and learn the meaning of the words,
I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
I did not come to callthe righteous but sinners” (Matt. 9:9-13).

Notice three things from this Gospelabout the relationship betweenmercy
and sin:
I. In His mercy, Jesus reckons us as sinners and regards us as sick. Jesus
states plainly, “I have come to call sinners” (this means us). He also says that
those who are welldo not need a doctor, but the sick (this means us) do.
Many people today have been deceived. Some even call their sin good and
something of which to be proud. They say, “God made me this way,” or “God
likes me just the way I am.” No! To those such as these the Lord Jesus says,
“You are sick. You are a sinner.” An antiphon in the Breviary says, God sees
all men as sinners, that he might show them his mercy.
So in His mercy Jesus does not overlook sinor call it something good;he calls
it what it is: sin and sickness.
II. In His mercy, Jesus summons us to change. In this Gospel, Jesus calls
Matthew awayfrom his tax post, saying, “Follow me.” In other words, stop
what you are doing; come awayfrom it and follow me out of here. To the
woman caughtin adultery He says, “Do not sin again.” Jesus beganHis
ministry by saying, “Repentand believe the Gospel.” To repent(metanoiete)
means to change, to come to a new and different mind.
The changes Jesusinsists upon are too numerous to list in their entirety, but
among them are that we become free of lust, vengeful anger, greed, and
unforgiveness, and that we become more generous, loving, serene, faithful,
and trusting.
Thus in His mercy Jesus does not confirm us in our sin; He summons us away
from it. He calls us to change and equips us to do so. His merciful call is this:
“Come awayfrom here. Enoughof this; follow me.”
III. In His mercy, Jesus heals sinners of their sin. Jesus uses the image of a
doctor and states plainly that sick people (sinners) need a doctor. Jesus is that
doctor. A doctor does not look at a sick patient and say, “You’re fine the way
you are” or “I affirm you.” That would be malpractice. Jesus seessin for what
it is. He calls it such and prescribes the necessarymedicines. He will also likely

speak to a person’s lifestyle and recommend needed changes. This is how a
doctor heals.
Jesus invokes the image of a doctor with what He does. He diagnoses and says,
“This is bad. This is sickness. This is sin.” He then applies healing remedies
such as the sacraments, the Holy Liturgy, His Word, the carrying of the cross,
active and passive purifications, punishments due to sin, solid moral teaching,
and holy fellowship. Like a doctor, Jesus summons us from a bad and
unhealthy life to a goodand healthy one.
Thus, in His mercy, Jesus heals our sins. He does not ignore them or approve
of them—and He certainly does not call them goodor something to celebrate.
In His mercy, He heals them. He ends them.
So mercy is not a bland kindness. It is not mere flattery that pretends that sin
does not exist or that it doesn’t matter. Beware offake, flattering mercy. True
mercy says, “Sin is awful. Let’s get out of here and go to a far better place.”
Matthew got up and followedJesus. How about us?
Categories
Divine Mercy
4 Replies to “On Jesus’Merciful Callof St. Matthew, a Great Sinner”
Todd
September 21, 2017 at08:35
The Word of God records that he (Matthew) “Gotup, and followedHim.”
Sick people tend to lay down. They have a hard time getting up without help.
Sometimes they are so sick, so weak,they cannot “stand.” Aided by Gods
Divine Grace we too can “getup,” and follow Him. Scripture does NOT
record Matthew making any excuses for his sin. Scripture records he “got
up,” and followedHim. There is a principle in the spiritual order here. We too

must get up. We must not lay there rolling around in the mud of sin. In a
combat sense we needget off the “x” lestwe lay there dying the death forever.
The greatspiritual writer Lorenzo Scupolisaid in “the spiritual combat” that
upon waking man has a choice to make – fight – or lie there dying the death
forever. There is really only one goodchoice my friends. Fight!
Nick
Divine Justice willed to justify Matthew, so It granted him repentance – the
beginning of justification.
Robbie J
As usual MsgrPope, your article hits the nail on the head. Mercyis available
even to the worstsinner, but only through repentance. All too often have I
heard the refrain, “No need to worry, God is all-forgiving,” as if sin is of no
consequence (!). Thank you for stating plainly what needs to be said, and God
bless!
PeterWolczuk
Something which seems to be popping up on facebook is very much about the
calling of Matthew where it is pointed out that Jesus ate with sinners so, how
can a baker, who is Christian, refuse to bake a cake because the couple who
are getting married are “sinners”
Probably true that Jesus ate food which was paid for by Matthew’s work as a
tax collectorbut, didn’t mention Jesus adding to this, at Matthew’s house as
He did when supplying wine at the wedding feastof Cana or in feeding the
multitude who had followedhim and for whom He may have felt
responsibility toward.

I had commented that this was quite a stretch and that I felt that no one had a
right to be responsible to supply for a “gaywedding” but, I might attend if
circumstances warranted.
http://blog.adw.org/2017/09/jesus-merciful-call-st-matthew-great-sinner-2/
in celebrationof the Jubilee Year of Mercy
Arthur E. Zannoni
“Be merciful, just as your Fatheris merciful.” (Luke 6:36)
This resource is intended as a selfdirected retreat. It canbe done in a single
setting, but we recommend giving yourself three separate times of prayer and
reflection, following the movements outlined below.
Before you begin:
1. Find a SUITABLE PLACE, a comfortable chair, maybe a prayer corner
with candle, picture or symbol that will be an aid to a prayerful focus.
2. POSTURE:comfortable and relaxing posture -- choose a posture that
enables you to be both relaxed and alert. Many postures are suitable for
prayer, but as a generalprinciple choose one that will be comfortable for
longerperiods at a time – having to constantly change position canbe a
distraction. * It may help you to close your eyes and take a few deep breaths
to relax and focus your attention. Sometimes the playing of softinstrumental
music will help you relax.

3. ADOPT AN ATTITUDE OF SILENCE:Spend a few moments quieting
yourself, becoming aware that you are placing yourself in the presence of God
in an unhurried way. As you settle down to pray you may have lots of things
on our mind. You may be tired, anxious, or tense. Integrate these in your
prayer, acceptthem, be aware of them, and bring them with you into the
stillness and silence, within and without. * Deliberately notice external
sounds, and let them go. * Deliberatelynotice sensations in your body, and let
them go. * Deliberatelynotice preoccupations ofyour mind, and let them go.
4. COME TO PRAYER GENTLY:Simply begin to anticipate your time of
meeting God.
© 2015 Art Zannoni │ Be Compassionate │Page2
Movement #1:Understanding Mercy and CompassionLight a candle. Open
your Bible and setit beside the lit candle. Pause to let silence wellup within
you. Begin gently and quietly.
Speak these words aloud: By signing myself with the cross in blessing, I also
make a commitment to live in such a waythat others might see the goodness
in me that is God’s presence.
Patterning Prayeron Jesus If our prayer life as disciples is to be patterned on
that of Jesus, it is very important that we understand Jesus, as presentedin
the Gospels,as the purveyor of God’s mercy. Jesus challengesus to: “Be
merciful, just as your Fatheris merciful” (Luke 6:36). In the Sermon on the
Mount, Jesus declares:“Blessedare they that show mercy, for mercy shall be
theirs” (Matthew 5:7).

In the Gospels, we are presentedwith the centralchallenge of mercy and
compassionin Jesus. Mercyand compassionare particularly important words
in the Gospels. ForJesus,mercyand compassionare the central qualities of
God and the central moral quality of life centeredin God. Likewise, we are
calledto be as compassionateand merciful toward everyone we encounter,
just as Jesus was.
Mercy and God Mercy and compassionare not the same. In English, mercy
and merciful most commonly imply a superior in relationship to a subordinate
and also a situation of wrongdoing:one is merciful toward somebody to whom
one has the right or power to actotherwise. God is most merciful. Pope
Francis sums this up well, he says:“What a beautiful truth of faith this is for
our lives: the mercy of God! God’s love for us is so great, so deep; it is an
unfailing love, one which always takes us by the hand and supports us, lifts us
up and leads us on.” To paraphrase the poet William Blake, “Mercywearsa
human face, and compassiona human heart.”
From Pope Francis: “God’s mercy can make even the driest land become a
garden, can restore life to dry bones. Let us be renewed by God’s mercy, let us
be loved by Jesus, letus enable the powerof his love to transform our lives
too; and let us become agents of mercy, channels through which Godcan
waterthe earth, protectall creationand make justice and peace flourish.”
“ Misericordia” [mercy], [is] a Latin word meaning…to “give the heart to the
wretched,”

to those in need, and to those who are suffering. That is what Jesus did: he
opened his heart to the wretchedness ofman. The Gospelhas a wealthof
episodes whichpresent “misericordia” ofJesus, his love freely given for the
suffering and the weak”(Address, June 14, 2014).
For Reflection:How has Godbeen merciful to me? How have I attempted to
be merciful toward others?
Prayer Starters:
“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me.” (Psalm 57:1). “Be merciful to
me, for in you my soul takes refuge” (Psalm57:1). “The Lord is merciful and
gracious” (Psalm103:8). “The Lord is gracious and merciful” (Psalm 111:4).
The Meaning of the Word CompassionThe English noun compassioncomes
from the Latin verb ( patior ) which means “to feel” or “to suffer” with the
prefix cum in Latin which means “with.” Compassionmeans feeling with
someone , the feelings of and for somebody else in a visceralway. Most
commonly compassionis associatedwith the feelings and suffering of
somebody else and being moved by that suffering to do something.
Compassionleads us to act, to be compassionate. “Compassion”does not
mean to feel sorry for the person.
From Pope Francis: “We must have the heart of Jesus, who, “whenhe saw
the crowds, he had compassionfor them. I like to dream of a Church who
lives the compassionof Jesus” (Address, June 16, 2014).
For Reflection:Do you ever considerthat compassionis visceral?

Prayer Starter: “The Lord is goodto all, and his compassionis over all that he
has made” (Psalm 145:9).
Biblical Roots ofCompassionIn the Old Testamentwhich was Sacred
Scripture for Jesus and his Jewishcontemporaries, the word compassionhas
rich meaning. In the Hebrew language the word rehem usually translatedas
“compassion” is a noun that means “womb.” In the Old Testament,
compassionis both a feeling and a wayof being that flows out of that feeling.
Sometimes, the noun for womb rehem is very specificallylinked to its
associationwith what a woman feels, compassionfor the child of her womb; a
man feels compassionforhis brother who comes from the same womb. (See 1
Kings 3:26; Genesis 43:30.)As a feeling, compassionis locatedin a certain
part of the body----namely in the loins. In a woman, this means compassionis
locatedin the womb (see Isaiah49:15); in men, compassionis locatedin the
bowels. Compassion, then, is to be understoodas part of your innards, as
visceral!
For Reflection:How do I reactto the biblical roots of compassion?
Prayer Starter: “Turn, O Lord, How long? Have compassionon your
servants” (Psalm90:13).

Pompeo Batoni: The ProdigalPublic domain
Look at this picture in your prayer time now. What do you see? Whomdo you
see? Whatimage of God does this painting suggestto you, genderaside?
In this space write a prayer asking to be given the gift of compassion.
Movement #2:The God of Mercy If you have takena break and returned to
the secondmovement, spend a little time recollecting your experience of the
first movement. If you are returning, getup, take a drink of water, and when
you are fully ready, return.
God Imaged As Mercy and Merciful An insightful and moving image for a
merciful God is found in the book of Exodus. When MosesasksGodto show

him his Glory, God, responds and says he will pass before him proclaiming
the name: “‘The Lord; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and
will show mercy on whom I will show mercy” (Exodus 33:19). In the very next
chapter of Exodus we read about God againpassing before Moses saying,
“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger…” (Exodus
34:6). The prophet Hosea speaking forGod exclaims;“I desire mercy not
sacrifice” (Hosea6:6). In addition, the psalmist often attributes to God the
practice of mercy. “Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord” (Psalm 25:6). “Do not,
O Lord, withhold your mercy from me” (Psalm40:11). “Have mercy on me, O
God” (Psalm 51:1). “According to your abundant mercy blot out my
transgressions”(Psalm51:1). “Let your mercy come to me so that I may live”
(119:77). “Greatis your mercy, O Lord” (Psalm 119:156). “Oureyes look to
the Lord our God, until he has mercy upon us” (Psalm 123:2). “Have mercy
upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us” (Psalm 123:3). Further, after each
verse in Psalm 136, the refrain “Forhis [God’s] mercy endures forever” is
repeatedas it narrates the history of God’s saving activity in the lives of his
people.
And so Jesus’ statementin the Gospelof Luke: “Be merciful, just as your
Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36) is rooted in his Jewishtradition as articulated
in the Books ofExodus and the Psalms. Mercythen is presentedas the central
quality of the activity of God. Or as Pope Francis statedin his document
convening the Jubilee year of mercy, “In short, the mercy of God is not an
abstractidea, but a concrete reality through which he reveals his love as that
of a father or mother, moved to the very depths out of love for their child”
(The Face ofMercy #9).
For Reflection:What does it mean for you to experience the mercy of God?
Prayer Starter: ReadPsalm136, responding after eachverse with the refrain
“Forhis mercy endures forever.”

The Gospelof MercyOne Gospelin particular, the Gospelof Luke, has
traditionally merited the title “the Gospelof Mercy.” First of all, the theme of
God’s merciful love really ties the whole book togetherfrom beginning to end:
Mercy is its leitmotif one might say. Secondly, the Gospelcontains a cluster of
parables in chapter 15 (the parables of the lost sheep, the lostcoin, and the
lost son) which are unique to Luke’s Gospel, and which especiallyhighlight
the merciful love of God. Luke places specialemphasis on the universal scope
of Divine Mercy, portraying it as a distinctive characteristic ofthe Kingdom
of God, dawning upon the world through Jesus Christ.
In its opening chapter, Luke’s Gospelbegins with two great canticles, one
spokenby a woman the other by a man, in praise of Divine Mercy: the
Magnificatof Mary and the Benedictus of Zechariah. The Magnificatis
essentiallya hymn of Thanksgiving to the God of mercy, who is a God of
steadfastlove and faithfulness. In chapter 1, verses 46-50, forexample, Mary
praises God for showering his mercy upon her. “His mercy is for those who
fear him from generationto generation” (Luke 1:50). Mary then praises God
in verses 51-55 forhis mercy upon the faithful poor of Israelwho trusted him
to keephis promises. “He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his
mercy” (Luke 1:54).
In the Benedictus (Luke 1:69-79), Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist
and the husband of Elizabeth, praises Godfor keeping his covenant promises
to Israel: “As he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
that we would be savedfrom our enemies and from the hand of all who hate
us. Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,and has
remembered his holy covenant” (Luke 1:70-72). Thus, Zechariah rejoices that
the true Israel will be established, just as God had promised through his
prophets. The new Israelwill be spiritually renewedin every respect;all this
will be the a manifestationof the Lord’s tender mercy: “Throughthe tender
mercy of our God, when the day shall dawn upon us from on high to give light

to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet
into the way of peace.” In short, all this comes from the “tender mercy” of
God. The phrase used here in the original Greek text is “ splagchna eleous,”
which literally means through the “bowels” or“guts” of God’s “mercy” ---a
phrase that expresses how deep the mercy of the Lord for us really is.
So when Jesus challengesus to, “Be Merciful, just as your Father is merciful”
(Luke 6:36), he wants us to embrace this in our very guts. To be as merciful as
God is, which is the challenge givenus by Jesus, means we need to both feel it
in our gut and be gutsy in our practice of mercy. We need to be as gutsy as the
ten lepers who boldly askedfor Jesus to cure them saying, “Jesus,Master,
have mercy on us” (Luke 17:13). Or the gutsy blind Bartimaeus who refuses
to be quiet and shouts “Jesus, SonofDavid have mercy on me!” (Luke 18:38).
For Reflection:Consider developing an actionplan that will make compassion
a central quality of your life. Think about how you can live the works of
mercy more faithfully.
Prayer Starter: Gracious and compassionate God, help me to be a gracious
receiverof your compassiontowardme. Help me to be compassionatetoward
others.

Aimé Morot (1880):The GoodSamaritan
It’s time for some action! Pause here in this secondmovement to make a
decisionfor compassion. Think about the world around you. Who is waiting
for a word of love and care? Whose painhave you failed to feel? Who have
you found it possible to ignore, enjoying the comforts of your own life while
suffering rages around you?
Take one step today. Grow in compassionfor others by practicing compassion
in your life.
Movement#3: GospelStories ofJesus and the Mercyand Compassionof
God If you have takena break and returned to the third movement, spend a
little time recollecting your experience of the secondmovement. If you are
continuing, get up, stretch, take a drink of water, and when you are fully
ready, return.

Jesus!Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesusmediating the mercy and
compassionofGod. He did this in a variety of ways.
Jesus ate meals with socialoutcasts like Zacchaeus the tax collector(Luke
19:2-19). Why did Jesus eata meal with this hated tax collector?Because
Jesus could“feelwith” Zacchaeus the hate people extended towardhim and,
instead of continuing to hate, Jesus did what God would do and broke bread
with Zacchaeus. The ethos of mercy and compassionledJesus to include all in
his table fellowship.
For Reflection:With whom do I need to break bread so as to share God’s
mercy and compassionwith him or her?
One of the most powerful stories about Jesus being compassionate and
merciful is his encounterwith the widow of Nain, which appears only in the
Gospelof Luke (see Luke 7:11-15). This story tells of the tragedy of the loss of
a child, in this case a young man. It is a heartbreak that a mother experiences
differently than anyone else. Jesus knew this, so he raises her son from the
dead. She said nothing, yet Jesus knew the ache she was experiencing and he
with her. He felt it in his bowels;in his innards Jesus knew that in the society
of the day, she would be powerlessas a widow----a woman with no man in her
life in that patriarchal societywas renderedpauperized, impoverished, and
defenseless. ButJesus saw her with the merciful and compassionateeyes of
God and, not only returned her sonto her, but also her dignity, worth, and
meaning.
Christ – The Mercy Seatof God

“And thou shalt make a mercy seatof pure gold” – (Ex.25:17).
“Forgreatis thy mercy toward me: and thou hastdelivered my soul from the
lowesthell” – (Ps.86:13).
“But after that the kindness and love of Godour Savior towardman
appeared, not by works of righteousness whichwe have done, but according
to his mercy he savedus, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the
Holy Ghost” – (Titus 3:4,5).
The mercy seatwas a slab of pure gold which sat atop the Ark of the
Covenantbetweenthe cherubims in the MostHoly place of Israel’s tabernacle
and temple. It symbolized the judgment seatand throne from which God
ruled Israel. “The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between
the cherubims; let the earth be moved” – (Ps.99:1). The tables of God’s laws
were under the mercy seatin the ark. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement,
the high priest sprinkled the blood of the sacrifice upon the mercy seatfor the
atonement of the sins of the people of Israel. It showedus that salvationcomes
by the blood because ofGod’s greatmercy, not because ofour righteousness –
we are savedby God’s mercy. It shows us perfectly that “Mercyrejoiceth
againstjudgment” – (James 2:13). Christ stoodbefore the judgment seatof
Pilate and was sentencedto death on the cross. He is God’s mercy for sinners
who have broken God’s laws. I’m preaching on the greatdoctrine of the
characterof God – His greatmercy.
Which is especiallyshownto us in God giving His belovedSon to die on the
cross for our sins. Since the cross, Jesus Christis God’s greatmercy for
atonement for sin. According to his mercy he savedus, through Jesus Christ
our Savior. In the New Testament, we see the mercy of God in a much
brighter light in the face of Jesus Christ than the Old Testament. Jesus Christ
is the ultimate manifestationof God’s mercy. The Christian life is lived under
the assuranceofGod’s mercy in saving us. This is why mercy is mentioned so

often in New Testamentgreetings and benedictions, especiallyin the epistles –
(2 Tim.1:2) and (Gal.6:16). Mercyis shown at the beginning and the end –
forever. In (Ps.136)all 26 verses end with “Forhis mercy endureth forever.”
Even during the greattribulation when the wrath of God is poured out, God’s
everlasting mercy saves a great multitude – (Rev.7:9). Jesus Christis the
mercy seatof God.
The most important thing of all is that because ofGod’s mercy I don’t have to
go to hell because I’ve been savedby the Lord Jesus. I deservedto go to hell
for my sins, but according to His mercy in Jesus Christ, He savedme and
delivered my soul from hell – (Ps.86:13) – Praise the Lord Jesus. Godis called
the “Fatherof mercies” in (2 Cor.1:3) – and so he is. But let no man think that
he can go around the cross ofChrist and not be saved and still obtain mercy
from God. It is through the atoning blood of Christ our Savior that we obtain
mercy and only through Him. God requires repentance from sin and faith in
Christ and then he shows us mercy and saves us from hell. The Catholic false
doctrine of purgatory gives false hope of God’s mercy to unsaved Catholics.
God’s mercy is shownon the repentant sinner not on the proud Pharisee
relying on his goodworks to save him – “And the publican, standing afar off,
would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast,
saying, God be merciful to me a sinner” – (Luke 18:13). The Old Testamentin
(Joel2:12,13)tells us the same thing “Therefore also now, saiththe Lord, turn
ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting and with weeping, and with
mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the
Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great
kindness…”
The Lord Jesus brought the goodnews of a merciful, loving, forgiving God
and embodied the goodnews in Himself. Everywhere He was met with cries
for mercy – “Thou sonof David, have mercy on us.” His healings were a
testimony to the mercy of God. But the greatestmercyis shown by Christ on
the cross where both Jew and Gentile can obtain mercy. That’s the greatest

healing of all – healing the soul. Have you availed yourself of God’s great
mercy? Don’t put your faith in waterbaptism for salvation – repent and turn
to Christ. Don’t be too proud to beg for mercy.
If you’re saved, have you thanked Jesus for His greatmercy in saving you
from hell? “O’ give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy
endureth forever” – (Ps.136:1). We receive eternal life because His mercy
endureth forever. “I will sing of mercy and judgment” – (Ps.101:1). And
David did – he sang of mercy 117 times and judgment 87 times. We need to
sing songs ofjudgment as well as mercy in our churches. “In wrath remember
mercy” – (Heb.3:2). And again “And mercy rejoicethagainstjudgment” –
(Jam.2:13). O’ don’t trample under foot the precious blood of God’s Son by
not getting saved because that’s the only place of God’s mercy – “But God,
who is rich in mercy, for his greatlove wherewith he loved us” – (Eph.2:4).
Jesus Christ is God’s mercy seat – He’s pure gold, worth more than all the
gold of this world. Salvationis priceless.
BecauseofGod’s mercy in Christ we can be born again. We can become a
new creature in Christ. We can geta secondchance in life to be a godly person
– “ForI will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their
iniquities will I remember no more” – (Heb.8:12). Praise the Lord Jesus “A
merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make
reconciliationfor the sins of the people” – (Heb.2:17).We can be born againof
God because ofHis abundant mercy in Christ – “Blessedbe the God and
Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begottenus...” – (I Pet.1:3). God’s mercy undergirds the hope of eternal
life – “Keepyourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord
Jesus Christ unto eternallife” – (Jude 21). Christ – the mercy seatof God for
sinners.

In this life, the mercy of God is always available to whosoeverwill approach
His throne – “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we
may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” – (Heb.4:16). God is
a God of righteous judgment but also a God of mercy. This is what the mercy
seatatop the ark is showing us – “Mercyrejoiceth againstjudgment.” The
righteous anger of God is appeasedwhen you are savedby Christ. Like a
judge ready to pass a judgment of death upon a defendant. The man throws
himself on the mercy of the court. He repents and shows he is sorry for his
crime and begs for mercy. He’s guilty and he knows he deserves deathbut he
pleads mercy. The judge sees his repentance is genuine and gives him life
instead of death. To the greatSupreme Judge of the universe we must repent
of our sins – “have mercy upon me a sinner.” God is ready to pardon us –
“But thou are a God ready to pardon, gracious andmerciful, slow to anger,
and of greatkindness” – (Neh.9:17). Through Christ we canfind mercy and
be pardoned from the seconddeath in the lake of fire and be commuted to
eternal life. “And whosoeverwas notwritten in the book of life was castinto
the lake of fire” – (Rev.20:15). “Forgreatis thy mercy towards me: and thou
hast delivered my soul from the lowesthell” – (Ps.86:13). Yes - our God is a
merciful judge.
O’ be savedtoday. Avail yourself of God’s bloody mercy seatof His Sonon
the cross. Receive God’s atonementof sins, turn awayfrom your wickedways
and turn to Christ for salvationand mercy. The mercy seatatop the ark of the
covenantwhere God’s laws were kept is showing us perfectly that again
“Mercyrejoicethagainstjudgment.” If you rejectGod’s mercy in his beloved
Son, you will receive the judgment of God for your sins because you have
broken God’s laws.
Christ is the bloody mercy seatof God.
PreacherMike Storti

Jesus’Messianic Surprise:A Kingdom of Mercy
June 5, 2019LoisTverberg
by Lois Tverberg
The Jews ofJesus’day were longing for a messiah, but for many, Jesus didn’t
meet their expectations. Whatwere they looking for, from how they read their
Scriptures? Understanding the issues athand can shed much light on Jesus’
teachings, whichoften were addressing these expectations. Bysituating his
messagein its original context, we’ll see how radical it was, and more
importantly, its implications for us as members of his kingdom.
The Expectations ofthe Ancient World
The ancient world thought very differently than modern Westerners do, and
God chose to reveal himself and the Messiahin ways that they would
understand. In the polytheistic ancientNearEast, it was understood that each
nation worshipped its own “god” or “gods,”and the prominence of each
nation showedthe powerof its gods. God therefore gainedglory when Israel
won battles againstnations that worshiped false gods.1 A major theme of the
Old Testamentwas how God was using this logic to convince Israeland all
other nations that he was the supreme God. They believed that God’s
intention was to enlarge his nation and to purify their hearts so that he would
have a greatkingdom of whole-heartedworshippers.
God’s ultimate goal, according to the prophets, was to expand his reign over
all the world until one day no other gods were worshiped anywhere: “The
LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only
one, and His name the only one” (Zech 14:9).2 One Jewishprayer, the Alenu,
which likely precedes the first century AD, expresses that hope this way:
“Therefore do we wait for Thee, O Lord our God, soonto behold Thy mighty
glory, when Thou wilt remove the abominations from the earth, and idols
shalt be exterminated; when the world shall be regeneratedby the kingdom of
the Almighty, and all the children of flesh invoke Thy name; when all the
wickedof the earth shall be turned unto Thee.

Then shall all the inhabitants of the world perceive and confess that unto Thee
every knee must bend, and every tongue be sworn. Before Thee, O Lord our
God, shall they kneeland fall down, and unto Thy glorious name give honor.
So will they acceptthe yoke of Thy kingdom, and Thou shall be King over
them speedily forever and aye. For Thine is the kingdom, and to all eternity
Thou wilt reign in glory, as it is written in Thy Torah:‘The Lord shall reign
forever and aye.’And it is also said: ‘And the Lord shall be King over all the
earth; on that day the Lord shall be One and His name be One.'” 3
Notice how the focus on the coming of God’s kingdom in the Alenu echoes the
Lord’s Prayer— that God would establishhis kingdom on earth and that his
glory be seenthroughout the world.
Messiahas King of God’s Kingdom
Along with the idea that God would extend his kingdom over all the earth was
the idea that God would send a greatking to establishand reign over it, and
therefore, the whole world. This greatking of Israel, or “anointed one”
(mashiach) is the Messiah, whichis christos in Greek, or“Christ.” Many
messianic passagesdescribe him in just this way:
The scepterwill not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s stafffrom betweenhis
feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his.
Genesis 49:10
The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gathertogether against
the LORD and againsthis Anointed One (mashiach) … I will make the
nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. Psalm2: 2, 8
These prophecies describe an anointed King who rules over the whole world.
Grasping this imagery of the Messiahshould help us see the many messianic
claims Jesus made during his ministry. In Luke 4, Jesus readthe from Isaiah
61 in his hometown synagogue,“The Lord has anointed (“mashiach”ed)
me…” and said that it had been fulfilled in their hearing. By doing so he was
boldly claiming to be the Messiah. Also, wheneverhe spoke about the
“kingdom of God” and referred to it as “my kingdom,” he was claiming the
same thing. When he told his disciples to proclaim that God’s “kingdomwas

at hand,” it meant that he, God’s true King had arrived on earth. Jesus’
mission was to establishand reign over God’s kingdom, and he often spoke in
these terms.4
The Messiahthe People Expected: Warrior & Judge
How would God’s king establishhis kingdom? One logicalconclusionwould
be that the Messiahwouldwage waragainstthe idol-worshiping Gentiles and
destroy sinners among the Jews. Youmight be surprised at how many
prophecies in their Scriptures sounded like they confirmed their ideas.
The Messiahwas to be a “Sonof David” (a descendantof King David), so
people expectedthat just as David had expanded God’s kingdom by going to
war, the messianic “Sonof David” would too.
The Messiahwas expectedto be like Moses, who defeatedthe Egyptians and
establishedIsraelas a nation at Mt. Sinai.5 The idea that the Messianicking
would lead a rebellion was a prominent expectation, which was why when
Jesus admitted to being the Christ, he was accusedofstirring up a rebellion
againstRome (Luke 23:2-5). After he multiplied the loaves and fish, his
audience became convinced that he was giving them “manna” as another
prophet-leader like Moses. Theyresponded by wanting to make him king
(John 6:14-15)for just this reason.
Many prophecies also anticipate the “Dayof the Lord” — a climactic battle
betweenGod and his enemies after which the nation of Israelwould come into
its full glory (Zeph. 1:14-15, Zech. 14:1-3). It should be noted that the “Dayof
the Lord” was also to be a day of greatjudgment on all the sinners of Israel:
“The Lord, whom you seek, willsuddenly come to His temple; and the
messengerofthe covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says
the LORD of hosts.
“Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness
againstthe sorcerers andagainstthe adulterers and againstthose who swear
falsely, and againstthose who oppress the wage earnerin his wages, the

widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear
Me,” says the LORD of hosts. (Mal 3:1, 5)
From these and other passages, people expectedthat the Messianic King
would come to bring war and also to judge the people. This made sense
because along with leading the army, one of the main roles of a king was to act
as supreme judge in the land. (Ps. 72:1-4)
In the New Testament, we see Johnthe Baptist echoing these sentiments as he
warns his listeners that Christ was coming in wrath, to chop down every tree
that didn’t bear fruit and burn up evildoers like chaff in unquenchable fire
(Lk. 3:17).
The Essenesalso combinedthe roles of the Messiahas warrior and judge into
one, imagining that he would leada great warbetweenthe “Sons of Light”
(their pure community) and the “Sons ofDarkness” – sinful Jews and enemy
nations that worship other gods.
Another Kind of Messiah– Shepherd, Servant, Jubilee King
Even though the people found evidence for a warrior Messiahin their
scriptures, other passagespaint a very different picture. More than one
passagedescribes a king who comes in peace to reign over the earth, rather
than in war:
Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowedwith salvation,
humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foalof a donkey.
I will take awaythe chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from
Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the
nations. His dominion will be from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the
earth. Zech. 9:9-10 (See also Isaiah9:6-7)
This passageis familiar to us from the scene in Jesus’life when he entered
Jerusalemon a donkey. The fulfillment of this prophecy showedthat he was
not coming to wage warlike so many believed.

Jesus also deliberatelyapplied other passages to himself that explained his
mission. He spoke of himself as the “shepherd,” a reference to many messianic
passagesabouta shepherd-king who would re-gatherthe wandering tribe of
Israeland give them a new heart of love and obedience to God (Deut. 30:3-6,
Jer. 23:3, Ezek. 34:11). He also spoke about being the “anointed” who was
announcing a year of Jubilee — freedom from debt, using debt as a metaphor
for sin6 (Is. 61:1-3).
Finally and most importantly, he fulfilled Isaiah53, which describes God’s
“servant” who takes all of the sins of the people on himself, who suffers and
dies for their sins to purchase their forgiveness. Jesus came to expand God’s
kingdom throughout the world by announcing forgiveness to all who would
repent, rather than judgment on sinners.
The Critical Difference Betweenthese Ideas
People often assume that Jesus was rejectedby his listeners because they
wanted a “political” messiah, as opposedto a “spiritual” messiah. But the
reasonmany did not acceptJesus was becausetheywere looking for a
Messiahto come with judgment on the enemies of God, and he came with an
offer of forgiveness and peace instead. It wasn’tthat they hadn’t read the
scriptures, but rather that Jesus didn’t fit their reading.
They expectedthe kingdom of God to be establishedby killing everyone who
wasn’t righteous. But instead, God would gain a kingdom of pure-hearted
followers, not by destroying all the impure, but by purifying sinners and
atoning for their sins himself. The Messiahwould indeed come againsomeday
in judgment, but for now he was extending an invitation of forgiveness to
everyone who would take it.
It is easyfor us to condemn the people of Jesus’time, but seeing more of the
situation can give us empathy for them. The suffering of the Jews in Jesus’
day under the RomanEmpire was as extreme as it was for those in Nazi
Germany, according to historians. Torture and public crucifixion were
commonplace, thousands were murdered, and taxes were overwhelming.

Jesus was merciful

Jesus was merciful

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