In the Bible, the virtues of mercy and compassion are mentioned in various forms hundreds of times, especially to describe the nature of God. Instead of giving us what we deserve, God has shown mercy again and again, not to take away our responsibility, but to give us a chance to repent and be saved. We can ask ourselves: what have we done with this opportunity?Mercy appears in the Bible with regard to forgiveness or the refusal of punishment. For example, God the Father showed us mercy when He sacrificed His Son, Jesus Christ, on the Cross to pay the price for our sins.But the Bible also defines mercy beyond forgiveness and the refusal of punishment. God shows his mercy to those who suffer through healing, comforting, relieving suffering, and caring for those in distress. He acts out of compassion and acts with mercy.In Matthew 17:15, a man approaches Jesus and kneels before him saying, “Lord, have mercy on my son. … He has fits and is in a lot of pain. He often falls into fire or water.Jesus response, to heal the son of man, is one of mercy. Jesus compassion moves him to action and he loves, heals and restores with mercy.Mercy and compassion are intimately linked. Mercy is the fruit of compassion. Mercy is a gift offered to someone who is suffering by someone who acts with compassion.According to the dictionary, mercy is a noun. It is a mission accomplished to relieve suffering. It is an event to be grateful for. It is compassion or forgiveness shown to someone. But mercy is a name in action.The meaning of compassion is recognizing the suffering of others, and then taking action to help them. Compassion is more than caring about someone in distress or caring about someones misfortune. There is an action associated with compassion, and that action is mercy.When compassion acts to relieve suffering, it becomes mercy. The idea of having pity emphasizes the aspect of mercy regarding the power disparity, as opposed to emphasizing the motivation for having pity (e.g., compassion or forbearance). This does not exclude kindness. It simply draws attention to the relationship between choosing to show mercy and the strict execution of justice.Having pity or being merciful speaks of clemency, tolerance and leniency more than grace, forgiveness, tenderness or compassion.
Miséricorde de Dieu
