"Mercy!  Mercy!”  I cried as I struggled for breath. I remember being pinned to the ground during a wrestling match with my older brother. The only way he would get his much larger frame off of scrappy little me was if I were to cry for “mercy.” Which I did. Repeatedly. And finally, after a few more seconds of squashing that seemed like an eternity, Scott got off of me. Now, before you start thinking that Scott was a bad guy, I deserved the squashing and a lot more. I had taunted and teased him to the point that big brother had finally had enough of little brother’s lip. Hence, the squashing. I think I have a permanently misshapen rib cage from the countless times that this scenario played out in the back yard of our Wisconsin home.

Have you ever cried for mercy? Did you ever deserve a pounding and get by with a scolding instead? Did you ever get let off the hook when you were caught red handed? Have you received mercy? The word “mercy” pops up over 120 times in the Bible and one such occasion is the parable of the unmerciful servant found in Matthew 18:24-35 (Click Here to read the passage).

This account is sandwiched between our Lord’s directive for church discipline and his teaching on divorce. This suggests that understanding and practicing mercy is no lightweight topic. And truth be told, if we desire to live out our faith according to Jesus’ teaching, we are called to correctly apply mercy in our churches and our families. But for most of us, this idea of mercy does not come naturally. Instead we want justice. We want to see people punished for their crimes. We want to make sure things are fair, at least from our perspective. We want to be the arbiters of right and wrong. And if on rare occasion we step out of line and sin, then of course we want God and others to be merciful to us. But offering mercy to others is as hard for us as tithing – if not harder! That is why we so desperately need to look at a biblical picture of mercy.

In Jesus’ introduction to this parable of the unmerciful servant, our Lord tells us that this is what the kingdom of heaven is like. The kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of mercy. Mercy is offered and mercy is commanded. When I consider the Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 3 that “all of us are guilty and all of us deserve eternal death,” I am overjoyed that God’s kingdom includes mercy. Mercy for me with enough left over to give to others. We need this undeserved gift so much. Without it, who could enter the kingdom?

As the parable unfolds and the characters develop, I find myself confronted with my own mercilessness. I want the king – God – to squash that unmerciful servant, to deal harshly with this sinner! I want justice. I want revenge. But, in reflecting on my feelings toward that unmerciful servant, I find myself conflicted. I am so unmerciful. While I try to tell myself that I am motivated to see the unmerciful servant punished because of the way he treats the one who owed him a small sum, in reality, this is a deflection. I want to use the shortcomings of that unmerciful servant to protect myself from seeing who I really am.

Who of us hasn’t been quick to condemn a sinner? Who of us doesn’t want others punished while we get off unscathed? And who of us, when confronted with our own sin, doesn’t first seek to blame others? I am broken by Jesus’ words and the severity of this parable. I am slain by the law of God convicting me that my judgments are all too frequent and all too wrong. And this is exactly when God has me where he wants me. I cry to God for “Mercy!” With King David I say, “‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’ – and you forgave the guilt of my sin” (Psalm 32:5).

Is there something that has you pinned down? Has mercilessness invaded your heart and begun directing your life? Your marriage? Your giving? Your attitude toward a co-worker? Your criticism of the next or the previous generation? If you are under the spell of sin and become convicted by the law of God pointing out your lack of mercy toward others, perhaps you have not truly received mercy.

Like the unmerciful servant, if you find yourself wanting to make sure others get their comeuppance – while writing off your own wrongs – then you are discounting the debt that was paid to free you from your sins. You need to go to “the king” and “beg that you will not be thrown into prison till your debt can be paid.” To enter into the kingdom of God, a kingdom of mercy, you must show mercy.

On the other hand, if you believe that you are unlovable and that there is no way that your huge sins can be forgiven, then you too are missing out on God’s mercy. God demonstrated his love for you by this: While you were still sinning, Christ died for you. (See Romans 5:8.) There is no amount of bondage or self-loathing that can keep you from God’s mercy. His kingly rule will prevail. Realize that the king has offered you his mercy and it is yours for the taking. To enter into the kingdom of God, a kingdom of mercy, you must receive his mercy.

May we live in this spirit of forgiveness, receiving God’s mercy and practicing mercy toward others. As Jude 21 says, “Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.”

Matthew Lundgren is pastor of Yellowstone Lutheran Brethren Church in Billings, MT.