Embracing Mercy: The Call to Divine Perfection

 

Summary

In today's reflection, we delve into the challenging words of Jesus from the Gospel of Luke, where He calls us to love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, and bless those who curse us. These commands seem impossible, highlighting the high standard of perfection that God sets for us. Jesus' call to "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" is not an exaggeration but a reminder of the divine standard that we all fall short of. This standard is not about being good or trying harder; it's about perfection, which none of us can achieve on our own.

The Apostle Paul, once a Pharisee striving for perfection through the law, realized that true strength and perfection come from Christ alone. In his weakness, Christ's power was made perfect. This understanding is crucial for us as we navigate our own weaknesses and failures. Our identity as followers of Christ is not defined by our ability to meet the impossible standard of perfection but by our reliance on Christ's grace and mercy.

The story of Lori Bachman, a beloved sister in Christ, exemplifies this truth. Despite suffering from debilitating migraines, Lori's life was a testament to Christ's strength shining through her weaknesses. Her life reminds us that our brokenness is the very space where Christ's light can shine the brightest.

Jesus challenges us to rise above the world's standards of fairness and reciprocity. Instead of seeking to get even or demanding fairness, we are called to extend mercy, just as God extends mercy to us. This mercy is not about fairness but about grace—giving others what they do not deserve, just as we have received from God. The cross is the ultimate symbol of this mercy, turning what seemed like defeat into victory.

As we strive to be agents of mercy, we are reminded that this is not about trying harder but about receiving and sharing the mercy we have first received from Jesus. In doing so, we reflect the heart of our Heavenly Father, who deals with us not according to what we deserve but with abundant grace and mercy.

Key Takeaways:

- Jesus' call to perfection is a reminder of the divine standard we cannot meet on our own. It humbles us and points us to our need for Christ's grace and mercy. [03:37]

- The Apostle Paul's transformation illustrates that true strength and perfection come from Christ, not from our efforts. In our weaknesses, Christ's power is made perfect. [06:42]

- Lori Bachman's life exemplifies how Christ's light shines through our brokenness, impacting others not through our strength but through His grace in our weaknesses. [09:35]

- Jesus challenges us to rise above the world's standards of fairness, calling us to extend mercy instead of seeking to get even. Mercy triumphs over fairness, reflecting God's heart. [12:10]

- The cross is the ultimate symbol of mercy, turning defeat into victory. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be agents of mercy, sharing the grace we have received with others. [18:08]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:37] - The Call to Perfection
[06:42] - Paul's Transformation
[09:35] - Lori Bachman's Legacy
[12:10] - Rising Above Fairness
[14:06] - The Mercy Rule
[18:08] - The Cross as Victory
[20:25] - Agents of Mercy

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Luke 6:27-36
2. Matthew 5:48
3. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

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Observation Questions:

1. What specific actions does Jesus command us to take towards our enemies in Luke 6:27-36? How do these actions challenge conventional human behavior? [03:37]

2. In Matthew 5:48, Jesus calls us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. How does this standard of perfection compare to human standards of goodness? [03:37]

3. According to 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, how does Paul describe the relationship between weakness and Christ's power? What does this reveal about the source of true strength? [06:42]

4. How does the story of Lori Bachman illustrate the concept of Christ's strength being made perfect in weakness? [09:35]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. Why does Jesus set such a high standard of perfection in Matthew 5:48, and how does this standard serve to point us towards our need for Christ's grace? [03:37]

2. How does Paul's transformation from a Pharisee to an apostle illustrate the shift from relying on personal strength to relying on Christ's power? [06:42]

3. In what ways does the story of Lori Bachman challenge our understanding of strength and success in the Christian life? How does her life reflect the message of 2 Corinthians 12:9-10? [09:35]

4. How does Jesus' teaching in Luke 6:27-36 about loving our enemies and extending mercy challenge societal norms of fairness and reciprocity? [12:10]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you struggled to love someone who hurt you. How can Jesus' command to love our enemies in Luke 6:27-36 guide your actions in similar situations in the future? [12:10]

2. Jesus calls us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. What are some practical steps you can take to rely more on Christ's grace rather than your own efforts to meet this standard? [03:37]

3. Consider a personal weakness or struggle you are currently facing. How can you invite Christ's power to be made perfect in this area, as Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10? [06:42]

4. Think about a situation where you felt the need to get even or demand fairness. How can you choose to extend mercy instead, reflecting God's heart as described in the sermon? [12:10]

5. Lori Bachman's life was a testament to Christ's strength in weakness. How can you allow your own weaknesses to become opportunities for Christ's light to shine through you? [09:35]

6. The sermon mentioned the concept of being agents of mercy. Identify one person in your life who needs mercy rather than fairness. What specific action can you take this week to extend mercy to them? [20:25]

7. Reflect on the idea that the cross is the ultimate symbol of mercy, turning defeat into victory. How can this perspective change the way you view challenges and setbacks in your own life? [18:08]

Devotional

Day 1: Divine Perfection and Human Limitation
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus calls us to love our enemies and bless those who curse us, setting a divine standard of perfection that seems impossible to achieve on our own. This call to "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect" is not an exaggeration but a reminder of the divine standard that we all fall short of. It humbles us and points us to our need for Christ's grace and mercy. The realization that we cannot meet this standard on our own leads us to rely on the transformative power of Christ in our lives. [03:37]

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you feel the weight of trying to be perfect? How can you invite Christ's grace into these areas today?


Day 2: Strength in Weakness
The Apostle Paul, once a Pharisee striving for perfection through the law, realized that true strength and perfection come from Christ alone. In his weakness, Christ's power was made perfect. This understanding is crucial for us as we navigate our own weaknesses and failures. Our identity as followers of Christ is not defined by our ability to meet the impossible standard of perfection but by our reliance on Christ's grace and mercy. Paul's transformation illustrates that in our weaknesses, Christ's power is made perfect, offering us a new perspective on our struggles. [06:42]

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV)

Reflection: What is one weakness you struggle with that you can bring to Christ today, trusting in His power to work through it?


Day 3: Light in Brokenness
The story of Lori Bachman, a beloved sister in Christ, exemplifies how Christ's light shines through our brokenness. Despite suffering from debilitating migraines, Lori's life was a testament to Christ's strength shining through her weaknesses. Her life reminds us that our brokenness is the very space where Christ's light can shine the brightest. This perspective encourages us to embrace our vulnerabilities, knowing that they can be powerful testimonies of God's grace and strength in our lives. [09:35]

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (Psalm 147:3, ESV)

Reflection: How can you allow Christ's light to shine through your own brokenness today, impacting those around you?


Day 4: Mercy Over Fairness
Jesus challenges us to rise above the world's standards of fairness and reciprocity. Instead of seeking to get even or demanding fairness, we are called to extend mercy, just as God extends mercy to us. This mercy is not about fairness but about grace—giving others what they do not deserve, just as we have received from God. The cross is the ultimate symbol of this mercy, turning what seemed like defeat into victory. [12:10]

"For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." (James 2:13, ESV)

Reflection: Is there someone in your life who needs your mercy today? How can you extend grace to them in a tangible way?


Day 5: Agents of Mercy
As followers of Jesus, we are called to be agents of mercy, sharing the grace we have received with others. This is not about trying harder but about receiving and sharing the mercy we have first received from Jesus. In doing so, we reflect the heart of our Heavenly Father, who deals with us not according to what we deserve but with abundant grace and mercy. The cross is the ultimate symbol of this mercy, turning defeat into victory and calling us to live as conduits of God's love and grace in the world. [18:08]

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." (Matthew 5:7, ESV)

Reflection: How can you be an agent of mercy in your community this week, reflecting the heart of God to those around you?

Quotes



"In fact, this is one of those spots where in the gospels we're reminded sometimes when we think about the mercy and the grace of Jesus, that we also have to remember that as the disciple of John begins his gospel, that Jesus just isn't full of this mercy and grace and love. But John tells us he's full of both grace and truth, gospel and law. And the truth that he brings, that law of God, it convicts us of our sin and of our brokenness." [00:01:28] (32 seconds)


"And then Jesus drops the hugest truth bomb of all, Matthew 5, 48. Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect. This is the word of the Lord. Any questions? Pretty clear. There's a standard, perfection. And not be perfect like your grandkids are perfect. No, no, no, no, no, no. It goes bigger than that. Than your heavenly Father. Is perfect. What? I mean, this isn't just like be good or try hard or do better. No, perfection. It's the standard." [00:02:32] (42 seconds)


"Before he became the Apostle Paul and wrote all those letters that we have in the New Testament. Before he started all those churches, he was known as Saul. And as Saul, he was a devout guy, a Pharisee of Pharisees. He knew his scriptures. He knew what God's law has desired for him. And he'd strive to fulfill that law as perfectly as he can. He was a teacher taught by the greatest teachers. He was taught by the greatest teachers. He was taught by the greatest teachers." [00:04:34] (24 seconds)


"Second Corinthians chapter 12 verse 9, but he, that is the Lord, said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. I take" [00:05:40] (35 seconds)


"And as Pastor Grande reminded us last week, when we acknowledge that we're that we're bankrupt and that we're poor in spirit, that we're weak and powerless and all we have is Christ, we're like Paul here, realizing our strength doesn't come from our ourselves. It comes from Christ alone. That when we acknowledge our weaknesses, that actually provides a space for Christ's strength, for Christ's power, for Christ's light to come shining through, providing what everyone around us desperately needs in the light of Jesus himself." [00:06:52] (35 seconds)


"And as I thought about this passage, and I thought about her life, she used those brokenness, she used those weaknesses, her suffering, for the places where Christ Jesus would come shining through her life, in powerful ways. To know Lori is to know her Lord and her Savior Jesus Christ. Thousands of lives impacted, not because Lori was strong and had it all together, no, but because of her weakness, because of her suffering, because in the midst of that suffering, the light of Christ came shining through." [00:08:44] (36 seconds)


"Jesus loves to give us passages like this that say, be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect, to humble us, to help us do what we did earlier, to confess our sins and to hear words of absolution, to come to his table and receive his body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. Because when we're recognizing our brokenness in sin, it provides that place where the light of Christ and his mercy and his grace comes shining through." [00:10:38] (26 seconds)


"In fact, Jesus helps us in this. He kind of shows us the way that the world works, the way it normally works is kind of like this, a quid pro quo. Luke chapter 6, look how he says it. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Of course they do. Even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that too." [00:11:15] (24 seconds)


"Fairness isn't biblical virtue. It isn't something we would describe of God. And thank goodness, fairness is not how he deals with you and me, even though that's the way we want to deal with one another, and even though we know it's really never fair. But God doesn't deal with us with fairness. He instead deals with us with his mercy instead of fairness. Mercy instead of what we deserve. We may think we want things to be fair, but what we really want things is to be merciful." [00:13:15] (37 seconds)


"When the mercy rule is invoked, it is not a mercy rule. It is actually a massacre rule. See, if it was a mercy rule, if you were up 55 to 7 and the mercy rule is called, what would happen would be you would declare the team with seven points to be the winner of the game? Because that's mercy. To give somebody what they could not earn, what they could not deserve, that's mercy. When what looks like a defeat is turned into a victory." [00:18:04] (39 seconds)


"And isn't that what the cross is too? An instrument of evil? Carrying out one of the cruelest forms of execution ever thought of by sinful man, trying to get even, trying to get its pound of flesh from the worst of the worst of criminals in Roman day. But now it hangs here, and it hangs here, front and center, reminding us what it looks like when defeat turns into victory, a victory that reminds us that when God comes, when it comes to God, he doesn't deal with us with fairness. He deals with us with mercy every single time." [00:18:43] (40 seconds)


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Transcript
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