And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. Luke 16:24
The thief on the cross prayed for mercy, as he acknowledged that he was receiving the due reward of his deeds, and as he turned to the innocent One beside him and said, Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom (Luke 23:42). He received mercy, because he sought it from One Who could give it, and because he sought it in time – in his case, in the nick of time. Throughout His ministry, the Lord Jesus dispensed mercy to many, delivering people from all manner of diseases and disabilities, and even from death, sparing people from perils of the sea, from hunger, and from grief. Recall the words of David in Psalm 89:1: I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations. We will also sing of those mercies forever, and appreciate them forever, but our text tells us of people and a place where those mercies are denied.
While he was still living the rich man was not obligated to feed, clothe, or provide medical assistance to Lazarus, and he did not do so. Mercy he felt no need to show while he was living, probably because mercy was not something that he felt any need of receiving. How wrong he was! In the flames of hell, he realized how desperately he needed mercy, and he pleaded for it. His plea remains unanswered; mercy is not available to the damned. Not even from one to whom he refused to show mercy when he could have done so. Would Lazarus have taken that drop of water if he could? We can only speculate, because of the great gulf fixed forever between mercy and those to whom it is not longer available. Our thankfulness that we have obtained mercy should never prevent us from showing mercy to those who need it.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (Matthew 5:7). You and I who are thankful for the mercy of God should be marked by mercifulness. We should remember the kindness of God when we were in deep need, and be willing to show that type of kindness to those who we encounter in deep need. That includes all of the lost sinners about us who need to hear the glorious Gospel message. It includes those among the Lord’s people who need a comforting or an encouraging word, or who need a helping hand or a few dollars. It includes the sick and helpless folks we encounter whose lives would be made a little easier with some attention or help from us. It includes the lonely and ignored who need a kind word or a sharing of time. We will find others to show mercy to, if we make a practice of treating others as the Lord Jesus would have done.
If we will show mercy to others, let us do so in haste, because the day of showing – and receiving – mercy is rapidly closing. – Jim MacIntosh