During our February Retreat we met the theme of mercy over and over in the book of Jonah. When we come to the New Testament gospels we find them reverberating with the mercy of the Lord:
- Have mercy on us, Son of David! (Mt 20:31)
- Go home to your people and report… how He had mercy on you. (Mk 5:19)
- His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him. (Lk 1:50)
In the epistles we are taught the theological underpinnings of God’s mercy:
- For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all. (Rom. 11:32)
But what about in the book of Acts, where the word mercy is entirely absent? Did God pause His mercy in Acts?
Hardly! While the word itself isn’t in Acts, God Himself is hastening His mercy to the Gentiles:
- Commissioning the apostles to be witnesses of His mercy “to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
- Scattering the Christians to Gentile regions so they’ll spread the good news of His mercy. (Acts 8:1, 4)
- Arranging opportunities to preach the message of His mercy to the Gentiles (Acts 10:34-35)
- Reaping a harvest among the Gentiles. (Acts 14:27)
Mercy indeed!
This Sunday we’ll be studying Acts 2:42-47. Do you see evidence of the Lord’s mercy in this passage?
P.S. While we’re on the subject of mercy, enjoy this humorous anecdote:
A sign on a convent read:
Absolutely no trespassing.
Violators will be prosecuted
to the full extent of the law.
~The Sisters of Mercy.