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In the Bible, the virtues of mercy and compassion are mentioned in various forms hundreds of times, especially in describing God’s nature. 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 that opportunity?
Mercy appears in the Bible as it relates to forgiveness or withholding punishment. For example, God the Father showed mercy on us when he sacrificed his son, Christ Jesus, on the Cross to pay the price for our sins.
But the Bible also defines mercy beyond forgiveness and withholding punishment. God shows his mercy for those who are suffering through healing, comfort, the alleviation of suffering and caring about those in distress. He acts from 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 seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water."
Jesus' response, to heal the man's son, is one of mercy. Jesus’ compassion prompts him to act and he mercifully loves, heals and restores.
Mercy and compassion are intertwined. Mercy is the fruit of compassion. Mercy is a gift given to someone who is suffering by someone acting with compassion.
According to the dictionary, mercy is a noun. It's a mission performed to relieve suffering. It's an event to be grateful for. It's the compassion or forgiveness shown to someone. But mercy is a noun in action.
The meaning of compassion is to recognize the suffering of others and then take action to help. Compassion is more than feeling concerned about someone in distress or caring about a person's misfortune. There is action associated with compassion, and that action is mercy.
When compassion acts to alleviate suffering, it becomes mercy. The idea of having mercy emphasizes the aspect of mercy concerning disparity in power, as opposed to emphasizing the motivation for having mercy (e.g., compassion or levity). It doesn't exclude kindness. It simply draws attention to the relationship between having the choice to show mercy and strictly executing justice.
Having mercy or being merciful speaks of leniency, forbearance and clemency more so than grace, forgiveness, tenderness or compassion.
