RECEIVE MERCY TO SHOW MERCY

RECEIVE MERCY TO SHOW MERCY 

Mercy sits at the center of the Christian life because it sits at the center of God’s heart. as God’s decisive refusal to treat us as our sins deserve, and his invitation to extend that same mercy to others. 

Chapters

• 0:00 Why Mercy Matters
• 3:25 Defining Mercy And Its Two Sides
• 6:45 God’s Nature: Merciful, Gracious, Long-Suffering
• 11:20 Called To Reflect God’s Mercy
• 15:05 Why Mercy Is Hard Without Grace
• 18:25 Mercy Where There Is Sin And Sorrow
• 22:40 Be Merciful As Your Father Is Merciful
• 26:30 Blessed Are The Merciful
• 30:10 Mercy Builds A Flourishing Society
• 34:00 Jesus As The Promised Mercy

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

The theme of of mercy is very essential and it's a very popular theme in our Christian world. And if you look at the Old and the New Testament, the theme of mercy um occurs so many times. When something occurs so many times, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament, it signifies that you and I should pay attention to that particular theme. And one of them is mercy. You and I we receive mercy from God, and God expects us to show mercy. So whatever we receive from God that is free, whatever we receive from God that we didn't pay for, we didn't earn, God expects you and I to do likewise to one another. Since you and I will receive mercy from God, you are called, you are commanded to also extend mercy to those who offend you. What is mercy? Sometimes I like to define something that I like to talk about so that we at least we have a clarification of what mercy is in terms of definition. So when I look up the word mercy, mercy is receiving compassion and pity from God when we are wrong, when we wrong Him, and also extending compassion and pity to others when we are when we are wrong. So there's two components of mercy. We receive it from God and we also show mercy for the wrongs that people have done to us and also for the wrongs that we have done to God. Compassion for the miserable because of their misery, because of their challenges, because of their sorrows, because of their suffering. We're gonna look at the book of Psalm, especially David as an example of somebody who constantly asks God for mercy. We're gonna look at different instances when he called on God for God to have mercy upon him. And I also like this um definition of what mercy is. Mercy is God not treating you and I as we ought to be treated. Mercy is God not treating us as we deserve to be treated. God is not treating us what we deserve to be treated. We deserve to be treated in a very condemning way because of our sins, because of the wrongs that we have done to God. We deserve God's punishment, we deserve God's wrath, we deserve God's anger. But because God is a merciful God, God choose not to treat us how we ought to be treated. So that's what mercy can do for you and I. And if you look at mercy, I know naturally people say, you know what? I am a merciful person, I am naturally inclined to be forgiven. I reject that. Humanly speaking, we don't have certain characteristics if it's not the grace of God. Mercy is one of those divine, which I call those divine godly traits that you need to get from God. Because naturally speaking, we have this tendency to do unto others as they have done to us. When somebody hurts you, your first reaction is to what to hurt them back, to take vengeance into your hand. Whereas when when God is requesting you and I to be merciful, it really takes divine grace, divine empowerment of the Holy Spirit to exercise mercy for people who have wronged you, for people who have caused you so much pain, for people who have caused you so much trouble. But God is saying, Let it go, extend mercy. So that is why mercy is a divine, godly attribute, because that is who God is. Look what it says in Exodus chapter 34, verse 6 to 7. The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious. So God introduced Himself as merciful and gracious, meaning that I am merciful, that is who I am, that is my nature, that is my character, that is my virtue. I am merciful, and and I'm also gracious, long suffering. And I also realize that those are key um um terms when it comes to mercy, grace, and long suffering, because it really takes grace to extend mercy, it really takes long suffering for you to be patient with somebody who constantly wrongs you, who constantly offends you, for you to say, you know what? I forgive you for what you did against me yesterday. I forgive you also for what you have done to me today. And in the future, God expects you and I to also show mercy. So that is why mercy is not a it's not a simple thing naturally that you and I we can exercise. It takes divine empowerment by the Holy Spirit to build such characteristics in us. That is who God is, and you and I that's not who we are. So, verse 7 it says, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. Like I said, when where where there's sin, mercy is needed. Where there is sin, mercy is needed, where there is suffering, mercy is needed, where there's sorrow, mercy is needed. For God not to treat us how we ought to be treated. So God extends mercy for thousands, like his mercy is never ended, his mercies are new every morning. God is full of mercy, that is who he is, you know. Just as we say God is full of love, God is also full of mercy, and we truly need that attribute of God in order for you and I to exist, for you and I to be able to relate to God, for you and I to have access to God. So without the mercy of God, it becomes very complicated to even relate with God or to communicate with God because you and I our sins are like filthy rags. We cannot stand in the presence of God because God is holy. When you look at Luke chapter 6, verse 36, it says, Therefore be merciful, just as your father also is merciful. God is a father who is merciful, that is his attribute that is extended to you and I. Mercy is an act first from God, it's an act first from God. So you cannot be merciful to people if you have not received the mercy of God. That is why at times, in my, I can use my own personal life as an example. Sometimes we expect people to treat us um in a certain way. I realize that people cannot give us what they have not received themselves, people cannot treat us how they have not been treated. That is why mercy is first an act from God and and also from from us to one another. If you know that God has been merciful to you, then you are obligated because of God's mercy upon your life to also extend mercy to others as well. If you know that you have committed so many crimes, so many sins, and God pardon you, and then somebody has done you so much wrong, God is expecting you to also extend mercy because that's what Jesus states that therefore be merciful because your heavenly father is also merciful. So we are called, commanded, and commissioned to be merciful. Number one, to reflect God's character, because that's who God is, and God wants us to walk in mercy. Number two, because God has extended mercy, God has not treated us how how we ought to be treated. God is expecting us not to treat people how people should be treated. So that's why we need to extend mercy as well. Mercy is a divine virtue that inspires us to have pity and compassion, extending forgiveness to each other. Like I said, naturally speaking, it's very hard to be merciful because we as human beings we have this tendency to pay back. That is why it takes divine intervention, it takes the Holy Spirit to enable you and I to extend mercy. What is the importance of mercy? Why we have to show mercy? The importance of mercy, according to Luke chapter 18, verse 13, it says, and the tax collector standing afar off will not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. Where lie sins, mercy is needed. Where lie saints, mercy is needed. Wherever there is sin, mercy is needed. Mercy is essential because of our sins. So that is why mercy is so important. Because of the sins that you and I we have committed against God, we have committed against one another. Mercy is needed. So mercy is that is that voice, mercy is that work, mercy is that act as you know what? This is what my Musumba did to me. But you know what? I'm gonna let it go. This is what Alice did to um Andrew. You know what? I'm gonna Andrew said, I'm gonna let it go because why? Where there's offense, where there's wrongdoing, where there's sin, mercy is essential, mercy is needed. Same applies to God. God describes himself as merciful because we are we are sinners. Just as the um tax collector in his prayer, he said he couldn't he couldn't look at God, he couldn't face God. So his prayer is that God be merciful to me, a sinner. If you look at some of the um interaction with Jesus Christ with people during his ministry, they will always tell him, they will always cry out to him, Son of David, have mercy upon me. Son of David, have mercy upon me. Because he realized that, you know what, this is what I deserve. But Jesus, I need your mercy, not for you not to treat me uh how I should be treated. I know that I deserve to be sick because of the sin that I've lived. I know that I deserve to be sick because of the food that I've that the type of food that I eat. I know that I deserve to be punished because of this crime that I committed. But please, Jesus, please, God, don't don't don't treat me how I should, how I should be treated. Instead, treat me the opposite, extend mercy. So we we we have no right to come to God saying well, God he can treat me anyhow. It's a lie because we're not righteous. That is why mercy is so important. Mercy is needed because of sin, and God displays that divine attribute of himself that I am merciful. Luke chapter 6, verse 36. Therefore, be merciful just as your father also is merciful, just as I've said, why we ought to show mercy because that's who God is, and and God wants you and I to reflect who it is. If God is holy, you and I we should be holy. If God is loving, you and I we should be loving. If God is merciful, you and I we should be merciful. As God is, so we are. So we ought to show mercy because God is merciful to us. The act of mercy is for the sake of God. So most times we don't show mercy. I know sometimes it's hard to show mercy because we feel like that person doesn't deserve my forgiveness, that person doesn't deserve my mercy, but you have to do it for the sake of God, because God has given you mercy, God has extended mercy to you, God has shown you mercy, so you should show mercy for the sake of God, not because of the sake of that person, not because of that person, you're doing it for the sake of God, and because it's the right thing to do, because God has done it for you, and God wants you to reflect his characteristics. Matthew chapter 5, verse 6. When you look at, I think when you look at the beatitude, Jesus said in verse 7, Matthew chapter 5, verse 7, Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. You see? So when you show mercy, you will get mercy. Just as God gives us mercy, God is expecting us to show mercy. And when you show mercy, people should also show mercy to you. When we show mercy, we should also receive mercy. Because if we're constantly doing uh tooth for tooth, eye for an eye, leg for a leg, nose for a nose, mouth for a mouth, then child of God, no one is gonna survive. So that is why we need to extend mercy so that we can live a flourished society. If we are constantly taking the law into our own hands without exercising restraint, self-control, forgiveness, grace, and mercy, then we are we're not gonna survive. That is why mercy is needed in this fallen world. Mercy is needed in this sinful life. Mercy is needed. Where there is sin, there lies mercy as well. The Bible says that you and I we are commanded and called and characterized to show mercy. If you look at the prophecy of uh Zachariah's prophecy in the book, in the gospel of Luke, chapter 1, verse 72, Jesus Christ is the mercy promised for our salvation. Like I said, where lies sin, there lies mercy. But because God knows that Adam and Eve are our first parents, they have sinned against God, and we deserve to be treated as criminals, as sinners, that is why God gave us that seed, that promised seed. So Jesus Christ is pretty much the mercy of God promised to humanity according to Zachariah's prophecy when Jesus Christ was young. Look what it says in Luke chapter 1, verse 32 to confirm that to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. Two things, two things that God did for the children of Israel, because the Bible says that in Abraham all the earth shall be blessed. God, number one, made a covenant with the children of Israel, and then and then number two, God um extended mercy to them, and that mercy is also extended to the Gentiles, that is you and I, to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and that that performance, that promise of that mercy is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is the mercy promise both for the Jew and the Gentiles. So that is why we need to be like Jesus Christ because He Himself is merciful. Mercy is also a Christian grace. Like grace is that overall covering. In grace, we have love, in grace we also have mercy. Grace is that extended package, is that is that premium package that everything falls into. Mercy falls into grace. Look what it says in Luke chapter 6, verse 36. I think I've read that before. Therefore, be merciful, just as your father also is merciful. This is Jesus Christ speaking to his disciples, and we are Jesus Christ's disciples. So Jesus is saying that hey, children of God, believers, you guys are to be merciful and let mercy be your lifestyle. So we are definitely commanded and called to show mercy, to follow after the example of God, because God is our Father, He is merciful, like father, like son, like father, like daughter. As believers, we are characterized by mercy. Let's do a case study looking at an example of David, when David, most of his prayers in the book of Psalms, expressing to God for God to have mercy upon him, for God to show compassion and forgiveness towards him. In in Psalms chapter 4, verse 1, I read, Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness, you are revealed me in my distress. Have mercy on me and hear my prayer. So whenever we are praying, one thing that I've learned from the life of David, whenever David is praying, David always asks God for mercy. When he started his prayer, God have mercy upon me. I know, I know I don't deserve to ask you for this and that without coming to you clean, without asking you that God be pity on me, have compassion on me. Don't treat me how I should be treated. Please have mercy on me. Don't let my sin be an hindrance to my prayer. Have mercy upon me and hear my prayer. So we need to start our prayer with forgiveness. Even that's Jesus Christ. When Jesus Christ um gave the Lost Prayers format, that uh we should pray that God forgive me, uh forgive my debts, and I forgive those who have trespassed against me. So whenever we are praying, we need to start off by obtaining the mercy of God, like David. Psalm chapter 6, verse 2 have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak, O Lord. Heal me, for my bones are troubled. So when David was in the distress of of physical weakness, of physical trouble, David saying that God have mercy on me. I don't know what caused this physical weakness, I don't know what's causing this physical trouble. It's something that is that is done by me. God please have mercy on me. Sometimes we're asking God for mercy for things that people have done to us. Sometimes we're asking God for mercy for things that we have done to ourselves. Saying that God, please have mercy upon me for eating badly. That's why I'm so fat. That's why I'm so obese. That's why I have some health issues because I'm not taking care of my diet. God, please have mercy on me. Don't allow, don't allow um um um um whatever it is that will take place happen to me. Psalm chapter 9, verse 13. David says, Have mercy on me, oh Lord, consider my trouble from those who hate me. We need to ask God for mercy, especially when those who are hating you, they want to persecute you, they want to hurt you for no just cause. That God, please, if I've done something wrong to them, that is why they are pursuing me, that is why they are chasing me, that is why they want to hurt me. But God have mercy on me. You lift me up from the gate of death. Psalm chapter 25, verse 16. Turn yourself to me and have mercy on me, for I am desolate and afflicted. You see, we see a pattern here that Jesus, uh David, is constantly pleading for the mercy of God in uncomfortable situations, in difficult situations in his life, against his enemies, in his own personal troubles, in his own personal distress. That God turn yourself to me, that God come to me. In order for God to come to you, in order for you to have access to God, you need to plead for mercy, you need to plead for mercy because mercy gives you access in the presence of God. Mercy opens that door for you to be able to communicate with God. He said, God, turn yourself to me, God, pay attention to me, God, God, focus on me, but please have mercy on me because I am afflicted, I am miserable. Please don't treat me how I should be treated. Psalm chapter 30, verse 10. He says, Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on me. Lord, be my helper. Again, David always constantly starts his prayers, asking God for mercy. Say, God, have mercy on me and be my helper. Help me in this situation. But first of all, please have mercy on me. Show me compassion, show me pity. Psalm chapter 31, verse 9. Have mercy on me, oh Lord, for I am in trouble. My eyes waste away with grief. Yes, my soul and my body. David is constantly pleading to God for God to have mercy upon his own personal life. That God, I am in trouble. God, I am in pain. God, my back is aching. God, this sickness is troubling me. God, please have mercy on me and help me. Son of David, help me. Son of David, heal me. Son of David, touch me. Son of David, provide for me. Have mercy and help me. Don't just go straight to the prayer that God do me good without asking God for mercy. God is asking himself, why should I do you good when you have done me wrong? You didn't even ask for mercy in the first place. Ask for mercy for your sins. So I can come closer to you. So I can turn myself to you. And then look into your situation and then intervene in your problems. And then chapter uh Psalm chapter 86, verse 16. Oh, turn to me again. David is asking God, for God, you have to turn to me and have mercy on me. Give your strength to your servant and save the son of your maid servant. We see a consistency, we see a pattern in David's prayer life with God. Asking God to have mercy on him first, asking God to turn to him, and then he will make a research to God. That God give me strength. I am your servant. Save me. I am the son of your mate servant. But in order for you to do all these things, God have mercy on me. Don't treat me how I should be treated because of my sins. Instead, you have mercy on me, you show compassion to me, you have pity on me. And then in conclusion, we're gonna look at another example in um in the gospel of Matthew chapter 18 and verse 33 to 35. I'm gonna start reading from verse 21. Matthew chapter 18, verse 21. Then Peter came to him and said, Lord, how often should my brothers sin against me and I forgive them up to seven times? Like I said before, where there is sin, mercy is needed. Jesus said to him, I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to 17 times seven. Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king, oh my God, who wanted to settle account with the Sabbath. Like I said, we have an account with God, and our account that we have with God is sin, and God wants to settle that account of sin with us. That's what the kingdom of God is. Jesus Christ is using another illustration to depict the kingdom of God. We need mercy to enter into the kingdom of God because God wants to settle accounts with us. And when he began to settle accounts, one was brought to him who hold him 10,000 talents. But as he who was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold with his wife and children, and that all he had and that payment be made. Wow, the servant therefore fell down before him, saying, Master, have have patience with me. Oh my god. You and I, we can never, never, never repay God of our sins. We can never repay God of our sins. That is why the Bible says his mercies are new every morning, and Jesus Christ is the mercy promised to us. Glory be to his name. So this servant is pleading that Master, please have patience with me. Have patience with me and I will pay you all. Then the master of the servant was moved with compassion. Oh my god, that is God. He was moved with compassion because that is God's nature. He is merciful and release him and forgave him the debt. The master said that I know you want me to have patience for you for you. But you know what? I don't think you have what it takes to repay back your account. But you know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna have compassion on you. I'm gonna have compassion on you because I have the right to settle my account. I have the right to enslave you and your family, your wife and your children. But I'm not gonna do that. Instead, I'm gonna exercise compassion, I'm gonna extend compassion, I'm gonna release you. That's what mercy does. Mercy releases you and I for us to come to the throne of God, the throne of grace. He said, I'll forgive you your debt. Because our sins are like we owe whenever we sin, we owe God. That's why Jesus said, Forgive us for our trespasses, forgive us. Some translations will say, forgive us our debts.

unknown: 24:17

Wow.

SPEAKER_00: 24:18

But this but that servant went out. You see why I started off by saying that we receive mercy from God, and God expects you and eyes to show mercy to one another. You get something from God, but but now you don't want to give what you get, get from God. You're treating people anyhow. You God has forgiven you, but you don't want to forgive your husband, you don't want to forgive your wife, you don't want to forgive your children, you don't want to forgive your pastor, you don't want to forgive your brothers and sisters in Christ. You want to forgive your manager, you don't want to forgive your boss when God has forgiven you. Let go. And it's hard, it's hard to let go. It's hard, it's hard to let go the hurts, the pains. It's hard, but we have to let go because that's how you how we treat God every day. But his mercies are new every day. It's hard, but we have to. But this servant went out and found one of his fellow servants, oh my god, who hold him hundred dunneries, and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, Oh my god, this guy was violent. God, his master have shown compassion to him, crying out to his master like a baby. Oh master, forgive me, forgive me. But now, when it comes to him, somebody holds him money. That is why I said that. Being merciful is a divine virtue, it's a divine attribute. Humanly speaking, we have this tendency of doing to others as they have done to us, of doing eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, vengeance, payback time. It's not natural. Mercy to be merciful is not a natural attribute, it takes God's divine intervention, the Holy Spirit to build that character trait of mercy in you. This man has been showing mercy, he refused to show mercy to somebody who owes him money. He held on to the truth of this man trying to strangle this man all by saying, Pee me, what you owe me, pay me, pin me, pin me, I'm gonna kill you. If you don't pin me, I'm gonna kill you. If you don't pin me, I'm gonna destroy your home. If you don't pin me, I'm gonna put you to jail. If you don't pin me, I'm gonna call the police on you.

unknown: 26:40

Wow.

SPEAKER_00: 26:41

So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, Have patience with me and I will pay you all. Oh my god. You receive mercy, and God expects us to show mercy. Like God, like son, like father, like daughter. So his fellow servant fell down on his feet and begged him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay you all. And he would not but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. Oh my god, oh my god. He said, No, I am not gonna forgive you, I am not gonna be patient with you, I am gonna treat you like a criminal. I'm gonna you don't deserve oh god, you don't deserve my mercy. And and and I define mercy by God not treating us how we ought to be treated. This man is treating this man that holds him money, how this man that holds him money to be true should be treated. Yes, he should be treated because you sign a contract that you're gonna repay this man back his money, and if you violate or you default on the contract, you will suffer the consequences of that. And but this same man now holds God his master money, and his master has released him, did not even send him to prison. But here now, that is why whatever God does to us, God is expecting you and I to do for one another. If God has given us love, we should show love. If God has been gracious to us, we should extend grace. If God has been merciful to us, we should extend mercy. If God has healed us, we should help others to be healed, if God has saved us, we should help others to be saved. Whatever God has done for us, God is expecting you and I to do to one to another. That's pretty much the gospel. Go and tell people that you are saved. I saved you. Go and tell them that you're saved so that they can be saved. Go and tell them about the mercies of God, go and tell them about the promised mercy, which is Jesus Christ. So he so when his fellow servants saw so when his fellow servants saw what he what had been done, they were very grieved and came and told their master all that he had done. Okay, the master didn't know anything about it, but the fellow servants, wow, who also had a similar account with their master, reported this act of ungratefulness, act of wickedness of this other servant that has been forgiven by the master, how he treated another servant. The other servant reported this to their master. The master did the master you see, which shows that God didn't want to hold anything at all against the servant, no record of wrongdoing, no record of wrongdoing. Not going back. But because the other servant reminded their master, saying that, ah, this is your servant that you show mercy to. Have you seen what he has done? Have you seen what he has done? Have you seen what he has done? Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, You wicked. Yes, that is wickedness. If you know, if God has shown you mercy and you fail to show mercy to other people, to your spouse, to your husband, to your wife, to your children, to your pastor, to the members, to the minister, you are a wicked man, you are a wicked woman. I'm not gonna sugarcoat. You are a wicked man, you are a wicked woman. And what makes you wicked man or wicked? Because God has shown you mercy, but you fail to show mercy to other people. God has shown you love, but you fail to love your spouse. You fail to love your children. God has blessed you, but you fail to be generous. You are a wicked man, you are a wicked woman. I'm speaking to myself too, to all of us. It does not reflect godly attributes, it does not reflect who God is. That is why I was saying that like father, like son, I keep emphasizing like this. What God wants us to really do is to be like him. At times it's gonna be hard to be like God. People are gonna step on your shoes, they're gonna step on your toes, and it's gonna hurt so bad. But God is saying, forgive. Forgive. Forgive. It's hard. Forgive. When somebody puts you in jail, and then God is saying, go back to that person and ask that person forgiveness. When somebody called the police on you, God is saying, go back to that person and ask that person. Somebody that you love so much and just ask for forgiveness. Forgive, let it go. Don't hold it against that person, just let it go. Love them, care for them, call them, pray for them. It's hard, it's hard. Then his master, after he had called him and said to him, You wicked servant, I forgive you. Yes, I forgave you. I extended mercy to you. You cried, you cried like a baby to me. Explained, oh, I have a family to feed, I have my children, I don't have enough. You cried and I and I and I showed compassion to you. I forgave you all, everything, not just not just partial uh debt, all the debt because you begged me, because you pleaded with me, because you begged me, you pleaded with me, and I felt sorry for you. Like the Samus David pleading with God. God, I'm crying to you, God have mercy on me. Answer me, God, I am suffering, God. I'm in pain. That's how we pray at times when we come to God. God, this problem is too much now. God, please have mercy on me. We are pleading to God for mercy. Son of David, have mercy on me. Mercy is a cry. Mercy is a cry, a cry to God. God, don't treat me how I should be treated. Mercy is pleading to God. God, don't treat me how I should be treated. Should you not also have compassion on your fellow servant? God is saying that I've given you mercy. Why won't you extend it to your brother and sisters, to your children, to your co-worker, to your boss, to your fellow servant, the image and likeness bearer of God? Don't you think this image and likeness bearer of God doesn't deserve your mercy? You don't deserve my mercy, but I've I've I've I've I've I've given you mercy. So why would you not extend that same mercy to your brother, to your sister? Why won't you forgive them? They are pleading with you for you to be patient with them when they have money, they're gonna pay you back. Just as I had pity on you and his master was angry and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So, my ever this is Jesus Christ. I love his he's a master teacher. Whenever he teaches, he uses real life illustration. He's saying that if we don't show mercy, God will also not show mercy to us. So, my heavenly father also will do to you if each of you from his heart does not forgive his brother his trespasses. That's the Lost Prayer. Forgive me for my debt as I have forgiven those who trespass against me.

unknown: 34:58

Oh my God.

SPEAKER_00: 34:59

So Jesus is saying that based on how you treat your brothers and sisters in Christ, or even the unbelievers, that's how God will treat you. If you're merciful, God will be merciful to you. Even if God has been merciful to you, and then you go back and then you treat people like anyhow, unforgiveness is still in your heart. That's what God will do to you, according to your heart. According to your heart. So being merciful is a trait that the Holy Spirit has to work in us from our heart because it's not a natural uh trait, it's divine, and we need divine intervention for God to build the attribute of mercy in us.