Luke 6:36

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

The other day I was scraping off my car windows, preparing to take my children to school when all of a sudden a weasel-like creature ran under my car, across the street and down the road. Boy, was I surprised. What in the world was that thing?

My wife and I investigated and found out it was a mink. I had only heard about those things in American history textbooks. I had never seen one in real life. They exist! They exist in my neighborhood. What a surprise at 7:45 a.m. on a Thursday.

Does it surprise you when Jesus says in Luke 6:36, “Your Father is merciful?” Maybe you think that shouldn’t surprise you or it isn’t a surprise to you. But then again, maybe it does surprise you.

It might surprise you because of the many times in your life you thought, this isn’t fair. I don’t deserve this right now. What is God doing that this would be allowed to come into my life? There’s no way God is going to love me or forgive me after I ask for repentance for this particular sin for the umpteenth-millionth time! So maybe it’s a surprise to hear that God is merciful.

But that’s just who he is.

Or maybe you think so little of yourself and your life and your actions that to hear “God is merciful” is a huge surprise because you assume God isn’t. God doesn’t care for you or about you. God is disappointed in your life and what you have or haven’t done during it. Well, here’s good news: Surprise! Your Heavenly Father is merciful. That’s his nature. That’s what he does.