Verse of the Day for September 17

The word therefore in verse 36 points backward. Be ye therefore merciful only makes sense after the line before it: he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

That sentence is worth reading slowly. God is kind to the unthankful. Not only to the poor, not only to the sorry, but to the people who take his kindness and never say thank you.

Jesus also says lend, hoping for nothing again. Anyone who has lent money to a relative knows how rare that is. We lend, and we hope. We watch for the repayment. We remember the date. Jesus asks his followers to open the door and let it stay open.

Mercy here is not soft. It is costly, practical, and often unthanked. And it rests entirely on the character of God. We are not merciful because people deserve it. We are merciful because that is what our Father is like, and children take after their father.

If someone owes you and has never acknowledged it, you may not be able to forget the amount. But you can decide to stop watching the door. Let the loan become a gift in your heart, and leave the rest with the One who is kind to the unthankful, including, at times, you.

Mercy that waits to be thanked is still waiting for something.

Children grow to look like their Father.