Part 3
the hands of mercy
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’”
Jesus taught a parable that separated people into two groups based on their merciful response to basic human needs. The first group offered what simple response as they were able: a cup of cold water, or a word of welcome. The second group ignored the people in need.
Neither group was aware that they were being judged on this criteria. It is easy to offer a cup of water when you know it is part of a test. But what will you do when you believe no one is watching?
““Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’”
It is our hands of mercy that bear evidence that our eyes have seen the oppressed. But the eyes and the hands will only respond by what is in the heart.
The prophet Ezekiel spoke about a change of heart that the Spirit would bring to his people.
Ezekiel 36:26
I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
It is no surprise that without Jesus Christ, we remain a people with hearts of stone. Without Jesus, we will not concern ourselves with the needs of others. Sin is very self-absorbed.
But in Christ, we have been given a new heart by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. This new heart makes us a people of mercy. Hands of mercy bear evidence that our hearts have been made new.
