Virtues over Vices - Mercy

 

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:9–13 ESV).

 

Can a leopard change their spots? No, a leopard cannot change its spots; the pattern is determined by genetics before birth and remains a permanent part of its coat. This fact is the basis for the idiom "a leopard can't change its spots," which means people cannot change their fundamental character or nature. However, this idiom is based on a truth that is simply incomplete. Stay with me for a bit today…perhaps you remember the story of Mary Magdalene.

 

Her coming to faith in Jesus is well documented in the Scripture (cf. Luke 7). From that passage we have often heard a phrase used in reference to the incredible transformation Jesus makes in a person’s life: “She knelt down a prostitute, but stood up a saint.”  While the Bible doesn't explicitly state she was a prostitute, the tradition began with Pope Gregory I in the 6th century and has been widely adopted, portraying her as the "woman who was a sinner" who wept at Jesus's feet. The line is a powerful depiction of transformation and redemption. It is a picture of how there is indeed one way that a leopard can change their spots!

 

The whole point of Jesus’ coming was to change people. And while only God can truly change people, God grants those changes abundantly. That’s because God acts with mercy, and he calls us to do the same.

 

Too often people get caught up in trying to please God by their acts of worship, including sacrifices—that is, giving things up in order to please God. But if our actions are just self-serving, they are not sacrificial. Yet, ironically, if we act with mercy toward someone struggling to turn their life around, that is a sacrifice that pleases God.

 

In Christ, we can believe that a person’s life can change. And if you are wondering if God will accept you despite what you’ve done with your life, yes, he absolutely will accept you. Give your life to him today and pray for others to encourage you in your life of faith. Live both accepting mercy and giving mercy!