"Which of these do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."

Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

         Jesus told a story in answer to a question about neighbor love. An expert in the law was quite willing to love his neighbors, but he did not seem to know just who they were. Maybe it is more accurate to say that he was hoping Jesus would agree with him about who they were. If he and Jesus agree on this one, then he is quite confident he will inherit eternal life.

         But instead of answering him directly, Jesus tells a story, a story we know as the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus does not call it a parable. It may well have happened, although it does have a surprise in it, so it is like a parable. You do not expect a Samaritan to care for a Jewish man. At least the expert in the law would not expect a Samaritan to care for a Jewish man.

         Also, no one is called "good" in the story. This is not a story about goodness or trying to be good. It is rather a story that turns the question on its head. The question is no longer "Which people are my neighbors, so I can love them?" Now the question is, "If you were lying by the side of the road, bleeding, which people who pass by you would you hope would see you as their neighbor?"

         In the story the Samaritan treats the Jewish man as if he were a neighbor. He helps the wounded man and makes sure he recovers. The expert in the law understands the story. He clearly identifies with the man who has been beaten and needs help. When Jesus says, "Which was a neighbor?" the lawyer responds, "The one who had mercy on him"; literally, "The one doing the mercy with him." This is the first mention of mercy in the story. The lawyer knows what mercy is and quickly identifies it in the actions of the Samaritan. The one who did mercy is the neighbor.

         Mercy is a complex quality or virtue. It is a mixture of emotion, identification and action. The ancient Greeks thought of it primarily as an emotion: It is the feeling of pity or sympathy that wells up when you see someone who is afflicted without deserving it. But the Hebrew understanding of mercy was primarily legal. Mercy is proper covenant behavior. Mercy is an action, the concrete giving of help to one in need. It is a significant sign of righteousness. God, who is faithful to his covenant, is merciful. So people of faith must also be merciful. In the New Testament, mercy is seen in the person of Jesus Christ, who heals and frees people from oppression. The mercy of Jesus demonstrated his authority. The mercy of Jesus was expressed on the cross.

         Mercy is when you feel sympathy for someone in need, you identify with their plight, and then you act; you do mercy.

         A number of years ago, the church I served was able to bring a team of Mexican Christians from our churches in the southern state of Oaxaca to our area. Many of the agricultural workers in our area came from Oaxaca, and so there was a connection made as we took this group out to the fields and the migrant farm worker camps. Later, Pastor Noe Villafane, from the Covenant church in Tlacalula in Oaxaca, wrote about his experience.

         "To speak with Hispanic people there, to participate in Bible School with their children, to see the ministry that different churches have with them made me happy, and at the same time gave me a new burden. For I understood that they are needy people, and they are in need of the love of God. I was able to sense the concern of various ones of them about such issues as their immigration status, the violence that they have experienced, and their future, as well as about opportunities to receive God's message for them.

         "It was a delight to meet some of those who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ. And particularly with regard to those who are from my own state of Oaxaca, the desire was born in my heart to look for them when they return to Mexico. I would like to continue teaching them about Jesus Christ in their hometowns together with their families.

         "I was blessed by the experience of participating in two Spanish Bible studies held at the jail in Mt. Vernon. I will long remember the request made by several of them for prayer for their families, their enthusiasm in singing songs of praise, and their interest in the word of God.

         "I have returned home. We have begun to pray. I have shared this challenge with the congregation – that they seek out those families who return to our area of Mexico after having heard the Word of God in the United States."

         This is surely an example of mercy. Noe felt sympathy for these people. He identified with them. He took action to express love.

The Samaritan also showed this mercy. He saw the wounded man and had sympathy for him. He did not walk by untouched. He identified with the man. You can tell he must have walked this road many times before. He knew its dangers. He was prepared to help, with oil and wine and bandages. He knew of an inn where an injured many would receive care. He prepared financially to be able to help. This Samaritan did mercy.

         When Katrina and the other hurricanes hit, we were all shocked when governmental agencies did not act like neighbors to those in need, did not respond with mercy. So we all helped in the crisis. I remember taking boxes of clothing and supplies from our church to the PADS building and they took me up to the second floor, and there was a very large room absolutely full of donated items. There was mercy shown in this community. Then we saw people acting like neighbors, going to Louisiana to help. Brian felt the need deeply and took a group to Florida to replace some roofs. There our group discovered some neighbors.

         So now we are going back. We have seen what these churches in Kansas have been doing, and how so many others have joined them, and we are responding to the invitation to be a neighbor, and to do mercy.

         I think doing mercy is hard. I confess that I am not good at it. I am not gifted to do it. It does not come easily for me. I am not obedient in mercy. I am so very much the Levite. I can only pray with the church, "I have left undone the things I ought to have done, and there is no health in me." Mercy wears me out. It overwhelms me. So many people come asking me for money, for rent, for food, for bills to be paid, for a motel room. I can get used by them, and fooled by them. When I give I am not truly merciful. When I refuse I always wonder. It is easy for me to grow cold.

         My sense is that I am not the only one who struggles with mercy.

         Is it hard for you, too?

         It seems like some of you have a hard time forgiving others.

         It seems like some of you glue your money in your wallets before you come to church, lest there be an offering for some mission of mercy.

         I think I am not alone in this. I think we find mercy difficult.

         I must say that I admire the merciful. When I see you expressing mercy cheerfully I appreciate your courage and marvel at your willingness to re-engage even after you get burned or have a difficult experience. So I know that in my own discipleship I need to be encouraged by the example of the merciful, and I need to be vigilant to see opportunities for mercy. I commit myself to becoming more proactive, not just waiting for the request. I am aware of the ministries like Covenant World Relief and Love, INC. that do mercy well and I want to join with them and support them.

         All of this brings me to God. I hope it brings you to God. In our own strength we fail at mercy. You can do community service in your own strength, but you can't do mercy alone. No, our struggles with mercy, our failures to be merciful, surely bring us to God our Savior.

It is at the cross of Jesus where we find mercy. And in that mercy, we become merciful.          Amen.