A Heart for Mercy: Luke 10:25-37

As we continue through Lent and our Heart of the King series, we are invited to not only look at what Jesus did, but to understand His heart—and conform ours to match it. This week, Pastor Dave challenged us to see that mercy is not just something God does; it’s who God is. And if we are to follow Jesus, we must allow His mercy to shape the way we live.

Drawing from the parable of the Good Samaritan, we were reminded that mercy is often inconvenient, uncomfortable, and costly. It's easy to admire compassion from a distance, but real mercy steps into the mess. It sees the brokenness, stops, and acts. The priest and the Levite, those we would expect to embody God’s love, pass by the wounded man. But the Samaritan—the outsider, the one least expected—moves toward the suffering. He binds wounds, carries burdens, and pays the price for someone the world would overlook. Mercy, Pastor Dave reminded us, is not proven by what we intend to do, but by what we actually do.

More than just a story, the Good Samaritan points us to Jesus Himself. Jesus doesn't pass us by. He enters into our pain, binds our wounds, and lays down His life for our healing. His mercy is not theoretical. It is tangible, costly, and life-changing.

Pastor Dave also connected this to Exodus 33, where Moses asks to see God’s glory. God responds not with a display of power, but with a declaration of His mercy and compassion. At the very core of God's glory is His goodness, His love, and His mercy poured out for His people. To know God is to encounter His mercy.

As followers of Jesus, we are not called to admire mercy from afar. We are called to embody it. “Go and do likewise” is not a suggestion—it is a command to step into the brokenness of our world, to love sacrificially, and to reflect the heart of Christ to those who need it most.

This Lent, the invitation is clear: Where have we been walking by? Where is God calling us to stop, to see, and to show mercy? Following Jesus means stepping into the places we would rather avoid, trusting that the Gospel shines brightest when mercy leads the way.

Mercy isn’t just an act. It’s the heartbeat of the Kingdom. And it’s the heart of the King we follow.