The Power of Mercy, Grace, & Compassion
By Angelina Newman
“What is the difference between mercy, grace, and compassion?”
These three virtues are very similar and oftentimes go together, but they each have their own unique concepts. Let’s take a deeper dive into each of them.
Mercy withholds punishment even when it is deserved. It’s saying, “You deserve ___ but I won’t give it to you.” And who else has shown us this attribute any better than Jesus Himself. All throughout the New Testament, we see how Jesus gave His perfect, spotless life for each of us despite our own depravity. Titus 3:4-5a “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy…” Mercy can be difficult to give to others because it means laying aside our anger or bitterness and choosing to reset and move forward. Not holding someone’s sin over them but moving forward in forgiveness. In Luke 6:36, while Jesus gives the popular sermon on the mount, He tells the crowd “Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” We cannot simply accept the mercy of God and choose to withhold it from the people around us.
Grace is an unmerited favor or kindness. This is very similar to mercy but while mercy is not getting the punishment we deserve, grace is a gift we don’t deserve. God shows us His grace time and time again. In Ephesians 2:8 it says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” There is nothing we can do to be saved. There isn’t a certain number of good works, attended church services, or morning devotions that can bring us salvation. God simply offers us His grace and free gift of salvation because of the deep love He has for each of us. When we extend grace to others, we demonstrate the heart of Christ, who gave us the ultimate gift of grace. Grace allows us to forgive, to love and to offer second chances without expecting anything in return. God knows that we have nothing to offer and He still chooses to gift us eternal life with Him.
Compassion feels deeply for others and is usually accompanied with a desire to help. It is an intentional choice to engage with the needs of those around us. As Christians, we are called to be compassionate to others. Colossians 3:12 “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,”. And in Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” When we see our friends or community struggling, we are called to be compassionate to them. This can be something simple like checking in on a friend in need or something more elaborate like helping put together a charity project. An example from Jesus is in Matthew 9: 36-38 when He is going around cities to preach His word and heal people. “When he saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to his disciples, ‘ The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’” We are the laborers. We are called to go into the harvest and spread God’s loving kindness to everyone.
Together, mercy, grace, and compassion paint a beautiful picture of God’s character and His unconditional love for each one of us. We can look at the countless examples of Christ’s life and death that can propel us to live in a way that glorifies God and encourages us to embody His attributes. Most, if not every time, having mercy or giving grace to someone, requires us to forgive them. Forgiveness is such a practical way to be merciful and gracious to others. And that forgiveness can lead to having compassion on people as well.
REFLECTION
Read Titus 3:3-7 a few times. What stands out to you the most? Sometimes, reminding ourselves of how gracious the Lord is to us, can push us to extend that grace more easily to others.
Maybe as you read this, someone in particular came to mind. Someone you need to extend mercy, grace, and/or compassion to. Take a few minutes to make a plan to apply what you’ve read to that person.
What are some ways you can practically practice mercy, grace, and compassion each and every day?