Real Life with Pastor Steve

September 15, 2023

“I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

  Have you ever played that game where you link hands with someone and the object of the game is to twist them into a painful enough pretzel that they finally scream… “Mercy!”  Yeah… me too… and I was usually the one yelling “mercy!” 

  We use phrases like “we’re just at the mercy of the insurance company… or at the mercy of the lenders…  or the mercy of the court.”  Why?

  It’s because those without the power are usually at the mercy of those with the power.  It’s the way the “system” works.  It’s called a “leveraged advantage.”  We’re taught at an early age to get the best possible leverage over others, so we won’t be at their mercy… we’ll be able to call the shots.  Think “Cobra Kai” from the Karate Kid, and their motto – “no mercy.” People often think that showing mercy is weakness. However, Jesus would tell a crowd of tax collectors, prostitutes, sinners, poor people under the heel of the Roman Empire… “blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.” 

Shown mercy … by whom? God. Because God is the ultimate authority, and He is not weak. No matter who you are… showing mercy is the new way Jesus taught us to live.  It is the reflection of God to others.  And yes, it also reaps the benefits of receiving God’s mercy. And that’s … real life. ~Pastor Steve Rowe – Eaglebrook Church

Eaglebrook Church
A Non-denominational fellowship – EaglebrookMinocqua.org
Sundays 10:00 a.m. @ 1025 Margaret Street in Woodruff
715-356-3313 –