On Mercy

ILLUSTRATION ON MERCY

 

There was a certain child whose parents named him Mercy. He grew up to be very rich and merciful to all, to the extent that he exhausted all his wealth on charity. He did not have a child since his wife was barren. When his personal wealth was completely exhausted, he started giving out his wife’s clothes and shoes to people. All what remained in his house were a chair, a table and a stool. All other things had been given out to people on charity.

 

This man (Mercy) was left with no money in his house. It was not long when three men paddled a canoe and anchored at the beach in Mercy’s city. They requested that they wanted to see a person in that city by name Mercy. When they were directed to where Mercy’s residence, they met him with only a chair, a table and a stool. On seeing these men, Mercy embraced them and received them into his house.

 

To demonstrate his mercy to these visitors as usual, he pledged the only stool in his house to a woman in the community in exchange for some money to enable him entertain his visitors. However, the woman did not accept it.  Rather, she demanded that the stool be sold to her. Since he had no alternative, the man (Mercy) had to sell it to entertain his visitors. The woman offered to pay just nine pence. He accepted it without any objection. The proceeds from the stool was used in buying food for the visitors that night.

 

In the morning, there was no food for these visitors to eat. All he did was to take his chair to that same woman again to pledge it with her. But the woman did not accept that still. She insisted it should be sold to her. There was no objection on the part of Mercy. He sold it to get money to continue to entertain his visitors. The woman bought it for only nine pence again. While this boy was doing these things, the visitors were carefully observing him. After two days, there was no more money with him with which to continue to feed his visitors. In order to successfully cater for them, the third day, he needed to sell the last thing in his house; the table. Finally, the table was sold at nine pence as was the case with other things.

 

Everything in his house was sold out. Yet he did not regret nor did he relent in showing mercy. If you were the one involved you would have backslide.  You would have forgotten about the work of mercy in your life. This illustration has much to do with Mercy Fellowship.

 

On the third day the three visitors called him and told him that, they wanted to introduce themselves to him. They demanded that the man should choose one of them as his personal property. The first man was introduced as the gift of children, the second was money, and the third was mercy. They disclosed to him that any of them that he chooses would provide that very thing he represents. This man was confused. He did not know exactly what to do. For one, he had no more money and again he had no child. Here were the gifts of money and children at his door step. The third choice was mercy. Whichever he decides to choose he would be given in abundance. If you were in his shoes would you not have chosen money or children!

 

The man analyzed and thought thus: Money I have not, children I do not have, not even one. Mercy is the cause; of my deplorable state.”  He pondered over the whole situation. He had chosen to be merciful ever before these visitors came, and he had demonstrated mercy to them. Therefore, apart from mercy which was part and parcel of him, if he should choose another gift, it will amount to going contrary to his heart’s desire and belief.  It is written in the scriptures thus: ‘Has thou faith, have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemned not himself in that thing which he allowed”

(Romans 14:22).

 

His present condition emanated from his expression of mercy. So, being asked by his visitors to choose mercy again meant he will be excessively merciful.  Out of confusion he asked: ‘can I not be allowed to choose two things?’  They said ‘No,’ that he had to choose just one thing. They disclosed to him that, as far as their mission was concerned, mercy was the greatest. Since he could not disentangle himself from his apparent fix, he decided to consult the woman to whom he had sold his household property.

 

After explaining the situation to her, she advised him to choose mercy which had been his age-long habit.  His wife also stressed that they should choose mercy. He did not object to their advice. So he finally chosed mercy and rejected the other two gifts that are, money and children. At last, the two people representing money and children left.  But when they got to the beach, they could not trace their way back home. So the two things (money and children) roamed the beach until they were benighted.

 

When they realized that there was virtually nothing they could do, they sauntered back to the man’s house and settled there together with mercy, which the man had chosen already.

 

Mercy, the third man which the host had chosen started to manifest practically. The first thing that happened was that the wife finally abandoned him. As a result of this, people came from far and near to expressed their sympathy for him. They recalled his affluence in the past, and comparing his present condition with his past life.  They presented him with many gifts so much that he became very rich and was crown the king of that community.

 

 

 

ILLUSTRATION ON MERCY

 

There was a certain child whose parents named him Mercy. He grew up to be very rich and merciful to all, to the extent that he exhausted all his wealth on charity. He did not have a child since his wife was barren. When his personal wealth was completely exhausted, he started giving out his wife’s clothes and shoes to people. All what remained in his house were a chair, a table and a stool. All other things had been given out to people on charity.

 

This man (Mercy) was left with no money in his house. It was not long when three men paddled a canoe and anchored at the beach in Mercy’s city. They requested that they wanted to see a person in that city by name Mercy. When they were directed to where Mercy’s residence, they met him with only a chair, a table and a stool. On seeing these men, Mercy embraced them and received them into his house.

 

To demonstrate his mercy to these visitors as usual, he pledged the only stool in his house to a woman in the community in exchange for some money to enable him entertain his visitors. However, the woman did not accept it.  Rather, she demanded that the stool be sold to her. Since he had no alternative, the man (Mercy) had to sell it to entertain his visitors. The woman offered to pay just nine pence. He accepted it without any objection. The proceeds from the stool was used in buying food for the visitors that night.

 

In the morning, there was no food for these visitors to eat. All he did was to take his chair to that same woman again to pledge it with her. But the woman did not accept that still. She insisted it should be sold to her. There was no objection on the part of Mercy. He sold it to get money to continue to entertain his visitors. The woman bought it for only nine pence again. While this boy was doing these things, the visitors were carefully observing him. After two days, there was no more money with him with which to continue to feed his visitors. In order to successfully cater for them, the third day, he needed to sell the last thing in his house; the table. Finally, the table was sold at nine pence as was the case with other things.

 

Everything in his house was sold out. Yet he did not regret nor did he relent in showing mercy. If you were the one involved you would have backslide.  You would have forgotten about the work of mercy in your life. This illustration has much to do with Mercy Fellowship.

 

On the third day the three visitors called him and told him that, they wanted to introduce themselves to him. They demanded that the man should choose one of them as his personal property. The first man was introduced as the gift of children, the second was money, and the third was mercy. They disclosed to him that any of them that he chooses would provide that very thing he represents. This man was confused. He did not know exactly what to do. For one, he had no more money and again he had no child. Here were the gifts of money and children at his door step. The third choice was mercy. Whichever he decides to choose he would be given in abundance. If you were in his shoes would you not have chosen money or children!

 

The man analyzed and thought thus: Money I have not, children I do not have, not even one. Mercy is the cause; of my deplorable state.”  He pondered over the whole situation. He had chosen to be merciful ever before these visitors came, and he had demonstrated mercy to them. Therefore, apart from mercy which was part and parcel of him, if he should choose another gift, it will amount to going contrary to his heart’s desire and belief.  It is written in the scriptures thus: ‘Has thou faith, have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemned not himself in that thing which he allowed”

(Romans 14:22).

 

His present condition emanated from his expression of mercy. So, being asked by his visitors to choose mercy again meant he will be excessively merciful.  Out of confusion he asked: ‘can I not be allowed to choose two things?’  They said ‘No,’ that he had to choose just one thing. They disclosed to him that, as far as their mission was concerned, mercy was the greatest. Since he could not disentangle himself from his apparent fix, he decided to consult the woman to whom he had sold his household property.

 

After explaining the situation to her, she advised him to choose mercy which had been his age-long habit.  His wife also stressed that they should choose mercy. He did not object to their advice. So he finally chosed mercy and rejected the other two gifts that are, money and children. At last, the two people representing money and children left.  But when they got to the beach, they could not trace their way back home. So the two things (money and children) roamed the beach until they were benighted.

 

When they realized that there was virtually nothing they could do, they sauntered back to the man’s house and settled there together with mercy, which the man had chosen already.

 

Mercy, the third man which the host had chosen started to manifest practically. The first thing that happened was that the wife finally abandoned him. As a result of this, people came from far and near to expressed their sympathy for him. They recalled his affluence in the past, and comparing his present condition with his past life.  They presented him with many gifts so much that he became very rich and was crown the king of that community.