The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: - Vital Christianity

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THE GIFT OF MERCY (Rom. 12:8)
Purpose: Manifestation of love to the “undeserving”
Definition: “The special ability that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ to
feel genuine empathy and compassion for individuals, both Christian and non-Christian, who
suffer distressing physical, mental or emotional problems, and to translate that compassion into
cheerfully-done deeds which reflect Christ’s love and alleviate the suffering.” 21
Description: The verb “show mercy” can also be translated “to pity,” “to have compassion,“
“to show gracious favor to.” The thrust of this phrase is action. People with the gift of mercy not
only have pity and compassion, sympathy and empathy; they demonstrate these feelings with
deeds. Mercy is love manifested in concrete action. In the gospels when people cried, “Have
mercy on me” they were asking for performance, not just pity. When the two blind men cried to
Jesus for mercy they expected Him to heal them which He did (Mt. 9:27-30). When the Canaanite
woman with the demon-possessed daughter came to Jesus asking for mercy she was requesting
that she be delivered (Mt. 15:21-28). When the father with the epileptic son came to Jesus
appealing for mercy he expected Jesus to heal his son (Mt. 17:14).
The gift of mercy is the capacity to demonstrate sensitivity to human need with acts of love. It
is understanding people who are in distress and a desire to remove hurts and bring healing. People
with this gift are drawn to people in need. They naturally gravitate toward people who are
suffering and in need of help.
While the gift of exhortation helps people mainly with words of love, the gift of mercy helps
people mainly through deeds of love. Those especially in need of mercy are the ill, retarded,
prisoners, blind, poor, aged, handicapped, shut-ins, mentally retarded, the misfits of society.
Basically it would include anyone in need.
Although all are to “show mercy” (Mt. 5:7; 23:23; 25:35-45; Lk. 10:25-37; Gal. 6:10;
I Thess. 5:14; Heb. 13:16; Jas. 2:15-16), everyone does not have the gift of mercy (Rom. 12:8;
I Cor. 12:29-30).
Prerequisite
With cheerfulness (Rom. 12:8). Mercy is to be shown not grudgingly, merely out of a sense of
duty, but joyfully. Attitudes are easily caught. If the person showing mercy manifests an attitude
of gloom and melancholy, the other person, though helped in material ways, still will be all the