The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Shaina D. during the 2008-2009 League.
Mission: Research on "Mercy"
Because of the Lord's love for us, he extends His mercy even before we sin. He illustrated how we must follow him and extend mercy to one another in John 14:14-15 when he said, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you."
Jesus demonstrated another example of the importance that He places on extending mercy, when Peter asked him how many times he must forgive a fellow believer (Matthew 18:21-22). Jesus answered by saying: "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. After saying this Jesus continued by telling the parable of the unforgiving servant. The parable is about a servant who owed a king several million dollars (in today's equivelance.) The servant did not have enough money to pay what he owed, so the king ordered that everything including his wife and children, be sold to pay him. The servant begged the king saying, "Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything I owe." The king felt sorry for his servant and extended mercy by allowing the servant to go free without debt. Later the same servant found another servant who owed him a few dollars. He demanded that the servant pay him what he owed. Now the other servant begged: "Be patient with me, and I will pay you every thing I owe." The first servant refused to be patient and threw the servant in jail until he could pay everything he owed. When the king found out what the first servant had done he said to him; "You evil servant! Because you begged me to forget what you owed, I told you that you did not have to pay anything. You should have showed mercy to that other servant, just as I showed mercy to you." The king was very angry and put the servant in jail until he could pay everything he owed. After telling this parable Jesus said; "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
Numerous examples of God's mercy can be seen though his servants. The story of Joseph and his brothers, is another great demonstration of God's mercy upon us. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Yet when a famine was experienced throughout the land, Joseph had mercy upon his brothers. In Genesis 45:5-7 Joseph says, "And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will not be plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. Likewise, Christ extended His mercy upon us even to the cross. Though we are undeserving, He continues to extend His mercy to us.
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit." Titus 3:5
