Mercy And Grace In One!
When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said
to the steward of his house, “Take these men to
my home, and slaughter an animal and make
ready; for these men will dine with me at noon.”
Genesis 43:16
Mercy is the withholding of punishment that's deserved,
while grace is the giving of a blessing or benefit that's not
deserved. Hebrews 4:16 uses them both: We come before
God in prayer to “obtain mercy” (be
spared from deserved
judgment) and “find grace to help in time of need” (receive
undeserved help). They are the two
sides of the same
theological coin.
When Jacob’s sons went to Egypt, they received both grace
and mercy from their brother, Joseph, who was unknown to
them. He could have punished them for their sin against him,
but he didn’t. Joseph was merciful. He also fed them and met
their need of food for Jacob’s family, favors they didn’t deserve.
Joseph was also gracious. God is both merciful and gracious
to us in the same way.
We also have frequent opportunities to be both merciful
and gracious toward others. Let's take every opportunity
to be like God: merciful and gracious (Ephesians 4:32).
"The habit of celebrating the greatness and
graciousness of God yields an endless flow
of thankfulness, joy, and zeal."
J. I. Packer
