Day 5: Giving Mercy!

Bible Time > God is Merciful > Day 5: Giving Mercy!
Because GOD IS MERCIFUL, I know He forgives me when I sincerely ask in Jesus' name!

Read or quote the memory verse.

Everyone has something that is special to him. We all make sure that it is kept in good condition and are very careful when using it.

What about you? What item is very special to you?

NOTE: Have everyone share--even the adults!

Grace and the Crystal Bowl

Grace's mom had a crystal bowl that belonged to her great-grandmother. It was very precious to her and she constantly reminded Grace to be careful around the bowl. Grace knew how much her mom loved the bowl, and she wanted to be careful, but Grace had a problem. Grace loved to run. She ran everywhere. "Why walk when you can run?" seemed to be her motto. Her mom was continually asking her to slow down, but Grace said her feet always seemed to pick up speed whenever she started moving.

One night however, Grace came to a screeching halt. Her parents were having a dinner party. No one knew how to throw a party like Grace's mom. The dining room was filled with people, laughter, and delicious food. Grace, her brother, and her sister were in the spare room having a little party of their own.

Eying the cake, her brother asked, "Grace, don't you think we could have some of the cake mom made?"

Three sets of eyes lit up. No one made cake like their mom!

"Stay here," Grace told them, "and I'll go get us some." Turning toward the kitchen, Grace was already in high gear. Running through the door and around the counter, she spotted the cake. What she did not see, however, was the precious crystal bowl near the edge of the counter. Taking the corner at full speed, Grace put her elbow out to keep her balance, and when the elbow hit the bowl, the bowl hit the floor, shattering into a thousand pieces.

How do you think Grace's mom reacted when she saw the shattered crystal bowl?

How would you have reacted if someone broke something that is precious to you, especially if you had asked them several times to be careful?

Let's read what Jesus says in Matthew 18:21-33.

Peter came to Him and asked, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" "No not seven times," Jesus replied, "but seventy times seven!" Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn't pay, so his master ordered that he be sold - along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned - to pay the debt. But the man fell down before his master and begged him, "Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all." Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. "Be patient with me, and I will pay it," he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn't wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, "You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you!" Matthew 18:21-33, Discover God Bible, (NLT).

Peter asked a very understandable question: How many times should I forgive someone who sins against me? Peter probably thought he was being generous in suggesting seven times!

Jesus answers the question with the story we just read from the Bible that reveals the heart of the matter. The man who owed the king millions of dollars (by today's standards) could never hope to pay back his debt.

What did the king do? (Gave him mercy by forgiving the debt.)

NOTE: Help children link the king's actions to mercy.

If you were the man who was forgiven, how would you feel?

How did the man show his gratitude? (He didn't. He went out and showed no mercy to someone who owed him a little.)

How did the king respond to the man's lack of mercy to tsomeone who owed him money? (Put him in jail and forced him to pay the debt that had been forgiven.)

What do you think Jesus wanted Peter to learn from this story about mercy and forgiveness? (God forgives us of ALL our sins, so we should forgive those who sin against us.)

NOTE: We can never outdo God's mercy. He has given us more mercy than we will ever be asked to give someone else.

When have you given mercy to someone when he or she really deserved anger and punishment?

NOTE: This does not mean that there are never consequences when someone has sinned against us.

Let's see how Grace's mom responded to the broken bowl.

The Rest of the Story

Grace heard her mom come into the kitchen, but she couldn't bear to turn around and see her face. She braced for the worst. To her surprise, her mother's voice was calm when she asked, "Grace, what happened?"

The words rushed out and so did the tears. "I'm so sorry, Mom." Grace sniffed and waited for her doom to be announced.

Her mom knelt down and picked up a piece of the shattered bowl. A tear made its way down her cheek. Grace knew she was heart broken. "It's okay, Gracie. This bowl was just a thing. You are far more valuable to me than it was. I hope you will remember that your actions have consequences and sometimes those consequences really hurt others."

Grace looked at her mom in wonder. If her sister, Anna, had broken Grace's precious china doll, Anna would have had to run for cover to escape Grace's wrath!

Her mom stood and looked at her daughter. "Come on, let's find a broom and clean this up. I think we could all use a big piece of cake!"

Is there anyone you need to forgive right now?

Why does it matter?

Because God is Merciful, He gives us the ability to be merciful to others.

Talk with God and Stay Connected
to the Vine!

What happened to Grace is based on a true story. Only God can help us respond the way her mom did. When you talk with Him today, ask Him to show you how to give mercy to others and then the power to act on it!

Action Point

Because God is Merciful, I will ________________________.

(Note: Fill in the blank by sharing a specific action point)