of this love, Jehovah moderates justice with mercy, providing his Son as a ransom sacrifice so believers might get life. Tenderly and compassionately, like a forgiving father, Jehovah overlooks our tendency toward wrongdoing if we imitate his love and do his will. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of tender mercies and the God of all comfort.”—2 Cor. 1:3.

If we appreciate God’s love and mercy toward us, we must extend it to others. On the other hand, if we, after having been extended mercy by Jehovah, do not, in turn, extend mercy to others, but pick at the ‘straw in our brother’s eye,’ while ignoring the huge, rafterlike one in our own eye, would it not be just of God to withdraw his mercy from us? Jesus showed this would be the case: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; whereas if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”—Matt. 6:14, 15.

THE SINFUL WOMAN

One day Jesus was dining with a Pharisee. The occasion provided another opportunity for him to point out the need for receiving and extending mercy and forgiveness. The account relates: “And, look! a woman who was known in the city to be a sinner, learned that he was taking a meal in the house of the Pharisee, and she brought an alabaster case of perfumed oil, and, taking a position behind at his feet, she wept and started to wet his feet with her tears and she would wipe them off with the hair of her head. Also she tenderly kissed his feet and oiled them with the perfumed oil. At the sight the Pharisee that invited him said within himself: ‘This man, if he were a prophet, would know who and what kind of woman it is that is touching him, that she is a sinner.’”—Luke 7:37-39.

This Pharisee considered the sinful woman beneath him, reasoning that Jesus should have reacted similarly. Jesus knew his hypocritical thoughts. “In reply Jesus said to him: ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ He said: ‘Teacher, say it!’ ‘Two men were debtors to a certain lender; the one was in debt for five hundred denarii, but the other for fifty. When they did not have anything with which to pay back, he freely forgave them both. Therefore, which of them will love him the more?’ In answer Simon said: ‘I suppose it is the one to whom he freely forgave the more.’ He said to him: ‘You judged correctly.’ With that he turned to the woman and said to Simon: ‘Do you behold this woman? I entered into your house; you gave me no water for my feet. But this woman wet my feet with her tears and wiped them off with her hair. You gave me no kiss; but this woman, from the hour that I came in, did not leave off tenderly kissing my feet. You did not oil my head with oil; but this woman oiled my feet with perfumed oil. By virtue of this, I tell you, her sins, great though they are, are forgiven, because she did an act of great love; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.’”—Luke 7:40-47.

The pious Pharisee was the loser. In his unmerciful way he considered the sinful woman beneath his dignity and unworthy of his attention. At the same time, he did not honor Jesus. The sinful woman did. It is not that she had been a worse sinner than the Pharisee, though others thought so. Probably the opposite was true, as Jesus made clear concerning the Pharisees on other occasions. It was that she recognized the need for mercy and forgiveness. She realized more truly and deeply the reality of her sin. She also appreciated the necessity of showing love by her deeds. The Pharisee did not feel the need for any of these things. He thought he was righteous and did not need to repent. Because of this he did not feel he had to perform such loving acts as the woman did. His love for Christ was not as great. By his not extending mercy and love to other sinners, his sins proved to be greater. Jesus told the woman: “Your faith has saved you; go your way in peace.” There is no record that Jesus told the Pharisee that his faith had saved him.—Luke 7:50.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO

The loveless world today is like the Pharisees. Its cold, merciless course has shattered the lives of billions of people. It has sown hate. It cannot reap love. Shortly, Jehovah will withdraw the mercy he has extended to it for over 4,000 years, since the flood of Noah’s day. At the universal war of Armageddon he will execute in righteousness the loveless and merciless ones. That will be a period of unequaled trouble for this friction-filled world. Those who have proved their love by being merciful and forgiving will be spared and ushered into a new world, where, under God’s loving hand, men will be gradually brought back to perfection.

All righteously disposed persons should desire this paradise restored. Do you? If you do and want to receive God’s favor and be mercifully protected through the coming world crisis, you should cultivate love by learning how to be merciful to your fellow man. Do not be concerned if he does not respond to your loving acts. If others continue unloving and are unmerciful in spite of your love, they are the losers. They will have to answer to Jehovah, but you have pleased God by continuing to show love and mercy.

There will be those who do appreciate your love and mercy and who will come to an understanding of God’s purposes, as did the sinful woman. Jude 22, 23 says: “Also continue showing mercy to some that have doubts; save them by snatching them out of the fire. But continue showing mercy to others, doing so with fear, while you hate even the inner garment that has been stained by the flesh.”

Happiness now and everlasting life in God’s new world are the benefits of a loving and merciful course of life. Jesus said: “Happy are the merciful, since they will be shown mercy.” If you want everlasting life on God’s paradise earth, be stingy with criticism, but abundant with love; be miserly with faultfinding, but lavish with mercy. By doing this you will imitate God, for “Jehovah is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness.”—Matt. 5:7; Ps. 103:8.

Disasters—A Sign of the Times

The 1950’s has been called the decade of disasters in America. As a result of disasters such as hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and fires, etc., 29,000 homes were destroyed, while 600,000 more were damaged, making 1,600,000 persons homeless. No wonder the American Red Cross called the 1950’s the most disastrous decade in the nation’s history.