This fallen world provides plenty of opportunities to show mercy to our fellow human beings because there are so many needs that surround us. How can we navigate this world in a way that is acceptable to a merciful God if we do not respond in mercy to needs which we also are subject to and which we ought naturally to sympathise with? Of course we need to exercise discernment in deciding who is genuinely poor and who is a deceiver, but even those who have brought poverty on themselves by foolish living should be shown mercy. Mercy should be our instinctive response to the troubles of a world under the curse of God. But he who hides his eyes – a graphic way of describing one who looks the other way and pretends not to see the suffering of others – will have many curses. He hides his eyes because he does not want to see what should draw out his merciful response. Perhaps he still feels some twinge of guilt when he does nothing to those in need, so to avoid that he will shut his eyes altogether. But Job was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame, and a father to the poor, and the cause that he knew not he sought out (Job 29:15-16). He positively searched for those he might help. We show mercy because we know that we have such need of mercy ourselves. We are in the Lord’s hands and we are powerless to deliver ourselves. If we do not exercise mercy in the very limited area in which we have a little power, how can we ask for mercy in those deep waters from which our souls need to be delivered?