The atonement is for you — a lesson from John 5:1-9

The first nine verses of John chapter 5 in the New Testament have always held a special place in my heart. But I never knew why until today.

These verses tell the story of a man who had been sick for longer than I have been on this earth and whose hopelessness was turned to joy by the Savior:

Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, (called) Bethesda, having five porches.
In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water.
For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?
The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.
Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked.

I have turned to this chapter often when I want to spend some time with the scriptures but have no particular place that I need or want to read. I love the story.

Today during priesthood class (the class for men during the last hour of church), the lesson was about Jesus Christ. The teacher read a few words from the lesson manual, but then he wanted to give most of the time for the class members to share some of their favorite scriptures about Christ. It was an inspired choice; the power of the Holy Ghost filled the room as people taught and testified to each other.

Someone beat me to sharing the first scripture I had been thinking about sharing, so I decided to turn to John chapter 5. But I wondered, what should I say about this? Why is this one of my favorites?

Finally, I began to understand why this story has always struck a chord with me.

This is the story of a man who wanted to be well. He wanted to solve a problem in his life. There was a very simple task required to reach this goal, but accomplishing this task was out of his reach. But still he stayed by the healing waters in hopes that, someday, he would be healed.

Jesus did not offer the man advice on how to try harder, how to find a friend who could help him out, how to sit closer to the water, or how to anticipate the angel and therefore be ready to take advantage of its healing powers. Instead, he blessed the man with the healing he had sought for so long.

The atonement of Jesus Christ is especially for the imperfect, the weak. It's for those of us who try again and again and still can't seem to get 100% home teaching, overcome addictions, serve completely unselfishly, or rid our hearts of envy. No matter how close we stay to the "healing waters," we all have have some weakness that we struggle with, a spiritual infirmity that hinders us in our quest to overcome that very weakness. If any of this sounds like you, the atonement of Jesus Christ is for YOU.

"My grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me," the Lord told a Book of Mormon prophet. "For if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

Today, I finally understood what this story from the New Testament actually means to me. None of us has the power to fully overcome all mortal weaknesses on our own. But the grace, mercy, and perfect love of Jesus Christ are such that he will seek us out and help us overcome these things in his time. The atonement is for us.

"I will have mercy, and not justice" — Coming to understand mercy

I recently came across a couple of scriptures that prompted me to spend a little time studying the topic of mercy. This is a very important and central concept in the gospel.

It all started when I was reading through the New Testament and came across this scripture in which Jesus is talking to a group of Pharisees, religious leaders in his community, who had questioned why he talked with and taught people they knew to be sinful:

But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Matthew 9:13)

Just a couple of chapters later, I came across this verse, in which Jesus is (again) talking to a group of Pharisees. This time, they had accused Jesus and his disciples of sin because they picked corn on the Sabbath:

But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. (Matthew 12:7)

When I realized that Matthew recorded two instances of Jesus saying this, I knew it must be important. Since in one case, Jesus directed his listeners to "Go and learn what this means," then I should learn a little more about what it means that "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice."

I Googled for a definition of "mercy," and found that mercy is "Compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm." As I studied scriptures about mercy, it was clear that God's mercy involves forgiveness and compassion.

Jesus was quoting or paraphrasing the words of the Old Testament prophet Hosea, who called upon the Hebrews to repent with these words: "For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."

Looking in my scripture index under the word "Mercy" took me to several other scriptures that indicated that mercy is an attribute of God. "For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful," "he delighteth in mercy" "for his mercy endureth for ever." Jesus became a mortal "that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest."

Mercy is very much related to repentance and forgiveness. Although it is extended because of God's grace and perfect love, he wants his mercy to move our actions, thoughts, and feelings toward him so he can bestow us with mercy. Several Old Testament scriptures indicate that God shows mercy to those who love him and keep his commandments. Another mentions his mercy and reminds us that God "will not turn away his face from you, if ye return to him.

These verses from The Book of Mormon indicate the relationship between mercy and repentance. Like Hosea's scripture, it points out that the sacrifices done in Old Testament times were not the point:

And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law, every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, infinite and eternal.

And thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name; this being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice, and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance. (Alma 34:14-15)

Mercy overpowers justice. If we have faith in Christ, we will get what we do not deserve—repentance and salvation.

God's mercy also means compassion. The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi uses these words to summarize the lesson he hopes we will get from his story about God saving his family from a murderous plot:

The tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance. (1 Nephi 1:20)

I think this means that God is kind as well as forgiving. He desires to bless us.

Of course, Jesus told us that we should strive to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect. Therefore, it would behoove us to be merciful, right? Several scriptures confirm this, reminding us that "he that hath mercy on the poor (is) happy," "the merciful man doeth good to his own soul," and, as Jesus said himself, "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."

What does it mean for us to develop the God-like attribute of mercy? We should not seek revenge, but we should offer forgiveness. We should not condemn others, but we should give the benefit of the doubt when possible, and show love at all times. We should have compassion and act in kindness.

Another Old Testament prophet, Micah, described a person wondering what he should give to God as recompense for his sins. Sacrificial calves? A thousand rams? Ten thousand rivers of oil? My firstborn, "The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"

The answer to the question is profound: "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"

These are just a few of the many, many scriptures in the Bible and the Book of Mormon on the topic of mercy, and I know I am at some point midway in my journey of understanding mercy. But these thoughts helped me know even more that God is merciful, forgiving, and compassionate. If we are kind, forgiving, and full of mercy, we will obtain mercy ourselves. That is what the Lord desires.