Sermon Illustrations

MERCY IN NIGHT COURT

One night in 1935, Fiorello H. La Guardia, mayor of New York, showed up at a night court in the poorest ward of the city. He dismissed the judge for the evening and took over the bench. One case involved an elderly woman who was caught stealing bread to feed her grandchildren. La Guardia said, "I’ve got to punish you. Ten dollars or ten days in jail."

As he spoke, he threw $10 into his hat. He then fined everyone in the courtroom 50 cents for living in a city "where a person has to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat." The hat was passed around, and the woman left the courtroom with her fine paid and an additional $47.50.

I don’t know if this story is true but if it is, then praise the Lord for that mayor who had the good hearted sense to demonstrate mercy on that poor lady. He did even more than demonstrate mercy.

(From a sermon by Steve Shepherd, "In His Mercy")

Related Sermon Illustrations

  • A Man Named Jacob Had Hit A Low Point In His ...  PRO

    Contributed by David Elvery on Nov 14, 2004
    based on 3 ratings
     | 6,754 views

    A man named Jacob had hit a low point in his life. He had thought about killing himself but he was too poor and too tired to secure the means to do it. He found a park bench and just lay down to die. He did not eat, because there was nothing to eat. All he thought about was his death. A ...read more

  • Singing Him

    Contributed by Brad Bailey on Aug 6, 2004
    based on 1 rating
     | 4,807 views

    SINGING HIM There was an elderly woman who was a true saint of God in her long life of devotion. She knew much of the Bible by heart and would repeat long passages from memory. But as the years went by, the strength went and with it the memory gradually went too. Finally, there came the time ...read more

  • Today We Seek To Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ...

    Contributed by Bruce Landry on Jan 15, 2007
    based on 2 ratings
     | 3,213 views

    Today we seek to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and we will start with a portion of Dr. King’s "I have a dream speech". …And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this ...read more

  • One Course I Had In College Was In Adolescent ...

    Contributed by David Henderson on Jan 3, 2007
    based on 2 ratings
     | 2,918 views

    One course I had in college was in adolescent psychology. Difficult class but the professor would let us bring a note card with as much information as we could get on it. That was a great help. Steve Winger writes about a final exam he took in a logic class at the university he attended. The ...read more

  • A Lot Of People Think That Being Saved Is A ...  PRO

    Contributed by Jeff Simms on May 23, 2004
    based on 3 ratings
     | 2,543 views

    A lot of people think that being saved is a matter of works. But, here it says that you are God’s workmanship. It says you were created (kitzo) for good works. The word created means that refers to the work of God in creating you for a purpose. Think of it this way, if you have a apple tree in ...read more

Related Sermons