Jesus brings in a very unlikely hero to show that a heart of compassion, and the motivation of mercy must come from a place of humility and mutual weakness, not from an attitude of superiority and strength. This is inherent in the very concept of mercy in the OT - the proper covenant behavior toward covenant partners, vs our idea of feeling sorry for people with problems we can't even imagine. Jesus models this in his own life from His lowly birth in the stable, to His cruel death as a criminal! This attitude is essential if we are to truly help people stand on their own in Christ and have a life that honors Him.
