Is God's mercy automatic or does it require repentance first?

Interesting question isn't it?  What prompted the question was this verse.

 

Matthew 23:23(NKJV)

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 

We often say things like God is a God of justice and God is a God of mercy.  The conflict I see there is that if God gives his mercy to those who have not repented, how is that just?  Personally I don't think God gives His mercy without the person first having to repent.  I could be wrong but I just can't think of any Scripture that tells of God doing that.

I did however find this Scripture which I think backs up my belief. 

Matthew 23:37-39(NKJV)

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 

See! Your house is left to you desolate; 

for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

This in my opinion seems to be God saying "I'm out of here until you come around to my way of thinking.".  God will always take you back when you repent and appeal for mercy but I don't believe He will force His mercy on anyone.  It's that whole respect for free will thing that God is so big on!  :)