Mercy....
Ephes. 2:1-10 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, [2] in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. [3] All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. [4] But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, [5] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. [6] And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, [7] in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. [8] For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— [9] not by works, so that no-one can boast. [10] For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
God is rich in mercy. One of the great truths of life is that we are not. When we look around the world what we see is not mercy but revenge and retribution. But we need mercy, otherwise we end up in a spiral of recrimination. It isn’t just in the big things like Iraq or Darfur, but even within our own families or groups of friends. If we don’t offer and receive mercy then we will constantly be in conflict.
Mercy may seem like weakness. But it is in fact a blessing. Shakespeare wrote
“The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice.”
God is rich in mercy. It pours from his throne. It is the quality which means he can love us so much despite all the wrongs we do to him and other people. We read in the Psalms (Psalm 145:8) The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. And so he loves us, gives us his son Jesus Christ, and for those who believe, raises them up to share in the heavenly riches of his glory. If we truly are his children then we must conform to God’s qualities. Mercy, not vengeance, is a quality which should mark out the people of God.
Where can you show mercy today? How can we overcome our desire for retribution?
God is rich in mercy. One of the great truths of life is that we are not. When we look around the world what we see is not mercy but revenge and retribution. But we need mercy, otherwise we end up in a spiral of recrimination. It isn’t just in the big things like Iraq or Darfur, but even within our own families or groups of friends. If we don’t offer and receive mercy then we will constantly be in conflict.
Mercy may seem like weakness. But it is in fact a blessing. Shakespeare wrote
“The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice.”
God is rich in mercy. It pours from his throne. It is the quality which means he can love us so much despite all the wrongs we do to him and other people. We read in the Psalms (Psalm 145:8) The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. And so he loves us, gives us his son Jesus Christ, and for those who believe, raises them up to share in the heavenly riches of his glory. If we truly are his children then we must conform to God’s qualities. Mercy, not vengeance, is a quality which should mark out the people of God.
Where can you show mercy today? How can we overcome our desire for retribution?
posted by Gordon at
11:16 am
1 Comments:
In my experience it is only through prayer that it is possible to overcome the desire for retribution. It is amazing what God can do in us when we honestly tell him how we are feeling and say that we do not want to feel like that and do not want to act on those feelings. Sometimes it is a long process, but God can and does change hearts. He can also enable us to act mercifully until our emotions have come in line with our actions. In my experience I've needed to be honest with him about my feelings and let him take me through the process of healing them too, otherwise the actions are just empty in the long run. Making the choice to forgive even though we do not feel like it and praying this through is also part of the process, and is often the start of things changing.
I'm wondering though if mercy is more than forgiving people? Is it more generally giving up something we think we are entitled to? Is it giving up a meal I have bought because I am hungry, because I see someone who is hungrier than me? (Not me, someone else told me they did this.) Is it holding back and not telling a loved one about the horrible things that have happened in your day when you see they are really tired and burdened themselves? Or is this love rather than mercy? Or is it both because mercy is part of love? Now I've confused myself...
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Louise, at 9:04 am
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