Thursday, April 9th, 2009
Mercy
This term, has been busy. On the whole, I’ve been learning what it means to rejoice in the Lord always. Part of me misses the quality time I get to spend with people, but:
“Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my Exceeding Joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise Thee, O God my God.” - Ps. 43:4
“The joy of the LORD is your strength.” - Neh. 8:10
“Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit.” - Ps. 51:12
I’ve been really humbled and broken this term. But as Good Friday approaches, I just wanted to write and reflect on something I was reminded of last Sunday – which is the Mercy and Justice of God.
From God’s mercy, mankind was redeemed. The weight of Jesus’ salvation is sometimes lost on words, or even human emotions.
Mercy (latin: ”price paid, wages”) can refer both to compassionate behaviour on the part of those in power or on the part of a humanitarian third party (e.g. a mission of mercy aiming to treat war victims). Mercy is a word used to describe compassion shown by one person to another, or a request from one person to another to be shown such leniency or unwarranted compassion for a crime or wrongdoing.
I can’t even imagine what it would feel like to unconditionally forgive and forget the wrong-doings of an enemy because of mercy. The notion of forgiveness is sometimes skewed, in the sense that we think everything is automatically made ‘right’ with God. As if, when we ask for forgiveness – God hits a reset button, and things go back to the way they were before the fall of mankind.
But in reality, a debt still needs to be repaid after forgiveness.
Early in the morning, a man rushing to work crashes into his neighbour’s car leaving an enormous dent. His neighbour – who sees the whole event – out of a loving compassion, shows mercy on him and says ‘dont worry about it, I forgive you.’ The man then drives off, but the neighbour is still left with this giant dent in his car. But because of his mercy, he takes on the cost to fix it himself.
The Dent doesn’t just disappear.
And like this man, we were all born sinners – indebt to God. We had no way to pay our own debts, ‘but .. while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.’ (Romans 5:8) So that we may be restored and made right with Him.
It’s not an easy reset button, nor an automatic thing for God. A high price was paid – and let us not forget that. This is God’s mercy.
God’s mercy is exemplified in His divine justice.