Mercy, Mercy Me
You know the story of the publican and the Pharisee. The Pharisee thanked God that he was not a publican, and the publican beat his breast saying "Lord, have mercy on me a sinner". Jesus stated that the publican went away justified. Three things stick out to me. 1. The publican acknowledged his own guilt. One cannot receive mercy unless it is needed. 2. He showed signs of contrition, sorrow for sin. 3. He accknowledged that God is merciful, and sought justification on that basis rather than his own righteousness. That powerful prayer has been used by Christians for centuries, as a means of praying constantly, and the story serves as an excellent paradigm for understanding our justification before God, but none of these things are my subject. The question I wish to examine is "what is mercy?".
Mercy is an unmerited attitude of favor towards someone who has wronged you. In the old testament, the words for mercy and grace were synonymous. Mercy is similar to forgiveness, but goes even farther. Suppose a man, the president of a bank, is found to have embezzled a great deal of money. Forgiveness says "You are guilty, but we will declare you aquitted." The debt is paid by the one who is owed. Mercy says "You are aquited, and you may have your old job back. Welcome home." Wait, you might say. To put a known embezzler back in charge of a bank is not very intelligent. At least, have someone do a monthly audit for a while. That would make more sense. It would, but then it wouldn't be mercy. Mercy is radical. It's saying"your debt is forgiven" and making another loan. It is turning the other cheek. Not merely forgiving one blow, but allowing another.
Consider the prodigal son. He essentially tells his father he wants him dead. Wastes everything his father made, and when it doesn't work out, he disgraces his father even further by coming back home. To add insult to injury, he asks his father for help. Sure, he admits his guilt, but still expects his father to give him work. The father's response is scandalous. Not only had he been anxiously waiting for his son to return, but ran to meet him the moment he appeared on the horizon. Not satisfied with forgiving his son, in his mercy, the father restores the inheritance (the squanderer still receives a third of what his father leaves. Might explain why the older brother was so bent out of shape), restores his status as a son, and treats him as an honored guest. The father was the real prodigal.
Mercy is terribly unfair. Our merciful God paid our debt Himself, and allows us to abuse that grace. He who was without sin, became sin for us. It is scandalous, but the power of that mercy is transforming. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Mercy is an unmerited attitude of favor towards someone who has wronged you. In the old testament, the words for mercy and grace were synonymous. Mercy is similar to forgiveness, but goes even farther. Suppose a man, the president of a bank, is found to have embezzled a great deal of money. Forgiveness says "You are guilty, but we will declare you aquitted." The debt is paid by the one who is owed. Mercy says "You are aquited, and you may have your old job back. Welcome home." Wait, you might say. To put a known embezzler back in charge of a bank is not very intelligent. At least, have someone do a monthly audit for a while. That would make more sense. It would, but then it wouldn't be mercy. Mercy is radical. It's saying"your debt is forgiven" and making another loan. It is turning the other cheek. Not merely forgiving one blow, but allowing another.
Consider the prodigal son. He essentially tells his father he wants him dead. Wastes everything his father made, and when it doesn't work out, he disgraces his father even further by coming back home. To add insult to injury, he asks his father for help. Sure, he admits his guilt, but still expects his father to give him work. The father's response is scandalous. Not only had he been anxiously waiting for his son to return, but ran to meet him the moment he appeared on the horizon. Not satisfied with forgiving his son, in his mercy, the father restores the inheritance (the squanderer still receives a third of what his father leaves. Might explain why the older brother was so bent out of shape), restores his status as a son, and treats him as an honored guest. The father was the real prodigal.
Mercy is terribly unfair. Our merciful God paid our debt Himself, and allows us to abuse that grace. He who was without sin, became sin for us. It is scandalous, but the power of that mercy is transforming. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.
posted by Brother Makarias | 8:38 PM
2 Comments:
There isn't much to say past that. You have a habit of exploiting every angle of whatever subject you're on at the time. I will say that I think grace is like trust in that thier is what seems like vulnerability in both. In this case, it is the concept of a living God waiting on his children to do what he knows they will do. It is certainly enough to appreciate. Anyone who has ever felt that kind of binding weight lifted will agree.
I would agree about the vulnerability you speak of, particularly in human relationships. To ask mercy is terribly offensive, and there is even the risk of resentment on the part of the pardoned that the wronged party has power over them. Mercy only works in the context of genuine brotherly affection. Unconditional positive regard for the other person, and a familial attachment in the Blood of Christ. While the ideal is Christ-like self-donation, charity, caritas in latin, agape in greek, we rarely reach that state, so I think Godly mercy can exist in the lesser context. "No one's perfect is too easy an excuse."
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