Reciprocal Mercy

“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” (Lu 6:36 AV)

That is a high standard. But a standard nonetheless.  How can one come close to what God has done for us?  He sent His Son upon who He exercised all His wrath for sin which He did not commit.  The Father inflicted on His Son all that was due us and then upon our faith in Jesus as our Savior, forgave all our sins.  He did this while we were sworn enemies of His.  He commanded His Son to suffer the full consequence of our enmity against Him that He might forgive us for it all.  The is no greater mercy than a man laying down his life for his enemy.  This standard of mercy is the mercy He requires from us.  In fact, in several passages, it is specifically because He has shown mercy that we are obligated to do the same toward others.

Many years ago, a Senior Pastor wished to test the spirit and love of his Associate.  It was their regular pattern to get coffee at the local coffee chain once a week.  Sometimes it was more than once a week, but they went at least once a week.  Whenever they went, the pastor would always treat the associate to a coffee.  After all, it was his obligation.  Also, he enjoyed doing it.  He wanted to show appreciation for his associate.  Over the next few years, as part of the associate’s pay package, the pastor would give him cash out of the petty cash fund.  As everyone does, he had to collect receipts equal to the amount he spent on his expenses.  They included fuel, dry-cleaning, meals, and other professional expenses.  A few months went by and another expense was covered.  The pastor gave him a small allowance for entertainment purposes.  However, he did not require a receipt for this allowance.  What he wanted to see is if his associate would use what was given to him to treat volunteers or perspective saints to a coffee from time to time just as he had done for him.  Before you ask the question, a pastor knows!  He knows more of what goes on in the lives and behavior of his people than they realize.  He doesn’t have spies.  He doesn’t need them.  All he needs to know is evident on the face of those with whom he has to do.  The pastor wanted to see if his associate was as gracious with others as he had been with him.

The LORD expects us to show the same mercy to others which He has shown toward us.  Nothing would please our Father more than to see His children as gracious and merciful.  Not just toward those whom they appreciate; such as other believers.  But more so, toward those who do not know him.  Yesterday, a lady who comes to church told me of an opportunity God gave to her to share the love of Christ.  She went to the county courthouse to witness to someone who she had never met.  She read of his situation.  He had committed murder during a drug deal.  She had his mug shot.  She went there specifically to share the love of Christ with him.  He didn’t know her and she had never met him.  Now that is mercy!  All God asks is that which we have freely received, we must freely give.  Again, not hard to understand.  But sometimes it seems impossible to do.

Of Turmoil and Tender Mercy

“To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,” (Lu 1:77-78 AV)

 This is part of Zacharias’ prayer and praise over the birth of John.  It is quite appropriate Zacharias praises the LORD for the promise of the coming of the Messiah before he thanks God for the birth and calling of John.  Jesus comes first.  Having said that, the underlined phrase impressed me this morning as the Spirit reminded me of the ministry of John and what the tender mercy of God would entail.  John would severely rebuke the nation of Israel for their unfaithfulness and idolatry, calling them to national repentance in anticipation of the coming of the Messiah.  Furthermore, Zacharias makes a point of stressing the redemption of Israel.  But this will come by way of a cruel cross.  It is the fact the mercy of God is referred to as tender that struck me.  It indeed is.  But that doesn’t mean His tender mercy is comfortable mercy.  At least on the front of it.

There are many ways to show mercy.  Relieving the suffering of another is certainly one way to show mercy.  In fact, when different people groups came to John, this is what he instructed them.  He instructed the wealthy to relieve the needs of the poor.  He told the tax collector to only collect what the government allowed.  To those serving in the military, he told them to keep the peace and not inflict violence where violence was not needed.  These examples of mercy were intended to illustrate what mercy might look like.  But when it comes to the mercy God would show, the mercy man might exercise pales in comparison.  The mercy God will show is a result of exercising His wrath on another.  Mercy is extremely tender toward us because the justice of God was exceeding cruel to another.  Jesus suffered the full extent of the wrath of Almighty God which we deserved.  He suffered complete and total rejection from the Father.  This tender mercy which we enjoy meant torture for the Son of God.

When I think of tender mercy, I think of a child who knows they did something horribly wrong.  Instead of coming down hard on him or her, Dad does pass judgment.  But he does so with love, rather than with anger.  Like a father who sentences his son to clean out the garage, yet after about an hour of hard work, the father joins him for the next three to get the job done.  That is tender mercy.  Or a mother who sends her daughter to her room without supper.  Then about an hour later, takes a plate up and sits as she eats.  That is tender mercy.  We deserve a whole lot worse than we get.  No matter how much trouble God allows or sends in our lives, it doesn’t come close to the trouble we have caused Him.  His mercy is indeed tender and we should be eternally grateful for what He sends.  The people on the shores of Jordan did not come without some inner turmoil involved.  Repentance was required.  That took soul searching.  Serious soul searching.  Mercy may indeed be tender.  But it does come at a cost.  To presume upon God’s tender mercy will eventually dry it up.  Come to the rivers of repentance, with a heart broken over one’s sin, and the mercy that awaits is far more tender than you could ever imagine.

He Died For Me

“And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.” (Mr 15:37 AV)

 No explanation is needed here.  It is pretty straightforward.  When all the scripture was fulfilled concerning His death on the cross, He gave up the breath of life and died.  And He died for me!  Jesus said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (Joh 15:13 AV)  But the thing is, I wasn’t His friend.  I was His enemy.  Paul explains this further.  “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” (Ro 5:10 AV)  When Jesus died on that cross for me, He wasn’t dying for someone who called Him friend.  He was dying for someone who considered Him his enemy.  This is no small matter.  When He died for me, the grace shown was more than the human mind can comprehend.  The debt was insurmountable.  The debt was compiled against the one Who died.  He didn’t just die for sin that was committed against others.  He died for the sin I committed against Him.

As a hospital chaplain near the largest Naval Basic training base, I had the privilege to minister to all sorts of military.  Both active and retired.  They are a special group of people. I spent time with someone who served on an aircraft carrier.  I met another who served on a sub.  I met a sniper, many corpsmen, several fire controlmen, a commander or two, several generals, and on and on. I particularly enjoyed the visits I had with WWII veterans.  Several stick out in my mind for their bravery and their ability to adjust beyond their horrific experiences.  One that sticks in my mind was an Aircorps flyer.  He was one of the first African American pilots to captain a bomber.  He had captained his plane for several years and flew hundreds of missions.  What he could never come to terms with were the two missions he missed.  One for appendicitis, and another for yet again a health issue.   In both of these missions, he lost crew members under heavy fire.  He could not get past the feeling it was he who should have died and not them.  He could not understand why anyone would take his place and suffer and torturous death because he was unable to fly.

This is how we should feel.  We deserve to be on that cross.  We deserve a devil’s hell for all that we have done.  As an eight-year-old boy, I wept on Easter Sunday morning because I realized Jesus loved me so much that He gave His life for mine.  No one, not even my parents, could love me like that!  No one; not even my wife and children could love me so deeply.  Only Jesus can and did!  Praise be to God for the love of Christ that drove Him to the Cross; to give up the ghost; to suffer the wrath of Almighty God; and rise on the third day victorious over sin and the grave!  There is no more important message than this.  The world is oblivious to the love that awaits if they will only repent and trust the offering of Jesus on an old wooden cross.  What an expression of love!  He died for me!

Stay Little

“Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.” (Mr 10:15 AV)

From time to time, we need to permit ourselves to be as little children regardless of how physically old we are.  Jesus is speaking to the rich man’s rejection of Christ. The rich man depended on his achievements and stature to gain him glory.  The little child is the antithesis of the rich man.  Complete humility and dependence toward one, and on one, infinitely greater than himself.  Why is it that we think there comes a time when we no longer have to be like a little child with God?  Do we really grow up so much that we think we can be less humble and less dependent on an all-powerful God?  Are we ashamed to admit to the LORD how much we really need Him?  What happened along the way?  Did we get too big for God?  Or, are we simply too ashamed to admit we are still that humble and simple child that came to Him years ago for salvation from our wickedness?

We know the word of God encourages us to grow up into the things of the LORD.  Verses such as, “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, [even] Christ:” (Eph 4:15 AV).  Or, as Peter states, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” (1Pe 2:2 AV) and, “But grow in grace, and [in] the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2Pe 3:18 AV).  Yet, our other in other passages of scripture, the believer is referred to as a little child.  In the epistle of 1 John, the beloved Apostle refers to believers as little children none times.  Paul refers to the believers in Galatia as his little children.  And, at the end of His three-year ministry with His disciples, Jesus refers to His twelve as little children in John chapter thirteen.  So, which is it?  Are we supposed to grow up?  Or, are we little children?  The answer is yes.

It is difficult to be an older adult son or son-in-law.  Our fathers and fathers-in-law will always see us as a child no matter how old we are or what we have accomplished.  It can be very annoying and humiliating.  As we age, we become less dependent on our fathers and fathers-in-law.  Although we would never call our fathers by their first names, to use our fathers-in-law's first names is not out of the ordinary.  We seem to outgrow them.  Although we are glad to have their fellowship and affirmation, we have grown into parenthood and grandparenthood ourselves.  That may be true of human relationships.  No so true of our relationship with God.  We can never outgrow Him.  We cannot come close to His level.  We are as far as the east is from the west.  So, to cease being humble and dependent on God as we were the first day we called upon Him is utter foolishness.  We are to grow into Christlikeness.  But we can never grow up into Christ.  We can never be equal with Him.  Ever!  Remain that little child.  It is ok.  He desires to be our benevolent and loving God who takes care of our every need.

Notice The Individual

“And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?” (Mr 5:31 AV)

 

On the face of it, it appears as though the question asked bordered on disrespect.  After all, it was the Son of God who asked who touched Him.  The disciples’ question seems like a rebuke of sorts.  In other words, why would you ask such a question knowing the multitude was thronging You? To know exactly who it was that touched you at any given instance when many were touching You seems a bit of a stretch.  That is how one might take it.  But I think there was a bit more going on here.  Jesus knew many were touching Him.  The disciples knew He knew many were touching Him.  I think they did not understand the question and the question they returned was a clarification and not a rebuke.  The LORD was asking the disciples to scan the crowd for an obvious miracle.  He was asking the disciples to discern a changed life among so many.  The question posed by Christ was not unreasonable in that there was only one who was radically changed at that moment in time.  They missed a clear indication of the hand of God because of all the commotion going on around them.  They wanted clarification to make the identification much easier.  That didn’t happen.  Instead, Jesus identified the medical convert who turned spiritual convert because the disciples could not.  One wonders how much of the hand of God have we missed because life is complicated, busy, and full of responsibility.

Working with a bunch of children at the same time often causes us to miss what God might be doing with one of them.  I was one of those kids.  I was a quiet and private kid that often was overlooked.  When all the other kids were making a commotion, I was the one quietly sitting in the corner of the playground with a book of adventures like Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer, or Encyclopedia Brown Mysteries.  I was the kid no one noticed.  I was the one everyone left alone because they figured if he was content and not squealing for attention, he must be ok.  That is the furthest from the truth.  It wasn’t until junior high and high school that teachers took an interest in me.  I can remember my favorite teachers because they were the ones to understand my personality and work with me to develop my interests.  There was my Photography Teacher, Mr. Ladd who gave me special responsibilities with the dark room and equipment.  There was Mr. Yionni, my technical drafting teacher who assigned me special projects because I drew fast and accurately.  If I was a baby bird in a nest, I would be the one with my mouth closed letting everyone else go first.  It takes the eyes of someone interested in individuals to notice the needs or situations of others.

God wants to do a work in individuals as much as He wants to do a work in all of mankind.  God is a God of love and compassion.  He is also a personal God.  The twelve missed what had happened because their eyes were on the multitude.  They missed what Jesus had done for a single person.  This is the failure of our modern churches.  We seek to grow large complexes and a multitude of ministries, but we are missing the importance of the single person with whom God is working.  We are attracted to the commotion.  We love the large events.  The more people, the better.  But there are those individuals who have experienced the work of God in their lives and no one seems to notice.  They do not notice the spirit and demeanor of a quiet saint who truly walks with God.  They miss the changed life that sits in the back and leaves without saying too much to anyone.  We miss that one child whose heart is melted and who loves God more than we could understand because he or she is not the center of attention.  The awards go to those who pipe up the most.  But if the truth is known, it is that child who excels in saying their verses, is disciplined in their devotions, and genuinely cares about others who grow into someone who impacts their world.  The disciples missed a radically changed life because they were too occupied with something that seemed bigger.  One has to ask the question:  How many changed lives have we missed and failed to help them walk closer to Jesus?

Better Than Perfect Health

“When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” (Mr 2:5 AV)

 

The rest of the account may cause us to miss a particular application here.  The sick of the palsy was let down through a roof.  Among those who gathered around Jesus were scoffers, hanging on every word He might say which would fit their agenda.  When Jesus perceived their scoffing at divine forgiveness, He healed the man with the palsy to prove He had the power to forgive sins.  There is a secondary application here on which Jesus did not elaborate.  It was my verse that I shared with my congregation.  There is something far more precious than perfect health.  Forgiveness of sins!  Jesus could have simply healed first and then forgiven the sins of the man sick with the palsy.  Rather, by presenting the problem in the order of importance, Jesus is stating that unforgiveness is a bigger issue than a physical disease.  Therefore, forgiveness of sin takes priority.

Serving as a chaplain in our community hospital proved this point over and again.  There were several patients who were facing the end of their lives and what they wanted more than a cure is to get right with others.  There have been several accounts I have shared before but one truly stands out above all others.  It was a Tuesday night and I was doing my rounds.  When I finished, I went down to the cafeteria to have a bite to eat.  My usual habit was to eat a sandwich or salad and catch up on some bible reading or sermon prep.  I was sitting and enjoying my alone time with the LORD when I got a page.  Up to the floor, I went.  Checking in at the nurse's station, I was informed that a man in his late sixties was diagnosed with chronic heart failure and was in desperate need of a transplant.  The transplant team had visited a bit ago and informed him because of his age and lifestyle habits he was not a candidate for a new heart.  He specifically called for the chaplain, so when I went in, he was relieved to see me.  But when I went in, it was clear he had been crying.  I sat in a chair while he sat on the edge of the bed.  They had removed most of his tubes and only wore a heart monitor.  As he sat on the edge of the bed he began to tell me of his situation.  The doctors had given him weeks, not months.  He sat there sobbing for a good long while, then began to relate how he had, for a number of years been unfaithful to his wife.  Some of which she knew of.  Most of which she did not.  He regretted all that he had done and simply was looking for peace.  His guilty heart was more than he could take.  He knew he would never get a new heart and all he wanted to do was receive forgiveness from all whom he had hurt.  We began to speak of the one forgiveness which would matter to him most.  What he really wanted was forgiveness of sin from God.

When push comes to shove, there is nothing we can do to stop our bodies from failing.  We will eventually go the way of all flesh.  The Bible says it is appointed unto men, once to die.  This is the one unavoidable consequence we all share as Paul tells us that death passes on to all people because all people have sinned.  Perfect health is impossible as long as we live in the earthly body.  What matters most of all is forgiveness of sin.  This was a secondary point Jesus was trying to make.  He may have healed the sick of the palsy, but unless he has forgiveness of sin, it would be all for naught.  The sick of the palsy eventually died anyway.  His body failed.  He was buried like everyone else.  The relief he received from the LORD was temporary.  Eventually, he passed from something else.  What remains is our account with God.  It is far more important than any physical need we may contend with.  So, what are your priorities?  Are you obsessed with the perfect life?   You will never have it.  Or, are you more concerned with your standing before God?  Forgiveness of sin matters more than having all your problems resolved.  Forgiveness is for eternity.

Persistent Doubting is Counterproductive

“And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.” (Mt 28:17 AV)

 

On one hand, this is astounding.  On the other, it kind of makes sense.  The previous verse tells us the eleven disciples met Jesus on a mountain where He gave them the great commission.  The eleven stood, seeing and hearing their resurrected Savior, yet some doubted.  We don’t know who the ‘some’ are.  It could have been Judas Iscariot and Thomas.  It could have been others.  Jesus would appear to the eleven several times.  In the upper room, it was Thomas who doubted until he touched the wounds of his victorious redeemer.  Some would not trust their senses.  It could be on the mountain, Jesus never got close enough to them to truly dash all doubt.  Whatever the reason, the reason is reason.  Reason can be the enemy of faith.  Jesus repeatedly informed his disciples He would die and rise again.  He spoke of it in many different ways and even cited scripture as a way to build their faith.  Just a few days earlier, a woman anointed Him for His burial and He again, reassured His disciples He would rise again.  Jesus stood before them and communicated with them.  This isn’t the only time this happened. Remember Peter who hosted a fishing outing with the gang and didn’t realize it was Jesus who spoke to them until He performed a miracle?  Resurrection from the dead was easy to believe as long as it wasn’t their leader.

As an encouragement, let us remember even though some doubted, eventually all believed.  When Thomas eventually accepted the fact of the resurrected Christ, it was unanimous.  They all believed.   Doubt can be constructive.  Doubt forces us to examine things thoroughly.  Doubt questions everything.  Doubt takes nothing at face value.  Doubt looks for extra evidence before it is resolved.  The key is to not exist in doubt.  Doubt is ok as long as we work to overcome it.  Doubt works to strengthen our faith.  Doubt is natural.  We are not called to blind faith but reasoned faith.  It is only when faith is subject to reason and reason becomes the final authority by which we accept or reject truth that reason becomes a fault.  Faith, by its very nature, requires we not have all possible supporting facts.  The Bible calls that living by sight.  Our five senses coupled with reason conclude truth.  The Bible tells us without faith it is impossible to please Him.  This is why the words to Thomas are so true.  Those who know they have enough empirical evidence and reason to conclude a truth without having all possible information are far more blessed than those who need to touch the wounds of someone standing before them to conclude He is there.

We may respond with disbelief that the disciples doubted.  But we are all a bit like this.  Our brain tells us what we see or hear is impossible.  We have worked it all out and there is no possible way it can be true.  Yet, that is what the Bible says.  That is what God says.  So, again, think it all the way through.  But do not let reason be the reason faith cannot grow.  We are rational.  We are intellectual.  It was the intellect of man that built the tower of Babel.  It was the intellect of man that said it could not rain enough to cover the earth.  It was the intellect of man that declared Jesus was not the Christ and it was the intellect of man that would not believe Christ would rise the third day.  That is too bad.  Faith uses intellect but is not a slave to it.  That was the lesson of the Mount of Commission.  He has risen and He stands before you today regardless of what your intellect tells you!