Text: Matthew 5:7, James 2:15-20, Matthew 18:21-35
I recently deleted the Facebook app from my phone in an effort to scroll less and live more. I’ve begun to realize how often I scroll and just how terrible it makes me feel. A quick scan of my social media feed this morning inspired plenty of emotion in me, but not an ounce of understanding, compassion, or grace.
We live in a time of outrage, not of mercy.
Reading all these passages about mercy, then writing about it and thinking about it, only made me more confused. It’s like when you stare at a word so long that, suddenly, it no longer seems to be spelled correctly, or the true meaning of the word escapes you altogether.
So what exactly is mercy? And why do I see so little of it in my own heart for others?
After thinking it over and working through these scripture passages, this is the best I’ve got: mercy is standing before someone who deserves punishment, and then throwing them a party instead. You’d think it would be easy to accept a free party. But we’ve all been taught from an early age that “there’s no free lunch.” How can we live in a world of dollars and cents, blame and responsibility, and yet still accept mercy?
The story in Matthew 18 shows just how hard that is. We’re not told why this man had so much debt, but it’s probably safe to say he over-leveraged himself or gambled his way into oblivion. He did something that the rest of the world—from a place of safety or self-righteousness—might call foolish. And yet the king took pity on him, forgiving not only his debt, but also the character flaws that had landed him in debt in the first place.
But when the forgiven man walked out of the king’s presence, he made a beeline for the first person he could think of who owed him money. What if the king were to change his mind? Perhaps next time, the king won’t be so merciful. And so, loved by a king, the man became a tyrant.
Furthermore, his beliefs about the king became a self-fulfilling prophesy. He didn’t trust mercy, so he didn’t extend mercy, which landed him in prison—exactly where he’d expected to end up all along. When he reached prison, I imagine he felt justified: I knew he’d come after me all along.
This man’s behavior is familiar territory. At times, I find that I expect God to come back around, change His mind, and demand payment for all of my mistakes. Worst of all, I believe the difficult situations that come my way are His punishment in disguise, rather than believing the circumstances of my life are God’s best for me. But God has no punishment left for us (Romans 8:1).
God is not waiting for me to mess up. He is not standing, ready with a long list of all my other failures, to justify why the mercy I thought I received didn’t actually count. Jesus loves me—and you—fully, deeply, permanently. It is final and it is finished (John 3:16; 19:30).
Thinking through all this helps me to see myself and the people around me with new eyes. It even changes the way I look at my Facebook feed, believe it or not. There is no one we’ll encounter today, on our social media feeds or elsewhere, who is not in need of mercy. And you and I have the privilege of extending it to them, because Christ has secured irrevocable mercy for us.
Claire Gibson is a freelance writer and editor whose work has been featured both locally and nationally in publications including The Washington Post, and Entrepreneur Magazine. An Army kid who grew up at West Point, New York, Claire is currently growing roots in Nashville, Tennessee. She loves her husband, Patrick, and their dog, Winnie.
GOD HAS NO PUNISHMENT LEFT FOR US! ❤❤
AMEN.
I love these truth-filled words, they are like a letter from home with extra love and hugs..
Thank you Lord God, thank you..❤
❤
Praying for you all today! Such a good reminder for how much God has done for us and loves us! I often worry when I sin that God is going to punish me by taking a loved one away or something terrible will happen. I have lived with that fear for along time now! But finding great peace in Gods forgiveness is crucial. Praying for you akk.
SHARON, JERSEY GIRL – Our mothers must have been from the same kind of hell and brimstone churches. I, too, was raised with my mom telling me if I did something wrong, God was going to take something away from me, she indicated it would be the thing I cherished most. Years later, I was living a couple thousand miles from home and had my baby. I nearly drove myself crazy thinking that if I wasn’t doing everything perfectly in the eyes of God, He was going to take my precious baby from me. In desperation, I went to the pastor of our church, which was a different denomination than the one I was raised in. He was shocked at my thinking and fears. He patiently explained to me that God wasn’t going to take my baby away from me in punishment. My punishment had already been paid in full by Jesus on the cross. He explained Gods love … something I had never really been taught before. Oh, what wonderful news and relief it was for me to realize God wasn’t just waiting and watching for me to sin so He could punish me! I began to understand what mercy really is. I pray that I will recognize mercy when it is extended to me, and offer mercy to others when presented with the opportunity.
DONNA WOLCOTT – I’m lifting your friend and her family in my prayers. I pray they are all safe. And I pray your friend will be able to fly out safely was soon as possible.
Morning she’s, the reading of today made me think a lot as to why mercy and forgiveness must go hand in hand, and why that is SO hard to extend to others. This quote somehow explains it, “God is rich in mercy. He offers abundant mercy and grace, but they are not cheap. A great price has been paid for forgiveness” CS Lewis. The price is very high to overlook and pardon the wrongs/ extents of wrongs. That’s the problem of pain, which makes mercy hard for us human. The moment pain comes around, we revert back to self. There is nothing natural about human nature wanting to forgive and extending mercy in the face of great and deep pain, we then want justice and judgment. BUT GOD, he said in James, mercy triumphs judgment. It must be God in us and through us that this can be done. According to our faith, let it be done unto us. Trust mercy, don’t be like that man who can’t trust and won’t trust, let go of the pain, afford the great price of forgiveness, and several debts others have caused us, trust the process of mercy, we shall reap what we sow. The Lord shall be merciful. Be blessed dear sisters.❤️
God has no punishment left for us!!
NOW THAT is OUR GOD!! Happy Monday sweet ladies! I’m off for the entire week for FALL break! I also, grew up being told that God‘s going to punish me if I did this or that.
I know that not to be true, not anymore. I’m left with these thoughts from today’s devotional I want to be able to extend mercy to others, even if I feel they don’t deserve it, because who am I to think that. If God extended mercy to me and continues to do so even when I don’t deserve it then I need to do the same.
Today’s message has been repeated in many ways these past few weeks, and I’ve so needed to hear it. Sisters can I please ask for prayers for a friend of mine who is in Israel visiting her daughter and grandchildren. She doesn’t know if she will be able to fly home this week because of the fighting and flight cancelations. Thank you. You are lifted up this morning in my prayers.
Thank goodness for the mercy He has shown this undeserving sinner! I pray that I will never be like that unmerciful servant that was shown great mercy. And then didn’t “pay it forward”. But, of course, I will be (unmerciful!) Help me to show mercy to others, and also to receive mercy from them., when offered. (It is hard to extend AND accept mercy to/from others, isn’t it?)
Have a blessedly merciful day today, sweet sisters!