Tag Archives: God’s Mercy

God’s Mercy and Our Mercy

mercy3Living in the Spirit
August 15, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 

Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.                                                                                                                                       —Romans 11:30-32

Paul retained a deep concern for the wellbeing of his fellow Jews throughout his ministry. He mourned the ones who could not accept Jesus as the Messiah. He writes in our scripture today that the gentiles benefited from the Jew’s rejection of Jesus in that the gentiles might never have heard the good news of the Christ had the Jew’s accepted him. Paul thus asks for the gentiles to show some mercy for the Jews.

Jesus told a parable that dealt with the same issue. In Matthew 22:1-10, he described a man planning a wedding for his son. He sent out invitation to all his friends and none of them came. So the man sent his servants into the streets to invite anyone, good or bad, who would come, to come. The room filled up quickly but the man had an expectation that the persons attending would celebrate the son’s wedding not just eat the cake and drink the punch.  Later in the story, one who did not celebrate the wedding was asked to leave.

This is another story of God working God’s purpose out in spite of the barriers raised. It is an interesting one to tell after informing the Romans, and us, that our gifts and calling are irrevocable.  I wonder if there is a bit of a warning here that we, too, should not get complacent about our faith and our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.
My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.  Amen. –Psalm 63:3-7

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Trusting God with Our Loved Ones

Living in the Spirit
July 31, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Romans 9:1-3 

I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. — Matthew 11:23

One of my relatives had no time for religion or any of its trappings. He was not necessarily obnoxious about it but he was unwilling to even give it any consideration. My mother never stopped trying. He just would laugh and make a little light fun of her as he did the last time I saw him. We were getting ready to leave from a visit, and Mom’s parting words were I love you and God does too. She said more but he had long ago tuned her out. I felt sorry for her. He hugged and kissed her goodbye and she left thinking she had failed him. He died some months later and she mourned her failure once more.

Paul wanted to bring the hope of Christ crucified and resurrected to his brothers and sisters in the temple and synagogues, but he was rejected and he eventually turned his attention to the gentile population and the Jews of the dispersion. Like my mothers’ pain, it hurt him to the core of his being.

I do think that we need to tell the story of Jesus with our lives and our words whenever and wherever we can and do it with all the love we can muster. Ultimately though an individual’s relationship with God is just that his or her relationship and we must do what we can and trust God through Christ to do the rest in mercy and with grace.

It is at that point that a rich prayer life is absolutely necessary. Our roots in God’s mercy and grace must be deep indeed to release our loved ones to his care.

Prayer: God grant me the serenity
 to accept the things I cannot change;
 courage to change the things I can;
 and wisdom to know the difference*. Amen. 

*From the Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr (Read the full prayer at http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/special/serenity.html)

 

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.