Mercy

DAILY BYTE

“What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory...” Romans 9:22-23 (NAU).

This week, we’ve been looking often at 1 Timothy, but this passage comes from another writing of Paul’s – from the Book of Romans.

What if God, although able to show his wrath and hammering power, endures with us, patiently firing us into vessels of mercy so that we would see how awesome he is?

We hear Paul again in the letter to Timothy saying that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the foremost. But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him...”

In other words – Paul is the worst of the worst of sinners. He spent most of his life as a persecutor of Christians – a zealously violent, destructive man – on top of all of his other corporate and silent sins that probably weren’t as obvious.

And he, of all people, has been given God’s grace...

So that when we look at Paul and see his life and the way God has been patient with him on a long journey, we might see ourselves on that same journey. We might realize that we, too, could be wrapped up in the flame of God’s patient and persistent love gradually seeking out every part of us that is destructive and sinful and filling those holes with grace instead.

Now, if you’re thinking, well – this is great! Getting free grace is a pretty good deal! Then, you’re right – it is! It is the Good News of the Gospel!

But hey...then I can pretty much do whatever I want...right?

Let’s be clear, God does get angry. There are piles of scriptures describing God’s anger about sin.

Earlier this week, I told a story about babysitting a little girl who uttered a shocking profanity at a random moment. When I heard her say that terrible word, I was a bit upset! But I was not upset because I hated Annie. Not because I wanted to shout back profanities at her in anger over her insolence. No, my concern was that she would utter such words again in front of the wrong people (perhaps her parents) and end up in even bigger trouble. My anger existed because I wanted to protect her from herself. I wanted her to stop speaking in a destructive way because it would only cause more destruction and harm to come to her – and potentially others. And I loved her, and I wanted to see her have the best life possible.

Perhaps, that is the kind of response Paul is talking about when he speaks of mercy. Mercy is not full license for us to behave however we like, despite the cost to ourselves and others.

Mercy – is compassionate recognition that God made us with free will to make choices. That was God’s choice. And so, as we learn to exercise that will, God knows and sees that we will make some wrong choices – and for our struggle in that learning process – God gives us mercy.

Are you in need of this kind of mercy? Do you feel like Paul – the foremost of sinners – in some aspect of your life? Do you think you may be able to receive Christ’s mercy for you today?

FOCUS READING

1 Timothy 1:15-16 (NRSV)

The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost. But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life.

PRAY AS YOU GO

Pray this traditional Eastern Orthodox prayer, ‘The Jesus Prayer,’ over and over as it becomes the true cry of your heart:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.