A Merciful Perspective

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For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. James 2:13 ESV

The Civil War was a long long time ago. In our efforts to right the wrongs of present day racial injustice it is unhelpful to drag out the history books of events that ended more than one and a half centuries ago. It was a terrible and ugly war consuming the lives of at least 400,00 troops just on the Union side not the least of whom was our President Abraham Lincoln.

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My own Great-great Grandfather; Captain Charles Curie fought with a regiment from Brooklyn and returned weak and near death from dysentery. But no historical facts make me any better or worse than anyone else. What counts is my own heart. The only thing powerful enough to transform hearts like mine is the mercy and grace of God. So when we feel impelled to go out and demand change in the world, then we must start with a cry for mercy. God will get the judging part right in the end. Jesus calls us to mercy, and it is only His mercy that can change our world today.

A Weaned Child

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But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. Psalm 131:2 ESV

Most of us who have been parents read this verse and remember battles with our children as we tried to get them off the bottle and onto baby food. But when I was in Bible College (which feels like a thousand years ago) one professor who was a Palestinian gave us a different perspective. He explained that in the Middle East, when a mother felt that it was time for their child to start on solid food they would smear something bitter on their breast just as meal time rolled around. Once Junior got a taste of that they would pull back in surprise and cry. Then the mom would offer something to eat.

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But of course babies who are used to breast feeding don’t want anything except for sweet milk. According to our professor that process sometimes went on for more than a day until finally the child in exhaustion just rested on his mother and began to accept a tiny bit of rice or banana.  What seemed like punishment to the child was actually for their good. It is not that the milk was bad but that the solid food was better. Now looking back I can see how God has worked with me. Friends left behind, the death of my parents and the struggles of growing older have sometimes left me bitterly complaining and wishing for the good old days. But the good news is that God not only takes away, He also gives. In exchange for the sweet milk we lose, He gives us a deeper trust in His care and a confidence in the great embrace of God as we rest on His everlasting arms!

At the Altar

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But I have this against you that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Revelation 2:4

As Jesus spoke to the church in Ephesus He began by listing all the great things about them. They had been faithful, worked hard, held up under persecution and had stayed away from false teachers. Sounds like the best church in town! But then Jesus brings up the burden of His heart; they have left their first love for Him.

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It might seem to us that He is being hard on them, but the Bible tells us that we are the bride of Jesus Christ. As Heaven’s bridegroom, He is waiting at the altar in heaven and His heart is a longing to be with His bride. But sometimes when He looks down the aisle He notices that something is changing. His bride’s heart who once loved spending time in His presence is now very busy. She still thinks from time to time of Him, but she is also quite involved in a lot of other things. So many things seem so important that her schedule is full with only a few moments left for Jesus.

Then He looks and sees His people not only too busy for Him, but also too busy to bother much about telling others about their need for Him. His heart is longing to see us again totally living for him. What will it take for us to go back to our first love? How will we ever return to where we once were? Jesus tells us clearly. He does not say; “Feel really bad and cry and pray.” He does not add, “Give some more money to the church.” He doesn’t even say, “Go out and start feeding folks at the soup kitchen.”  All of those things are only a pale substitute for the “First Love” that Jesus has in mind.

So if giving money, doing good works or crying at the altar doesn’t bring back our first love, what will? Jesus says; do what we did at the beginning. Did we used to ask forgiveness of people we had hurt? Let’s do that again. Did we once call friends and family to tell them how Jesus changed our lives? Let’s not give up. Have we taken risks to get out and talk to others we came across in our daily lives about their need for him? Let’s get back to work!

Jesus didn’t say to wait for an impulse, a tear or a leading; nor do I need to do what you once did. I only need to remember what I once did, and then do it again! Jesus has given each of us a candle and it shines so we can see the truth about ourselves and repent.

That word repentance sounds harsh, but it is our bridegroom’s heartfelt appeal for us to remember the treasure of our relationship with Him. He warns us if we won’t use the light we will lose it. But if we repent and return to our first love He promises that at the altar He will give us fruit from the tree of life!