Mercy

Prayer for Mercy

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I said, “Lord, be merciful to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.” Psalm 41:4

Today there is such a fascination with super heroes. Captain America, Superman, Iron Man or whoever our favorite is, appeal to us because they are smarter, stronger and better looking than we are. Our lives seem pretty ho-hum compared to people who are always busy saving the world from the latest bad guy (or gal).

But the reality of life as king David discovered was not just about defeating Goliath. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy and our own sins have left wounds behind that we need for God to forgive and heal. David was just as much a man after God’s own heart when he cried out for God’s forgiveness as when he was busy killing giants and winning battles. Jesus didn’t come to die on the cross for Superman, Wonder Woman or the Flash; he came to die for plain vanilla sinners like you and me! The good news of the kimg0706Gospel is that the one and only truly Superman left His super powers behind and was born in a barn next to cows and sheep. The good news is not that God left us a secret formula by which we could gain special powers, but that He listens when we cry for help.

Remember when Jesus told of the Pharisee and the tax collector who went to the temple to pray? The Pharisee thought he was strong, so never asked God for help. But the tax collector, who knew only too well of his weakness, cried out for mercy and God heard and forgave. Super strength doesn’t come from some mysterious force but from the peace God gives when the blood of Jesus Christ washes clean every stain!

Forgiveness is an Investment

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“But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’  So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’  And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.

Matthew 18:28-30

Many years ago I heard an interview on Radio Bible. The questioning went something like this,

Host: To what do you attribute your business success?”

Business man “Good decisions”“

Host “And how did you learn to make good decisions?”

Businessman “Bad decisions!”

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In our personal relationships with others we are always making decisions. We may decide to trust or to doubt. We may choose to forgive or hold a grudge. Each decision is an investment (or lack thereof) in the life of someone else. You might look at the king’s choice to forgive in the parable which Jesus told as a bad business decision. He could have legally sold this dishonest servant into slavery to recover some of his loss or he could have had him thrown in jail. But instead of richly deserved punishment, this king decided to invest mercy in his servant’s life.

Yet as in this man’s story it appears that the king had made a terrible choice. Instead of generating a return of gratitude in his servant’s heart, this forgiven man went immediately out and acted mercilessly with others. “What a waste! What an awful decision!” you might say about the king’s investment. You might also add, “So he should never do that again!”

But mercy is not like a worldly investment. Jesus parable shows how God forgives each of us. We are exactly like the dishonest thieving servant. We have cheated and stolen and yet God has for two thousand years continued to invest forgiveness in us. How often we must have grieved God’s heart when we failed entirely in our response to his mercy! Is there someone today in whom we can begin to invest even a tiny part of the forgiveness God has given us?

Forgiveness First

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Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Matthew 18:21

In answer to his question, Jesus told  a story about a king who forgave a servant. Though the servant in Jesus’ story got things all wrong let’s take a look at what he could have gotten right.

The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’  Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt  Matthew 18:26-27

Just as in our Christian lives, this man’s relationship to the king began by and was entirely based on the forgiveness of his king. Everything hinged on the king’s choice to forgive and accept. Sadly this servant tried right away to make things right by his own efforts Notice he says, “I will pay all.” How many of us determine that we will somehow make it up to God, when in fact we could never ever even in millions of years ever pay God back for all He has done for us!

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Our forgiveness is complete! The Bible tells us that the king “released him and forgave him the debt” His forgiveness was not based upon his ability to repay. Forgiveness wasn’t a business decision with terms of repayment. The debt was not only released but the king also took upon himself the responsibility to pay these debts. That is what Jesus has done. When we really understand His mercy then our hearts will change both towards God and others. When His compassion flows into us we need to allow it to flow out to those who owe us any debt!