Lavish Mercy

I have been pondering lately on the story Jesus told in Matt.18:21-35. And I saw it differently this time.

It is called The parable of the Unmerciful Servant…A King had a servant who owed him millions of dollars….and I thought, how ludicrous… no King would lend a servant millions of dollars. Should we rename it “The parable of the irresponsible King?”

Why does Jesus use such an outlandish illustration? It is called hyperbole – meaning excessive exaggeration in order to create an impact. What impact was Jesus trying to make?

This huge, unpayable debt clearly represents the enormity of our debt to God.  I want to rename it “The parable of the lavish mercy of God.”

Jesus told this parable in response to Peter saying “How often should I forgive my brother when he sins against me? “

Jesus is saying, “Peter – you have no idea how vast is the mercy of God towards you… and how massive, how gy-normous, how humungous….is the debt you owed that has been wiped out by your King. If you did -  you would never even think to ask such a question – you would never hesitate for a moment to forgive your brother, however often he sins against you.” 

 

Our debt is HUGE.  

This is where our humility comes from. It comes when we know how vast is his mercy towards us… and we are stunned, we are awed, we are humbled – and out of this humility we receive that enabling grace - so we can freely and quickly forgive others and bless them and be merciful to them. Grace upon grace, mercy upon mercy.

Love mercy… because it is the reason we are not judged or condemned…

Love mercy… because it has been lavished upon us so abundantly…

Love mery… because it bears such beautiful fruit – the fruit of humility, and compassion, and tenderness and kindness and those wonderful instinctive prayers of forgiveness and the powerful prayers of blessing.

Love mercy.  Tell the Lord now that you want to love mercy… as he does.

Think of that one who bugs you, who hurts you, who you still hold resentment or unforgiveness towards… hold them now in the mercy of God.  Those you hold judgements about. Those who have offended you. Bring them now to the Mercy Seat.

Father -We stand with you in that Most Holy Place and meet you at the Mercy Seat. We declare that mercy triumphs over judgement, in our hearts, as in yours.

We receive your mercy for every way we fall short of your glory – and we declare mercy over every offence others have given us. We want to be as merciful as you are Father.

As you have forgiven me – so I forgive them.  As you have cancelled my huge, huge debt – so I cancel any tiny little debt they owe me.

So Father I bless them. I bless those who have hurt me. I bless them to come into your love and discover how good you are.  I bless them to have a tender and gracious heart.  I bless them to become a blessing to their families and friends. I bless them to be made new by your Spirit and give joy to your heart.

Thank you Father that your truth sets us free – free to let go – free to forgive – free to bless abundantly.  Keep us in that place of humility and mercy, for your glory, Amen.

A special moment

We are continuing to discover God's mercy in our grief:

David and I always read something and pray before he goes off to work and this morning he read a page out of “The Shack Revisited” C. Baxter Kruger. It brought a special moment I want to share with you.

 

Let me quote a little…

“life is all about hearing Papa shout our name. It is truly no more complicated than that. When we hear Jesus’ Abba shout our name, it baptizes our inner worlds with unearthly assurance.  In the New Testament this unearthly assurance is called confidence, freedom, boldness, assurance. We are so made as to live our lives baptized in such assurance. That is how we are wired. We have been designed, so to speak, to hear Jesus’ Papa. And when we do, peace happens, assurance settles our souls, unexpected joy fills the room of our broken lives. We see with new eyes, and we see glory everywhere.”

            After reading a bit more we paused to pray… and David became tearful. Then he said, “It was as if I heard the Father say, “Well – Eleena Dawn Wells – here you are.”

How wonderful! 

 A further quote to bless you:

“I believe the will of the Father, Son and Spirit for us is that we would know what Jesus knows, that we would see what Jesus sees, and that we would experience what Jesus experiences when he looks his Father in the face.

Think of what Jesus feels when he looks into his Father’s eyes and hears, “You are my beloved Son, in whom my soul delights.” I dare say it is not sadness or fear; not anxiety, dread, or hopelessness.  I think Jesus’ soul is baptised with unearthly assurances, with a freedom and confidence and hope that are born in his Father’s heart. Jesus gets to live life in the joy of that baptism, in the freedom of the Spirit. The dream of the blessed Trinity is that we will, too. We will get to be mothers and father, friends and neighbours, golfers and poets and gardeners, ditch-diggers and teachers in the assurance of Papa’s voice.  This is life, this is heaven.”

May you know his loving smile today.