Mercy

 In the Lord’s prayer, the part in the Bible where Jesus teaches us how to pray, Jesus teaches us to ask God to forgive us as we forgive those who sin against us. It is holy and logical that those who are forgiven of much should readily forgive others. Although this concept is simple enough to understand, it can be super hard to walk in it.

It’s beautiful to remember that when Jesus was crucified, He asked God to forgive the ones who hurt Him, even amid the very moment of their anger. He didn’t even wait until his mind was clear from the fog of anguish. Right then and there, it was a time to forgive. And we see this pattern laid by Stephen in the book of Acts in the Bible. As people threw rocks at him, he called to God and asked God to forgive the people who hurt him. He wasn’t angry. Even as he was dying, he knew that God loved him so much that he was actually free to love everyone. So from his example we know that this kind of forgiveness is not just something that Jesus could offer, but is something that He expects us to offer through His strength. He doesn’t want us to wait until we feel like forgiving or until we have healed from the hurt. In fact, forgiveness is a major part of healing. When we face the anger of others, that is the time, right then and there, to live amazing grace.

It’s kind of a terrible thought, but is worth noting, that we are truly the ones who put Jesus to death simply because, if we hadn’t sinned, He wouldn’t have needed to die. As the hymn “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” says, “ashamed, I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers” (Townend). It’s crazy to realize that we were part of Jesus’ pain. So when we think about the situation that way, our thoughts turn from “how can I forgive?” to “how can I not help but forgive? I have to forgive! Look at what Jesus did for me!”

And so, in an upside-down kingdom of heaven mentality, when we are hurt by others, we can view the situation as a precious opportunity, a way to say to Jesus, “I love You so deeply because You loved me and shed Your blood for me while I was still a sinner. You did that to display Your glory by redeeming me. Your sacrifice paid for the punishment of my sin. I am now free. You love me, and by loving others, I am loving you. This painful situation that I’m facing is a blessed opportunity to love You by loving the lost. I want these people to know Your love too. This is what it means to be redeemed for Your glory. Help me be kind. Help me be gentle. Dear Jesus, please teach me mercy!”

So often, I fail to see situations the way that Jesus does. It’s almost as if the Lord’s prayer becomes, “forgive me for my sin of not responding like Jesus and help me to change so I can forgive others the way that You have forgiven me.”

And the kindness in His eyes tells me, “my precious daughter, I forgive you. Let's forgive these people too.” And then my forgiveness does not reflect some virtue of my own character, but rather, the virtue of the character of Christ that was strong enough to restore me and cover over the multitude of my sins. That’s why we can love our enemies by praying for them. That’s why we do not respond with any kind of hatred. God gives us His Holy Spirit to help us love with the strength of Jesus, even when we are not strong enough to forgive on our own. What a gift to have God help us to love others!

What a blessed hope is ours in Christ Jesus! So then, let us go forth in prayer and forgiveness towards a world that is so broken and hurting. We will love Jesus by loving the lost, even while we face a sometimes painful cost. Let us love everyone, even those who are angry. And let us never try to do it on our own - instead, we will ask God for help to love others the way that He loves them, the way that He loves us. O Lord, teach us mercy!

"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." - Matthew 6:12