Mercy Lived Out



Prayer: Fling wide the portals of your heart; Make it a temple set apart
           From earthly use for heav’n’s employ,
           Adorned with prayer and love and joy.
           So shall your Sov’reign enter in And new and nobler life begin.
           To God alone be praise For word and deed and grace!

Read: Matthew 18:21–35
http://www.esvbible.org/Matthew 18:21-35

Think about It: As soon as we believe that we “aren’t so bad” we’re in trouble. In our reading for today, where Jesus is prompted to tell His   disciples a parable, we find Peter falling into a sin-filled trap. He decides to make some comparisons between himself and “his brother.” This is a trap that is filled with sticky black goo and you’ll never come out alive.
     How many times do I have to forgive someone else who sins against me? There’s a question that is fraught we problems, for in even posing it we admit that we are comparing ourselves to others and really, coming out pretty well. “I might be a sinner, but I’m not as bad as that guy over there.” Jesus graciously uses a story to help Peter see the error in his thinking. There are two guys who owe money to someone. The first guy owes a HUGE amount of money to his superior. He is forgiven the entire amount. Slate wiped clean! That first guy goes out and then demands payment of a very small loan from a peer. He actually has the guy thrown into jail for not paying what he owes. Even though he has been shown an unimaginable amount of mercy, he chooses to shown none. Big mistake.
     When we compare ourselves to others, especially when it comes to sin, we are headed for trouble. For God, sin is sin. There is no room for comparisons. You can never feel good about yourself in terms of sin’s severity. Every single sin has the power to condemn you to an eternity separated from God. Jesus came to bring forgiveness for all of those sins – the one’s we consider “little” and big huge sins we’re certain we are not guilty of committing. Every single one of us falls into the category of owning an unpayable debt.
     Since this is true and God has forgiven us because of the blood of  Jesus, we now owe mercy to all of the people around us. We never have the luxury of withholding forgiveness from anyone – ever. As David showed mercy to Mephibosheth and God shows mercy to us, so we too show mercy to others. That is the way of God’s Kingdom.

Prayer: Redeemer, come and open wide
                   My heart to Thee; here, Lord, abide!
           O enter with Thy grace divine; Thy face of mercy on me shine.
           Thy Holy Spirit guide us on Until our glorious goal is won.
           Eternal praise and fame We offer to Thy name.
Lift Up Your Heads, Ye Mighty Gates – LSB 340

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