A Judgment of Mercy
Perhaps it's a knee-jerk reaction to be critical
and judgmental towards those who have been entangled and overcome by sin. We
sometimes tend to forget that we are all sinners saved by grace.
Responding with self-righteousness and condemnation is
easy. However, God rarely calls us to do what's
"easy". He demands un-natural and other-worldly actions from us
such as mercy and compassion and modeled it Himself. Jesus is
all-merciful. Why does He extend mercy to sinners? Why should we?
While sitting in the temple teaching his
disciples, the teachers of the law and the Pharisees thrust the disheveled
woman at Jesus, to test Him. Her disorderly hair streamed around
her face. Her downcast eyes broadcast guilt and shame. "This
woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone
such women. Now what do you say?”
Jesus responded by deliberately bending
over and silently writing on the ground. They angrily demanded an answer
to their accusation, so He stood up and said to them, “‘Let any one of
you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.' Again
he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your
life of sin.” (John 8:2-11)
On the floor of the temple was written these
words: "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and compassion on whom I
have compassion." (Exodus 33:19.) Actually, that’s just part
of my flight of imagination. We don't have An actual recording of what
Jesus wrote on the ground.
It's a bit puzzling why Jesus reacted to
her the way that He did. The Jewish law was clear. She had been
caught committing adultery, so she must be stoned. Why then did He
discourage her accusers from doing so? Why instead did He have a merciful
and compassionate response towards her?
Instead of spurning sinners, Jesus had a history
of spending time with them. So much so that He was criticized for his
behavior. "While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax
collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the
Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with
tax collectors and sinners?”
On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the
healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn
what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come to call
the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:10-13
Jesus quoted Hosea 6:6, "I desire
mercy, not sacrifice”, to the Pharisees, which is a verse with which they
would have been very familiar. He wanted them to respond with mercy, not
scorn, to tax collectors and sinners. Why did Jesus invest His time
and energy in sinners? Luke's gospel fills in the answer for
us. Jesus declared, "I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:32)
The fundamental reason He came to Earth was
to call sinners to repentance. When tempted and snared by sin, He woos us
to Him with loving kindness and mercy. By extending mercy (instead
of judgment), His loving-kindness is meant to draw us to Him and lead us to
repentance. (Romans 2:4) Showing mercy is the means to calling sinners to
repentance. Our Father God loves us so dearly. He wants His
children to have a close relationship with Him, with no barriers. Because
He is holy God, sin creates a barrier between Him and His beloved.
Repentance enables us to be in right relationship with Him, which is ultimately
His goal.
After rescuing this woman from an awful death,
Jesus didn't stop there. He didn't tell her, "You messed up but
that's OK. Go and be blessed." He gave her mercy and kindness
to draw her to Him. Then He gave her a command, "Go and
don't commit this sin anymore." He wanted her to turn from her
sin and repent from it, so that she could come to know Him as Savior.
We don't know what happened to this woman, but
what if...
The woman fled, incredulous and in shock that
she was still alive. During the accusation, she'd stood immobile with fear,
waiting for her accusers to pick up stones and start pelting them at her. It
was so odd how they'd all left instead. When the strange rabbi had told her
with such gentleness that she had escaped judgment and was free to go, she'd
gathered up her robe and run home. She would never see her married lover
again.
She couldn't stop thinking about Jesus and how
He'd treated her with such compassion and mercy. The next day she found
Him again teaching in the Temple.
She sat down to listen and stayed. From
that day on, she never left the presence of the One who'd given her a judgment
of mercy.
Or... she may have simply gone home, been glad she'd stayed alive for
another day, never repented of her actions and never turned to God.
If we reject His mercy and refuse to repent, we are "storing up wrath
against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will
be revealed....for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and
follow evil, there will be wrath and anger." (Romans 2:5)
Our Father God wants His children to extend
mercy and compassion towards fellow sinners, and to stay in the awareness
that we are all sinners, and all have need of a Savior. When we inevitably
fall into sin, He doesn't turn His back on us. Instead, His loving kindness
draws us to Him. His mercy is meant to lead us to turn away from our sin
and give our lives over to our Holy, compassionate and merciful God.
"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require
of you? To act justly and to love mercy..." (Micah 6:8) Jesus wants
us to extend the same mercy and compassion we have received from Him to
others who fall into the pit of sin, thus helping to lift them out and set
their feet on solid ground.
Jude 1:22-23 And have mercy on those who doubt;
save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear,
hating even the garment stained by the flesh.
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