But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 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. – Jude 20-23
I had to go to town yesterday, and on the way in, I heard
Albert King playing “Angel of Mercy”.
I got to thinking that, sometimes, “a
little mercy is all I need.” The
dictionary definition of mercy is “compassionate or kindly forbearance shown
toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power.” Mercy can also be that which gives evidence
of divine favor, as when something mitigates normally expected consequences. We call God merciful because, as the only
righteous Judge, He has the discretionary power to pardon us in Christ. The Cross is the ultimate mercy for humanity
as it is undeniable evidence of God’s love and favor toward us.
Jude wrote to believers in a difficult time. It seems, though, less about persecution than
confusion. Many who had joined
themselves to the Church had done so out of selfish motives, and they were
using Christians and Christianity for their own personal gain. Some scholars speculate that Jude’s epistle was
written around Flag Day in June, 2013 AD, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, but,
regardless of the place and time, we can see that apostasy and thoughts about
the end of the age are not new.
We also see that in times of trials, mercy is not only our
hope but our duty. It is the mercy of
our Lord Jesus Christ that delivers us from death to life. It is our mercy in thought, word, and action
that delivers those around us from the power of delusion. The Lord may ask us to be apologists,
teachers, evangelists, prophets, intercessors or whatever the situation
warrants. Sometimes we just need to
assuage someone’s doubts and lack of understanding. At other times we may have to battle demons
of darkness toe-to-toe. Always we are to
have mercy and to show mercy to the suffering, the misguided, and even to the
wicked around us.
Heal the sick, raise
the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You
received without paying; give without pay. (Matthew 10:8)
2 comments:
At other times we may have to battle demons of darkness toe-to-toe.
As of late, that's all the time. The media's been over-feeding them.
But they're so cute when they are little.
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