Mercy and Forgiveness

Have you ever been angry because God is merciful?  I believe this can happen and has happened many times.  Think about your enemies, people you can’t stand and want to take revenge on or want nothing to do with.  Sometimes the Christian life doesn’t seem fair when you hear that you have to love your enemies and forgive them.  Many believers have a struggle with forgiveness, thinking they have a right to not forgive, but nothing is farther from the truth.

Some people, when it comes to forgiveness, want to use the Old Testament laws found in Exodus 21:22-27, “If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. If a man strikes the eye of his male or female servant, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for the sake of his eye. And if he knocks out the tooth of his male or female servant, he shall let him go free for the sake of his tooth.”

People read in the Psalms about revenge and the destruction of enemies and they like to use these things to justify their actions for not forgiving and hating their enemies in the days we live in, forgetting what Jesus said in the New Testament in Matthew 5:38-42, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.”

Now read 5:43-48, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

When you are hurt or offended in some way you may respond in anger, and if not dealt with properly, you may become bitter and want to take revenge.  That is when it would be good to pray and ask the Lord to help you to love and forgive, from the heart, the offense.  Remember, the Lord could have taken revenge on you but He chose to show mercy, grace and forgiveness and you, and I, should do the same

Think of the story of Jonah and how God wanted Jonah to go to Nineveh to warn them of their destruction if they didn’t repent, and he tried to run away.  Jonah hated Nineveh, which was an Assyrian city, and he didn’t want them to repent because he knew the mercy and grace of God and he knew that if they repented, God would forgive them and he didn’t want that to happen.  That is exactly what happened and Jonah was not a happy camper, as you might say in our language today.  Even though Jonah knew from experience the mercy and forgiveness of God, having been in the belly of the big fish and coming out alive, he was not willing to share this same mercy and grace with these people who didn’t know their right hand from their left.  

Just like Jonah, if you are a believer, you have also experienced God’s love, mercy and grace and His forgiveness and we are commanded to share the same with others, even our enemies; so go and do likewise!!  Something to think about!  May you have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!  p.s. don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord!!