Pastor Tom Johnson, September 5, 2021
Just a few minutes ago, we confessed that “we justly deserve [God’s] present and eternal punishment” for the sinful things “we have done” and “the things we have left undone.” And then we prayed for God’s mercy “for the sake of God’s Son, Jesus Christ.” We prayed that God would unpack this mercy: “Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name.” And then we heard the assurance of God’s grace, forgiveness, and mercy through Jesus: “Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins.”
Mercy is withholding punishment or harm to someone. The good news is that God has withheld punishment and harm toward us. God will not do to us what he justifiably can do—judge and condemn us for our sins. Mercy is God not giving us what we have earned and deserved for our failures. Mercy is God not rejecting us and casting us away. Mercy is the absence of God’s anger and judgment. Mercy is God having the authority to condemn but deciding to relent. Mercy is when anyone has the power to do harm but chooses not to carry it out. Mercy flows from compassion and empathy.
That is why James is so worked up in our Scripture from James chapter one. There is a strong connection between James’ words here and Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus says, “Judge not, lest you be judged” and how he teaches us to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” James says, “For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.” There is an indivisible connection between the mercy we have received from God and the mercy we extend toward others. That is why James writes such strong words against showing favoritism toward the rich and disdain toward the poor in who show up in our worship services. We are judging according to appearances.
When we interact with each other on Sunday morning, we do not have the whole story of who we are. We do not know the whole story leading up to our shared prayers, praise, and receiving of God’s gifts. None of us know even how our individual stories will unfold later today, this coming week, and how our stories will unfold for the remainder of the days God has given us. Only the Lord knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, the number of our days, and the miracles he will work in and through our lives. I believe this points to a false gospel that has infected Christ’s church in these days. And that lie and false gospel is this: that people need to fix themselves first before they are welcome to worship with us—that “they” need to stop certain sinful behaviors before they are worthy to receive God’s mercy. That is the genius of the Syrophoencian woman in our text. She applies mercy to herself. Or perhaps better stated, she understands that God’s mercy overcomes any ethnic, regional, or gender prejudice we have.
We all come here in our filthy rags needing cleansing, acceptance, and renewal. We all come singing, “Nothing in my hand I bring; Simply to Thy cross I cling. Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless, look to Thee for grace; Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die!”When we judge we are playing God. Only God has the authority to judge. Only God knows us intimately even before we were born and has loved us since before the foundation of the world. Only God sees into our future and how the Word and Holy Spirit will bear fruit in our lives into eternity.
There is an axiom in our text: “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” That is our shared story: God’s mercy is greater than God’s judgment. His love towards us far surpasses his grief over sin’s hold on our hearts, minds, and lives. Mercy has already won. Judgment has been swallowed up in victory when Jesus died and rose again for us.James wants this mercy that flows from heaven to earth to flow from our hearts, our mouths, and our lives. This happens when we are in awe of God’s mercy toward us. Mercy flows from us when we take an honest look at ourselves and can say, “But by the grace of God…but by the mercy of God I am who I am (1 Cor 15:10). I am a sinner who has been shown mercy. I now get to extend that same mercy toward others.” That means we are able to put the best construction on everything—to understand the unfolding stories around us in the kindest and most empathetic way. And is not that why we are all here this morning?
We are not here to publicize our wealth, health, and social status; we are here to extoll the name above all names. We are not here to assess the sinfulness of those around us; we are here to receive assurance of forgiveness, mercy, and eternal life. We are not here to place each other in tidy categories and make a seating chart according to our individual piety. We are all the same at the foot of the Cross of Calvary. In Christ’s Church, there is neither Jew nor gentile, male nor female, slave nor free.” We are all mercy recipients. We are called to be mercy extenders. Mercy triumphs over judgment. God’s love wins. The merciful work he has begun in us he will bring to completion as he works that mercy into our lives and through our lives toward others.
Penitent sinners, for mercy crying,
Pardon and peace from Him obtain;
Ever the wants of the poor supplying,
Their faithful God He will remain.
He helps His children in distress,
The widows and the fatherless.
Allelujah, allelujah!
(“Praise the Almighty, My Soul, Adore Him,” LSB 797, v. 4)
No comments:
Post a Comment