A Reflection on Mercy
by LewisHave you ever needed mercy?
Of course you have, because you have been guilty, as have I. Once (well, more than once, actually, but once that is important to this story) a policeman in Illinois wanted me to stop so he could chat with me. I obliged — it seemed like the right thing to do — and he gave me a written invitation to join several dozen other people on a particular day at a particular time where a friend of his was holding court.
The purpose of this court was, of course, to determine the guilt or innocence of all the invitees. Some of the people there were indeed innocent, but I was not one of them, and I knew it. That left three questions in my mind: 1. Was there _any_ excuse for my failure to keep the law? (No.) 2. How much was the fine? (More than I wanted to pay.) 3. Was there any opportunity for mercy?
Perhaps everyone who stands before a judge desires mercy, and if that is the case, imagine the mercy that will be prayed for at the judgment seat of God. Thankfully, all of those for whom Christ is Lord have both a relationship with the judge and a guarantee of mercy from the judge’s father. And that is a good thing, because just like I was back in Illinois, we are most certainly guilty.
Under the mercy,
Lewis