COME, BOUNTIFUL MERCY June 2020
Come ye disconsolate, where’er ye languish your mind.
Come to the mercy seat, fervently kneel;
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish,
Earth, oh, has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.
Thomas Moore in the 1700s, reaches out to the unhappy and reminds them that Jesus has the solution to every situation.
Today’s Scripture Reference :Revelation 22:17.
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
The Holy Spirit calls the thirsty and the willing to experience life. Anyone who needs refreshing is invited to get their thirst quenched, be it for inner peace or, in the church or in societies at large. Why would the thirsty be invited to come to the water of life? The deep-seated need of mankind is for satisfaction that only Jesus supplies. The fact that the invitation is for the water of life, indicates that the path of death is inhabited. This path is created by the declarations that we make through our powerful tool, the tongue.
We tend to invite friends, wanderers, the lonely, the disillusioned, to solace and hope, as is necessary. The importance of the invitation rests on the virtue of the host who extends a welcome. It is time for the Church, the bride, to display the sign, “Come! All are welcome.” Won’t we heed the clarion call? The fact that we are being offered the water of life, suggests that we are bereft of what water does. Besides the ability to satisfy thirst, water enhances growth, hydrates, and cleanses. Without growth and maturity, a believer stagnates and retards spiritual progress. Over time, dehydration can result in death, but its remedy is the water of life.
The value we place on each other should be equitable to that which Jesus places on us. If we see people through the lens Jesus has given us in His word, we cannot do otherwise. He is willing that All should repent. The Fountain of Living Water offers Himself because He is sufficient for the whosoever will.
How do we see the downtrodden, the less fortunate, and those below our standard? By what criteria are they measured? The traditions of the elders (Mark 7:3) speak to visible, physical commendations, whereas the emphasis should have been placed on the heart condition. It is the soul (intellect, emotion and will) that needs to be cleansed and preserved for God’s approval. Who gets to decide what taints us? Mark 7: 7, 21-23 answers the question.
Let us reflect on a familiar passage of scripture in John 8: 1-11 (NKJV). But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
Jesus was in a place that was familiar to both Him and the disciples. He usually went to this Mount of Olives to commune with His Father. On this occasion, He also went to the temple. There, He would teach. Note the progression. He prayed, then He went to share the truth. We are shown the importance of praying early in the morning. When we start the day with prayer, we become equipped to handle the enemy’s ploys.
The crowds knew the importance of being close to Jesus, so they gathered to glean from His teaching. He sat, making contact at eye level, and taught them. Surely, this created an atmosphere of positive expectation on the people’s part. His presence engenders hope, peace and a thirst for more of Him. The audience, being eager to learn, was ready to get started, when without warning, the tranquility was disturbed. In walked factions with a plot to thwart Jesus’ plan. Was a lesson on adultery on His agenda? Yet, Jesus dealt with the interruption.
When life, where we expect a smooth ride, becomes a roller coaster, God has the perfect solution. Is it readily seen? Maybe not! A blatantly sinful, disgusting woman was placed right where she was visible to everyone, while her disgrace was being announced. This was public shaming if ever there was one. I cannot imagine that she peacefully accompanied her captors. Who was this woman? Was that the only sexual sin of the day? Was she selected to be made an example to other potential adulteresses?
Emphasis was placed on the fact that she was caught in the very act. Does this mean that it would have been permissible if she were not caught? Pause to ponder, what was the proximity of those scribes and Pharisees who apprehended her? Was her husband among the accusers? Jesus was correctly addressed as Master. He, therefore, was being subtly reminded that as a teacher of the law, He already knew the consequence that she should suffer. However, they asked His opinion.
There are times when we present our situation to God, we ask His opinion, although we already have our own planned solution. If they genuinely wanted His input, they would not have given Him a leading answer. (Now, Moses in the law…)
Moses, the lawgiver, was extremely important to the scribes and Pharisees. They preached the letter of the law to a “T”. But Jesus seized the opportunity for them to practice worshiping with the heart and not just with the lips. Today, we have many such opportunities to feed the hungry; quench the thirsty; invite the stranger; and clothe the naked, in the name of love.
Those religious leaders, no doubt extended kindness to other scribes and Pharisees. This woman was not from among them. So, it was time to discipline her at the expense of Jesus’ character. Bountiful Mercy demonstrated what He meant by, let him that is thirsty, come. Whosever will, let him take the water of life, freely. They saw vengeance as the only solution, but Jesus had mercy enough and to spare.
He, by His action, taught that self-examination is another path that may lead to repentance. In not condemning the woman, Jesus was not minimizing her sin. This was an opportunity for her to take inventory and acknowledge her deed and surrender to her fate. It was in Jesus’s power to punish her, but He extended compassion. She just knew that her end had come. I can imagine that every muscle in her tense body, relaxed and she could not believe what she heard. Bountiful Mercy said, “Come, go and sin no more.”
What hidden factors in her life dictated to her that adultery was the best fit for her problem? Jesus gave the crowd, time for introspection. Did she deserve to be pardoned? Our answers vary, but we have all received the benefit of Romans 5:8. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
It is pitiful that the woman was being used as a scapegoat. The problem was not so much with her adultery, but the goal was to hear and possibly refute Jesus’ response. Unfortunately, we sometimes think that we can circumvent our own issues by pointing the finger elsewhere. We too have gathered some stones, written some peoples’ names on them, and are standing in line ready to let them rip.
In Matthew 18:23-35, we read of a merciful pardon and an unexpected indifference. The one who received a debt cancellation retaliated against someone who was indebted to him. He was about to kill his debtor. He imprisoned him for the duration of time that the debt would be satisfied. When this indiscretion was exposed, his lack of compassion was frowned on and dealt with accordingly.
God requires much from believers as per Luke 12:48. How much has He given us? What is the measurement of the sin in us, that Jesus pardoned? The overwhelming evidence that we tote daily, is enough to condemn us to eternal doom. Yet, He forgives us constantly and asks us to go and do the same to others. Justice says sin must be punished, but mercy says Psalm 33:5.
Repentance is not what we execute for someone. It is what they do from their heart if they are so inclined. Ultimately, the burden of proof lies in their course of action. Will we surrender to Jesus’s example?
Jesus is asking us to extend HIS kind of mercy. Our captors seemingly deserve every stone that we want to hurl, but Jesus is writing NOT on the ground BUT in the book of life. It is worth it for us to forgive those who have wronged us so that we can receive His bountiful mercy.
Dr. O. A. James
Reflection
What does Lamentations 3: 22 It is of the Lord‘s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not, mean to you?