Rich in Mercy
Introduction
A man was having his portrait painted by a successful artist. When the portrait was finished it was unveiled. The man was most unhappy with the result. When asked whether he liked it, he replied, ‘I don’t think it does me justice.’ To which the artist replied, ‘Sir, it is not justice you need, but mercy!’
At the end of the day, we all need mercy even more than justice. God is ‘rich in mercy’ (Ephesians 2:4). The theme of the ‘mercy of God’ runs throughout the Bible. In the original Greek, ‘eleos’ (mercy) also means compassion, pity, clemency. The mercy of God is available for you. In our passages for today we see some examples of people who are recipients of God’s mercy.
Psalm 27:7-14
7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD;
be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face! ”
Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Saviour.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, LORD;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.
Commentary
1. The struggling
No matter what struggles you are facing in your life, hold on to God’s promises. Expect to see God’s goodness, not just in heaven when you die, but in the ordinary activities of your life here on earth (‘in the land of the living’, v.13).
David cries out to God, ‘Be merciful to me’ (v.7b). Being falsely accused is a horrible experience. David faces ‘oppressors’ (v.11b) and ‘false witnesses’ (v.12b). Going through this very painful experience he cries out to God for mercy, and in the middle of all the accusations he is able to say, ‘I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living’ (v.13).
The reason that David has this confidence is because he recognises that God is his Saviour (v.9b) and a perfect parent. ‘Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me’ (v.10).
Many people today struggle as a result of a lack of love from their parents. But whatever your relationship with your parents, you can still begin to picture what a relationship with a perfect parent would look like.
God is such a parent. His faithfulness is without question. His generosity is perfect. His affection is tender and loving. His presence is permanent. His acceptance of you is unconditional. His communication is up-building and for your best interest. His authority is right and true.
When David writes that ‘the Lord will receive me’ (v.10b), he is thinking of those kinds of perfect parental attributes.
God is not going to fail you, especially when you are struggling. Some earthly parents only provide love and protection when they feel their children deserve it. Not God. The amazing truth is that our Father is merciful and gives us love and protection, even when we don’t deserve it.
Prayer
‘Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me. My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek… Teach me your way, Lord’ (vv.7–8,11).
Mark 10:13-31
The Little Children and Jesus
13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
The Rich and the Kingdom of God
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honour your father and mother.’”
20 “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
21 Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Commentary
2. The children
In a society that did not hold ‘little children’ (v.13) in high regard, Jesus had compassion on them (vv.13–16). He said, ‘The kingdom of God belongs to such as these’ (v.14b). He took them ‘in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them’ (v.16). We must make sure that as a church community we give children the same love, protection and priority that Jesus gave them – in terms of time, energy and resource.
In fact, Jesus tells us, whoever we are, however old we are, we all need to learn from children when it comes to being a part of the kingdom of God: ‘I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it’ (v.15).
Jesus is not suggesting that we become like children in every aspect. We are not to give in to every childish whim or assume no responsibility for our actions. But, like children, we are to be open and receptive, to be honest about our feelings – acknowledging how fragile and vulnerable we are and how much we need others. Like children, be quick to forgive and quick to move on in trust.
Children are usually enthusiastic, appreciative and excited when given gifts. When it comes to God’s kingdom, we are to be exactly the same – dependent on Jesus’ gift to us and ready to accept it as a gift which we do not deserve, but which Jesus, in his mercy, offers to us.
Lord, help me to learn from children, to become like them in the right ways and to give them the same priority that you give them.
3. The poor
Jesus tells the rich young man to ‘give to the poor’ (v.21b). This surely is not just for his own benefit but because the poor were another high priority in Jesus’ life and ministry.
Lord, help me to have the same love and compassion for the poor as you do.
4. The rich
The compassion of Jesus reached not just the poor but also the rich. Jesus looked at this rich young man and ‘loved him’ (v.21a). It is extremely hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of God (vv.24–25).
Rich people and even rich nations are sometimes more resistant to the gospel. Wealth can lead to arrogance and a wrong kind of self-reliance. Yet Jesus says it is not impossible for the rich to be saved: ‘All things are possible with God’ (v.27).
Lord, thank you that you are so merciful – not only to the poor but also to the rich.
5. The persecuted
Jesus says that all his followers will be persecuted (v.30). For some of us the ‘persecutions’ are very minor and trivial. People may laugh at you, ridicule you and oppose you. However, for millions of Christians around the world the persecutions are very real and physical.
This is part of the cost to following Jesus – persecution. There is always a cost to following Jesus. It may be that we lose friends or that Jesus calls us to leave a situation or a relationship. But the cost comes in a sandwich of blessing – in this life there is a hundredfold return (vv.29–30), ‘and then the bonus of eternal life!’ (v.30, MSG). God will be merciful to the persecuted.
Prayer
Lord, thank you for the courage, example and inspiration of those who bear real hardship for you. Give me boldness to follow you whatever the cost.
Leviticus 4:1-5:13
The Sin Offering
4 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Say to the Israelites: ‘When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands —
3 “‘If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed. 4 He is to present the bull at the entrance to the tent of meeting before the LORD. He is to lay his hand on its head and slaughter it there before the LORD. 5 Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and carry it into the tent of meeting. 6 He is to dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle some of it seven times before the LORD, in front of the curtain of the sanctuary. 7 The priest shall then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the tent of meeting. The rest of the bull’s blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 8 He shall remove all the fat from the bull of the sin offering—all the fat that is connected to the internal organs, 9 both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the long lobe of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys — 10 just as the fat is removed from the ox sacrificed as a fellowship offering. Then the priest shall burn them on the altar of burnt offering. 11 But the hide of the bull and all its flesh, as well as the head and legs, the internal organs and the intestines — 12 that is, all the rest of the bull—he must take outside the camp to a place ceremonially clean, where the ashes are thrown, and burn it there in a wood fire on the ash heap.
13 “‘If the whole Israelite community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, even though the community is unaware of the matter, when they realize their guilt 14 and the sin they committed becomes known, the assembly must bring a young bull as a sin offering and present it before the tent of meeting. 15 The elders of the community are to lay their hands on the bull’s head before the LORD, and the bull shall be slaughtered before the LORD. 16 Then the anointed priest is to take some of the bull’s blood into the tent of meeting. 17 He shall dip his finger into the blood and sprinkle it before the LORD seven times in front of the curtain. 18 He is to put some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the LORD in the tent of meeting. The rest of the blood he shall pour out at the base of the altar of burnt offering at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 19 He shall remove all the fat from it and burn it on the altar, 20 and do with this bull just as he did with the bull for the sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for the community, and they will be forgiven. 21 Then he shall take the bull outside the camp and burn it as he burned the first bull. This is the sin offering for the community.
22 “‘When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the LORD his God, when he realizes his guilt 23 and the sin he has committed becomes known, he must bring as his offering a male goat without defect. 24 He is to lay his hand on the goat’s head and slaughter it at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered before the LORD. It is a sin offering. 25 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 26 He shall burn all the fat on the altar as he burned the fat of the fellowship offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for the leader’s sin, and he will be forgiven.
27 “‘If any member of the community sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, when they realize their guilt 28 and the sin they have committed becomes known, they must bring as their offering for the sin they committed a female goat without defect. 29 They are to lay their hand on the head of the sin offering and slaughter it at the place of the burnt offering. 30 Then the priest is to take some of the blood with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 31 They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar as an aroma pleasing to the LORD. In this way the priest will make atonement for them, and they will be forgiven.
32 “‘If someone brings a lamb as their sin offering, they are to bring a female without defect. 33 They are to lay their hand on its head and slaughter it for a sin offering at the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered. 34 Then the priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger and put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering and pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar. 35 They shall remove all the fat, just as the fat is removed from the lamb of the fellowship offering, and the priest shall burn it on the altar on top of the food offerings presented to the LORD. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.
5 “‘If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible.
2 “‘If anyone becomes aware that they are guilty—if they unwittingly touch anything ceremonially unclean (whether the carcass of an unclean animal, wild or domestic, or of any unclean creature that moves along the ground) and they are unaware that they have become unclean, but then they come to realize their guilt; 3 or if they touch human uncleanness (anything that would make them unclean) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt; 4 or if anyone thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil (in any matter one might carelessly swear about) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt— 5 when anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned. 6 As a penalty for the sin they have committed, they must bring to the LORD a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering; and the priest shall make atonement for them for their sin.
7 “‘Anyone who cannot afford a lamb is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the Lord as a penalty for their sin—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 8 They are to bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one for the sin offering. He is to wring its head from its neck, not dividing it completely, 9 and is to splash some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar; the rest of the blood must be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. 10 The priest shall then offer the other as a burnt offering in the prescribed way and make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.
11 “‘If, however, they cannot afford two doves or two young pigeons, they are to bring as an offering for their sin a tenth of an ephah of the finest flour for a sin offering. They must not put olive oil or incense on it, because it is a sin offering. 12 They are to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful of it as a memorial portion and burn it on the altar on top of the food offerings presented to the LORD. It is a sin offering. 13 In this way the priest will make atonement for them for any of these sins they have committed, and they will be forgiven. The rest of the offering will belong to the priest, as in the case of the grain offering. ’”
Commentary
6. The guilty
We are all guilty of sin (James 2:10). The word ‘guilt’ appears over and over again in this passage (Leviticus 4:3,13,22,27; 5:2,3,4,5). There is a penalty for sin (5:5–6). The apostle Paul tells us that the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23).
The elaborate sacrifices described in this passage were preparing the people for the one perfect sacrifice of Jesus who died for you and me (the guilty) so that we might receive the mercy of God.
- Jesus made atonement for your sins
Forgiveness does not come without atonement for sin (Leviticus 4:31,35; 5:10,13). One definition of atonement is ‘the action of making amends for a wrong or injury that brings two parties together as one’ – hence the word ‘at-one-ment’. Ultimately, it is only Jesus who made the perfect atonement for our sins (Hebrews 2:17).
- Jesus died as a sacrifice of atonement
We read here of the elaborate sacrificial system of ‘sin offerings’ (Leviticus 4:3,29,33,34; 5:9,11,12). Jesus died as the ‘sacrifice of atonement’ (Romans 3:25) for your sin and mine.
- Jesus was the perfect sacrifice
The sacrifice had to be ‘without defect’ (Leviticus 4:3,28,32). Ultimately, it was only Jesus – who was without sin – who could be the perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 5:9).
- Jesus is the Lamb of God
A lamb was brought as a sin offering (Leviticus 4:32). The guilty person had to lay their hands on its head. The lamb died as a sin offering to take away sin. Jesus is ‘The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’ (John 1:29).
- Jesus’ blood was shed for you
The priest had to take some of ‘the blood of the sin offering... and pour out the rest of the blood’ (Leviticus 4:34). The blood represented the life of the animal (17:11). Pouring out the blood was symbolic of the fact that the animal had died. This was in the place of the person making the sacrifice. The blood of Jesus was poured out for you and me (Matthew 26:28).
- Jesus has made God’s mercy available to all
The words ‘forgiveness’ and ‘forgiven’ appear over and over again (Leviticus 4:20,26,31,35; 5:10,13). ‘Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness’ (Hebrews 9:22). Through Jesus’ blood, forgiveness of sins is possible (Ephesians 1:7). As a result, God’s mercy is available for you and me.
Prayer
Lord, thank you so much that I no longer have to go through these elaborate processes to obtain mercy and forgiveness. Thank you that total forgiveness is available for me through Jesus. Thank you that in your great love for me you are ‘rich in mercy’ (2:4).
Pippa adds
Leviticus 4:1-5:13
In Leviticus, we see all those sacrifices! Oh dear, what a messy, complicated way to be forgiven. It is so wonderful that we can go quietly and humbly to Jesus, ask to be forgiven and be cleansed from all our sins. How amazing is that!
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References
The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel (commentary formerly known as Bible in One Year) ©Alpha International 2009. All Rights Reserved.
Compilation of daily Bible readings © Hodder & Stoughton Limited 1988. Published by Hodder & Stoughton Limited as the Bible in One Year.
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.
Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.