Copyright ©1996, ProMotion, inc.
www@acloserlook.com
"Bleesed are the merciful," said Jesus on the mountain. Those who are merciful to others are the ones who are truly blessed. Why? Jesus answered the question: "...they will be shown mercy."
The merciful, Jesus says, are shown mercy. They witness grace.
Jesus told the story of a king who decided to close out all his accounts with those who worked for him. He called in his debtors and told them to pay. One man owed a debt too great to return--a debt that could never be repaid. But when the king saw the man and heard his story, his heart went out to him and he erased the debt.
As the man left the palace grounds, he encountered a fellow employee who owed him a small sum. He grabbed the debtor and choked him, demanding payment. When the fellow begged for mercy, no mercy was granted. Instead, the one who had just been forgiven had his debtor thrown into jail.
When word of this got to the King, he became livid. And Jesus says, "In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed."
Could someone actually be forgiven a debt of millions and be unable to forgive a debt of hundreds? Could a person be set free and then imprison another?
You don't have to be a theologian to answer those questions; you only have to look in the mirror....
Notice what God does when we calibrate our compassion. He turns us over to be tortured. But for the one who tastes God's grace and then gives it to others, the reward is a blessed liberation. The prison door is thrown open, and the prisoner set free is yourself.
Copyright ©1996, ProMotion, inc.
www@acloserlook.com