And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” Luke 15: 2
There are many that would argue that there was more discipline in society when our forefathers served some traditional deities pointing out that instant justice was administered, which compelled people to live right. Families were known to have been wiped out for the disobedience of a member and communities were made to suffer repercussions for carrying out acts that were against the gods’ decrees as expounded by their priests. But the fact remains that there was no justice and people were under bondage of the gods and priests who make impossible demand on them, including human sacrifices, while human frailties were not considered.
Though freedom has been offered us today, if we chose to be free, yet many are very quick in condemning others and prescribing punishment that should be meted on them for their perceived (and actual) offences. We most times fail to see our own faults and prescribe similar punishments for our own offences. The Pharisees and the scribes belonged to this group and in Luke 15: 2 they were very bitter that Jesus was associating with sinners. Though in various Scriptures God was very clear about His desires for sinners to repent and in Ezekiel 18: 32 did say “… I have no pleasure in the death of anyone” but for them to turn from their sins and live, these leaders’ perception of God was so different from who God really is. While pretending to represent God, they may have felt that their authorities are being trampled upon by these people and felt some personal hurt for their disobedience to their teachings so they must die and roast in hell.
We fall in that same category when we fail to forgive and allow personal hurt to lead us into inflicting greater pain and hurt to those that may have hurt us. If we sincerely examine our lives we realize that many times we have been disobedient and have done things that should lead to extreme punishment from God. But God is merciful and wants us to repent, live as He had planned for us and finally, have a place in heaven. Jonah felt that God had made him a liar by not punishing the people of Nineveh after their repentance (Jonah 4:1-11) following his proclamation of God’s punishment upon the city for their sins (Jonah 3). But God taught Jonah a lesson on mercy when he caused a bush to grow and be destroyed, which made Jonah angry. God said to Jonah “You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labour and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night and should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?” (Jonah 4:10-11)
Though God is Holy and justice is one of His attributes, mercy is also His attribute and this makes Him to stay the speedy execution of His justice even though sinners continually provoke Him, and make the fury come up in His face (see Ezekiel 38:18). God can execute justice immediately, since He is armed with omnipotence, but because He is good, He gives a reprieve for the sinner, and stops the speedy process of justice, which should lead the sinner to repentance. God’s mercy is not the fruit of our goodness, but the fruit of God’s goodness. Jeremiah writes in Lamentation 3: 22-33 that “through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” It is the pure sovereign grace which alone determines the exercise of divine mercy. God expressly affirms this fact in Romans 9:15, “For he says to Moses (Exodus 33:19), ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’.”
Beloved, this Lenten season has given us another opportunity to reflect on the life we are living, whether we are living right with God or taking His grace and mercy for granted. We must come to Him with penitent hearts and with the commitment to surrender all to Him. We must remember always that God though merciful, is also a God of justice. Hebrews 10: 26-31 says “For if we wilfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. … For we know the one who said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Have a sober week as you seek God’s mercy consciously and penitently, and not presume on His love.
Your brother, Vicar & Archdeacon
S.Igein Isemede