In
our tolerant, relativistic society, we need to make an important distinction here.
Hesed isn’t blind to the fact a wrong has occurred nor afraid to say so.
That’s moral cowardice. Hesed sees the wrong, may even call the offender’s
attention to it, but shows kindness nonetheless.
Please
notice, though, we’re not just to do mercy like we’re told to do justly,
we’re commanded to love mercy. Literally, we’re to be lovers of lovingkindness.
Naturally, we love to retaliate. How do we overcome that? By appreciating how
much we personally need mercy and grace from those who know us best. What you
appreciate, you come to love.
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Our
Father tells us to hold ourselves to a high standard of honesty and to show others
mercy when they don’t measure up. We prefer that others be honest with us
and show us mercy when we don’t measure up. We want the easy way out. God’s
way is far more demanding.
Third,
I want you to walk humbly with me.
Live
in humility before Me. Place yourself under My authority.
Jesus
taught us to pray, “May thy kingdom come, and thy will be done, on earth
as it is in Heaven.” When you offer up that petition, remember that you are
made out of earth, the dust of the ground. When you pray “thy will be done
on earth,” you’re asking God first to have His own way in the earth
that is you.
To
pray that petition sincerely calls for humility, but not the kind you have to
work up on your own. Just realizing that He is God in Heaven, and you are but
dust blowing across the face of the earth, is humbling enough.
Do
justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly with Him. Simple enough, but hardly easy. The
children of Israel never did keep the rules per-fectly. Truth be told, neither
have we — nor can we. Only one Son perfectly obeyed, 2,000 years ago; and out
of jealousy, the rest of us banded together to crucify Him. Amazingly, when the
Father looked at the shed blood of His only perfect Son, He began to see the rest
of us kids in a better light.
____________________
Sermon
brief provided by: Greg Hollifield, Chaplain with Youth for Christ and instructor
at Crichton College in Memphis, TN