Matthew 9:27 - 31
As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”
When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they replied.
Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.
With the advent ("coming") of Jesus into their life-paths, these two blind men asked for "mercy." They did not ask for sight. Perhaps their cry out to Jesus was an implicit plea for healing, but then, maybe it was just what it was: A request for mercy.
I'm having a hard time coming up with synonyms for mercy . . . maybe "generosity" is a close cousin . . . maybe the same words I would use for "grace" come close. Forgiveness and pardon are somewhere in the mix.
When I ask for mercy, what is it I'm asking for?
Maybe "mercy" simply stands of its own and cannot be defined by something else.
I do know that there are few things I need more than mercy. I need God's mercy, the generous, merciful wholeness of the One who holds all things together. If mercy is a central aspect of who God is, then I need mercy.
I also need to be merciful toward myself. I need to honestly acknowledge my limitations, the boundaries of my human personhood. That self-mercy is essential if I am to live a life that is fully human. I am Jerry, not God, and I need to mercifully allow myself to be Jerry, not God.
I need the mercy of others, the generosity of those I've harmed both intentionally and unintentionally.
Mercy is a major foundation for life. The recognition that I need mercy is not a sign of weakness; rather, it is an expression of the desire to live a life that is fully human.
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