Ruthless Mercy

I had been contemplating something that I knew would result in another blog post soon. Then in church yesterday, we looked at the Beatitude in Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” The sermon not only gave me much to think about, it gave me the title for this post.

Here’s the plot: A powerful man has an adulterous affair with his neighbor’s wife who becomes pregnant as a result. To cover his tracks, the adulterer has the adulteress’s husband murdered. In a turn of what must be poetic justice, the child of the sordid affair dies shortly after birth. Later, another child is born to the same couple, and he rises to the highest levels of power in the world. Apparently plagued by the same problem with lust as his father, the son also complicates his life with multiple intimate relationships. In a tragic irony, his children ignore his wishes and after he dies, they destroy everything he and their grandfather had built.

Most of you reading this were not fooled into thinking it was the plot of the latest Hollywood blockbuster, but rather the story of David and Solomon, two “heroes” of the Bible if there ever were such a thing. Two heroes, by the way, who were specially blessed by God in almost unimaginable ways. David was a giant-slayer; Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. In their writings, both give God the credit for their accomplishments. Even though they were giants among men, their problems were gigantic as well.

If these two were the only examples of morally fallen heroes, it would be notable, but unusual. It’s not unusual at all, strangely enough. Start with Abraham: he slept with his wife’s servant… at her request. His son, Isaac, pulled a fast one on his father-in-law to increase his own wealth. Isaac’s son cheated and lied his way into stealing his older brother’s lawful inheritance (with the collusion of their mother). The prophet Jonah ran the opposite direction when God called him to Nineveh. The Apostle Peter denied Christ three times on what was arguably the most important night of his life. And that’s not a complete list. The lineage of the Messiah himself is peopled by a whore, an incestuous daughter-in-law, and a prohibited union with foreigner. Sheesh!

At first it seems counter-intuitive to have the record of God’s redemptive history peppered with so many downright unsavory personalities. It seems like the people of God should be stainless saints, models of good behavior. They are anything but that. In fact, they look just like normal people; dare I say, they look just like me. Samson, the one super-hero who shows up has so many bad characteristics that it is almost embarrassing to call him one of God’s chosen – but he was.

The Bible clearly says that God’s ways are beyond figuring out; his thoughts are as far above mine as the sky is high. Yet the Scripture also says that God knows exactly what he is doing in all things, and that his purposes cannot be thwarted – even by deeply flawed humans. In fact, God seems to revel in using deeply flawed humans to accomplish his will. That’s probably a good thing, since flawed humans are all he has to work with if he is going to use any of us. That is precisely my point.

None of us can say, “God couldn’t use me; I’m too (fill in the blank).” If God only used perfect people, his one chance has come and gone (although he is coming again!). It looks to me as if God chooses to use a certain kind of imperfect person. David will serve as an example. Scripture calls David a man after God’s own heart (this after he messed up royally). Because David was such a prolific writer, we can see his attitude toward his self-confessed waywardness: he was contrite; he was repentant. Read Psalm 51 if you want one example.

You might also want to read Psalm 139, another penned by David. The reason David could remain a man after God’s own heart is because of what he prayed in Psalm 139. In the first verse David admits that God knows him inside and out, but especially inside. In the last verse David prays that God would share what he knows: “if there be any wicked way in me.” David knew that his loving Heavenly Father would find the dirt inside, and cleanse it (Psalm 51). David knew he couldn’t hide anything anywhere, so he submitted himself to God’s cleansing.

Being prepared for service by God can be scary. In church yesterday, Pastor Troy Champ used the analogy of turning over rocks to uncover all the creepy things that hide there. In “Not Our Father’s God” I recalled C. S. Lewis’ picture of the lion Aslan as a figure of Christ who is not tame, but safe. In Voyage of the Dawntreader Lewis has another powerful picture of the work God will do if we let him. The wayward child, Eustace, had turned into a dragon as a result of his sinful ways. Aslan offers to lovingly remove the dragon flesh, a process which Eustace describes as both painful and delightful. It is never fun to discover the things that hide in the dark places of our souls, but it is necessary to become the “pure in heart” Jesus identified in the Beatitude.

Someone said that God loves us just as we are, but loves us too much to leave us the way we are. That is a good thing; that is how we become clay in the Potter’s hand so we can be shaped into vessels for his use. God is tirelessly seeking to conform us into the image of his son. Troy referred to this loving pursuit by God as his ruthless mercy. He does not give us what we deserve, that’s his ruthless mercy. But in his boundless grace, he makes us the best we can be if we only let him. Bring it on, God of mercy; bring it on.