God’s Love is Merciful

God's has bound himself in love to his creation, and his mercy is given in Christ.

Matt 9:9-13 and Eph 2:1-5

It is an everlasting mercy, from generation to generation. It involves forgiveness, love, compassion, and promise.

During the Second World War, a crippled American B17 Bomber was flying over Germany after a bombing run. It had been severely shot up, with the rear gunner dead and many of the crew injured. As they limped towards home, the pilot Charles Brown looked out his window to see a German Messerschmitt fighter hovering just off their wingtip. His heart sank as he thought the fighter was closing in for the kill. It was five days before Christmas and any hope of seeing Christmas and his family again seemed lost. But to his surprise the pilot didn’t fire on them. Instead, the pilot just nodded at Brown, then put his plane into a turn and flew away. Years later, Charles Brown was able to track down that German pilot, and the reunion reduced both men to tears.

An act of mercy.

The word 'mercy' translated in the Old Testament has the same root meaning as 'womb'. So, God’s mercy towards us is like a mother and her protection, love and care of her child in her womb. It is an everlasting mercy, from generation to generation. It involves forgiveness, love, compassion, and promise.

But You, O Lord, shall endure forever, And the remembrance of Your name to all generations. You will arise and have mercy on Zion; For the time to favour her, yes, the set time, has come. (Psalm 102:12-13)

God has bound himself in love to his creation, and his mercy is given in Christ. We are all lost and dead in our sin. But through Christ we are offered the gift of salvation.

All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. (Eph 2:3-5)

You can’t know God by doing good things. You can only know him by knowing Christ as your saviour. Today, reach out to Jesus and find his mercy.

God bless,

Pastor Stephen