Pastor Sherry’s message for June 30, 2024

Scriptures:1 Sam 1:1, 17-27; Ps 130; 2 Cor 8:7-15; Mk 5:21-43

This morning I want to share with you two brief stories in which mercy is granted to someone:

In the first, “A mother once approached Napoleon seeking a pardon for her son. The emperor replied that the young man had committed a certain offense twice and justice demanded death. ‘But I don’t ask for justice,’ the mother explained. ‘I plead for mercy.’ ‘But your son does not deserve mercy,’ Napoleon replied. ‘Sir,’ the woman cried, ‘it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for.’ ‘Well, then,’ the emperor said, ‘I will have mercy.’ And he spared the woman’s son.” 

(Luis Palau, “Experiencing God’s Forgiveness”, Multnomah Press, 1984.)

The second is a true story from the life of President Calvin Coolidge (our 30th President, 1923-1929), which only came to light years after his death:  “In the early days of his presidency, Coolidge awoke one morning in his hotel room to find a burglar going through his pockets. Coolidge spoke up, asking the burglar not to take his watch chain because it contained an engraved charm he wanted to keep. Coolidge then engaged the thief in quiet conversation and discovered he was a college student who had no money to pay his hotel bill or buy a ticket back to campus. Coolidge counted $32 out of his wallet–which he had also persuaded the dazed young man to give back; declaring it to be a loan, he advised the young man to leave the way he had come so as to avoid the Secret Service! (Yes, the loan was paid back.)”

(Today in the Word, October 8, 1992).

Both of these stories illustrate the fact that mercy differs from justice.  Justice would require that both the French woman’s son and the felonious college student were punished for the crimes they had both truly committed.  Each had been caught doing wrong.  Each deserved the penalty required for their behavior.  But Mercy saw them both get off, hopefully to turn their lives 180 degrees around.

All of our passages today deal with mercy.  Let’s see what they have to teach us:

A.  In our OT lesson (2 Samuel 1:1,17-27), we see King David honoring the deaths of King Saul and Saul’s son, Jonathan.  Both logic and human nature would tell us that David had many reasons to be glad King Saul was dead.  We understand David’s deep and sincere grief for Jonathan, his best and truest friend.  But Saul, knowing God had anointed David as his successor, had repeatedly wronged David; jealously hunted him down, intending to kill him; and—because Saul ignored God’s will—would probably have killed David if he had ever gotten his hands on him.  (He never did because God protected David.)  In today’s cancel culture, many would have thought David justified in celebrating Saul’s death.

But such a way of thinking is neither Christian nor godly.  Remember, before Saul discovered that God had appointed David as his successor, David had played and sung music that calmed Saul’s troubled spirit.  David got to know Saul very well.  He became best friends with Saul’s son, Jonathan.  He married Saul’s daughter, Michal.  And, as we considered last week, Saul had allowed the youthful David to challenge and kill the pagan bully, Goliath.

So, in this passage, we see David illustrate the concept of mercy by honoring the good rather than only vilifying the bad.  He would have been justified in pointing out all the unjust ways in which Saul had treated him.

But instead, he laments Saul’s death, recalling the good the fallen king had done for Israel.  King David knew God had been merciful to him and so was willing to be merciful to his former enemy. 

B.  In fact, this is the point of Psalm 130—it is a prayer for mercy when someone is seriously troubled.  We don’t know the author.  But whoever he (or she) is, this person is well aware of God’s mercy.  He or she acknowledges their sinfulness (v.3)—If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?  This psalmist also celebrates the fact that the Lord forgives us, thanks be to God!  Ultimately, this psalm urges us to trust in God’s mercy.

C.  Paul, too, in 2 Corinthians 8:7-15, is focused on how we, as followers of Christ, must be merciful toward others.  He does not command the Corinthian Church to provide cash gifts to the poor, suffering church in Jerusalem (They were suffering due to a prolonged famine).  But it is clear from the passage that he wants them to do so.   He says essentially, (v.14)—At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need.  Then there will be equality.  The principle he outlines is that we are to give, when we have the means, because the time may come when we are in need and others will give to us.  This is a variation of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  If we have extra, mercy requires that we give to those less fortunate than us.

D. Jesus, in Mark 5:21-43, dispenses mercy to persons of very different social statuses:

Jairus, is a synagogue president, a privileged “insider.” 

He’s an important, socially prominent person.  We could say he was the  General Manager of the Synagogue.  He appears to be devoted to God, and he is very concerned about his daughter.  He is probably also rich, but his wealth could not cure his child.  Desperate for her healing, he falls at Jesus’ feet and says (v.23)—My little daughter is dying [is as good as dead].  Please come and put Your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.  He specifically asks Jesus to touch her.  Was he present in the Synagogue when Jesus quieted the demons or healed the man with the shriveled up hand?  Whatever the case, he has faith in Jesus’ ability to heal his child.  This 12YO child is precious to him and so he is motivated to seek mercy from Jesus.

By contrast to Jairus and his sick child, the chronically bleeding woman is a destitute “outsider.”  She suffered from whatever caused the bleeding.  She had also suffered from the medical treatments which failed to heal it.  She had suffered financially, having spent all of her money on doctors and prescriptions.  She suffered socially and spiritually, being considered ritually unclean.  Being ritually unclean–almost like a leper—she would have been exiled from her worshipping community.  Being ritually unclean also meant she had been exiled from her social community, including her family.  If she touched anything, it would become unclean (Leviticus 15:25-27).  No one could touch her either.  Imagine living for 12 years with no hugs or pats or handshakes.  If the crowd had recognized her, she could have been stoned for accidentally touching them.  She certainly could not touch a rabbi, like Jesus.

But look at her faith.  She must have heard that Jesus touched unclean persons (the leper); and that when He did, the unclean become clean; the broken, whole.  So she touches His garment in faith that doing so will heal her.  Some scholars contend that her faith was weak or superstitious.  I disagree!  She had faith that He could heal her, but was reluctant to draw any attention to herself.  Her only recourse was to touch His garment.   

Verse 30—Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him.  As Timothy Keller writes, “He has lost power so she could gain it” (King’s Cross, Dutton, 2011, p.61).  (Verse 29)—Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

Jesus wants to know who touched Him.  Why won’t Jesus allow her to remain anonymous?  He wants her to have a relationship with her Healer, her Savior.  He says (v.34)—Daughter, your faith has healed you.  Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.  She needs to know it was her faith and His mercy that healed her.  Before the crowd, He restores her physically spiritually, and socially.

Jesus also won’t allow her to remain anonymous because Jairus and others were watching.  He is saying to Jairus, Trust in Me, lean not upon your own understanding.  Meanwhile, (v.35)—Jairus is told that his daughter has died.  Jesus reassures him (v.36)—Don’t be afraid, just believe (keep on believing).  Trust me, be patient.  There is no need to hurry (death cannt defeat Me).   He takes Peter, James, and John with Him (the Law required 2-3 witnesses to confirm a truth), plus Jairus.

He takes the girl by the hand, and He says the equivalent of Honey/Little Lamb , get up!  On His mercy, He brings her back from the dead.

So what does this mean to us?  We are to demonstrate mercy toward others.  Isn’t it true that we often wish God would dish out justice for other wrong doers, but mercy towards ourselves?  But today, our Scripture passages show us that 

(1) King David offers mercy to someone who had repeatedly tried to kill him;

(2) Our God offers us mercy even though we are all sinners

(3) Paul urges us to offer the needy mercy through gifting them with money or food (a tithe to the poor);

(4) And Jesus offers merciful healing and resurrection life, regardless of a person’s social status.

This week, I challenge us all to think of times we have been touched by God’s mercy, and—like Napoleon and Calvin Coolidge—offer mercy to others.  Amen! 

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams