July 4--How Mercy Moves Me

I was tempted to settle a score tit-for-tat, but the mercy I read about in today's passages melted me instead.  See what you think of it.

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Eve reads her Bible journal aloud on this episode.

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Transcript

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July four How Mercy Moves Me I won't be reading the scripture references for those please check the written post. Our single son is living with us temporarily. Most days are sweet, but a few turn sour. Our last phone call about his needing a ride home from work and wanting me to provide it included him labeling my busy schedule as bullshit. To top it off, he hung up on me. I let some time pass and then called back. I don't like how you just talk to me. If you want my help, you've got a Mom, I'm finishing up here, he interrupted. Click. The phone went dead again. I tried not to feel the anger rising from my gut. I tried to imagine him busily working, too busy to say bye. I tried to give him a pass on kindness. But kindness doesn't take any longer than unkindness. A headache began bulging behind my eyeballs. I settled on settling this once he got home in language that would assert my right to aforesaid kindness, but he got a ride and didn't need me after all, and by the time he showed up, the moment had passed. I tried to pull us back into it, but he wasn't tracking. Mom, I was working. What do you expect? Clearly too much. Even I felt it, but I couldn't shake the injustice. Supper was silent, and when his dishes became insulting and intolerable rather than just dirty, which was after I mentioned the phone call hang ups twice, I knew something ugly was bubbling up inside me. But after reading these passages my next move surprised me. See what you think.

2 Kings 24-25

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The Old Testament chapters are Second Kings twenty four to twenty five. In just one generation the gains of one good king were lost. These chapters detail what happened to Josiah's sons and grandson after his death as they passed the kingship of Judah from one to another. As godly as he was, Josiah's sons and grandson were not, even though Josiah effectively rid Judah of its idolatry during his lifetime, it came back in the very next generation. Maybe he was so busy cleaning up the nation that he neglected his children. Maybe there were extenuating circumstances that would make their faith failure understandable if only we knew them, or maybe the faith of our children isn't our responsibility. It's hard to say what the breakdown was, but it reminds me of David's parenting. The man after God's own heart had children with various degrees of faithlessness as they were idolaters, murderers, and one rapist. Faith in God isn't something parents have control over. Just look at God's kids. He's the perfect parent, yet the majority of his kids don't believe in him. Jehoiakin is one of Josiah's faithless sons, the one who reigned second after Josiah's death. At the age of eighteen he was carried off to Babylon along with his wives, leadership, military, and artisans, and after thirty seven years in lockdown he was let out of prison and given the privilege of having all his meals with the Babylonian king, evil Murdoch, as well as having the king's lifelong financial support. What could have caused a pagan king to have mercy like this? Only one thing I know of. Only God could bring about an ending like this for a foolish king languishing for years in prison. Only God would think to let unexpected grace come from the most unexpected place, a pagan king named evil of all things. If grace can show up here, where can't it show up? And if grace is even here, why would anyone hang on to hopelessness in their own situation? God is almighty, ever present, and always ruling and overruling for your and my benefit. And that's not just my narcissism talking. Every person has a story of a faith in God fail, and some of us have several, and when, like Jehoiakin, we finally turn back to him, we receive blessing at the King of Kings table, not blaming and shaming. We get his warm welcome, his smile, his kindness, his provision for life. Surely God is the true God, there's just no one else like him. God chooses who he will for reasons we can't know to tell the story he wants to tell so that we're confounded and adoring. Only God could think up a happy ending like Jehoiakin's for the end of this book of Second Kings that's full of so many bad kings. But isn't this how we dream life will finally turn out? Beauty from ashes, freedom from bondage, life from death, joy beyond imagining? Only love can turn us around, give us a place at the table, and call us his friends. It's a happy ending we want for the unbelievable grace in it, but we ought to believe it because happy endings are coming for every person who trusts him, and even for those of us who struggle to trust him. Will we believe God for the happily ever after we all want? Will we believe him for the grace he's got for us today? Will we lean into grace and give up complaining and right fighting and nitpicking and hating? Will we trust the God who holds our place at his table despite who we've been, despite who we are even today? The warm welcome in God's mercy moves me. It makes my list of grievances look silly. Can treating my people mercifully be too far behind? I'm guessing that evil Murdoch wouldn't let a few words spoken in a moment under pressure ruin the supper he had sitting on the table. And if evil wouldn't, Eve will no longer, my heart was light when I hugged my son after reading today's chapters. God's mercy will change you.

Acts 22:22-23:10

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The New Testament passage is Acts twenty two twenty two to twenty three ten. Paul is arrested for causing a commotion among ultra conservative Jews and is then saved by his own quick thinking from torture by the Roman soldiers who arrest him. He informs the captain of the guard that he's a Roman citizen, and his is not a purchase citizenship, but one gained by birthright. He's then released to the Jewish High Council where he exploits the beef between the Pharisees and Sadducees about resurrection, so they start fighting among themselves. Amidst their hub, the captain gets Paul safely away, and he's rescued by the skin of his teeth once again. Paul's escapades would be humorous if they weren't so dangerous. His life literally hangs in the balance, yet every time God rescues Paul from death by the gift of his wits. God's presence with Paul and his persecution is palpable. Only God could empower him to think on his feet under pressure like this. I'm guessing he's not even afraid given his sarcasm with the high priest, who Paul said doesn't act like a high priest, and he's cool conversing with the captain when he's about to torture him. I want faith as tenacious as this, collected and confident, dependent and trusting, no matter what happens. When my hope is in God alone, I have nothing to worry about. God's mercy will empower

Psalm 2, Prayer, Proverbs 18:14-15

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you. From Psalm two. Don't our lives depend on what we make of him? The psalmist advises best to embrace Jesus, the Son who's been set up to save us from the judgment that will come. Of course, grace is always available, and at the end of this Psalm the writer extends it, quote, but if you make a run for God, you won't regret it, end quote. God's mercy will protect you. Prayer. God, on the day we celebrate America's freedom, I'm reminded of your mercy that freely gave then and keeps giving now. Thank you for your help in our past, present, and future. Let your mercy mark us and our dealings with each other. In Jesus' name, so be it. From Proverbs 18, 14 to 15. The healthy self rises above his or her hurdles, but where does one go during dark devastation? Even in adversity, the wise will always listen and learn. Passages in Second Kings, Acts, Psalms, and Proverbs are selected for today in the yearly Bible. This is Eve de Bartelaban, Roebuck.