"But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Matthew 5:44-45Mercy is all over the Bible, but it seems that the times that mercy seems to be unfair that we remember it the most.
As I make my way through Genesis, I am seeing details that I have forgotten that describe mercy. Not only do they show merciful situations, they help expand on what may be difficult words to understand, such as what Jesus preached.
Lot is a Sodomite, according to Genesis, for he took residence in Sodom. As a result of a conflict between different kings, including the king of Sodom, Lot ended up as a prisoner of war. Abram engages in a rescue mission and ends up saving Lot, some allies, and the cavalry of Sodom.
Abram saves not only his family but also the people of a "wicked and sinful" nation.
I don't have an explanation as to why God would have saving a land with a very bad reputation in addition to God's people, but it sure is a demonstration of mercy. Abram was appointed to do the work that was assigned to him, and he left everything else to God. Of course, we all know that later on God destroys Sodom in a terrifying way, but for this instant beforehand, God delivers both the family of Abram and the wicked and sinful people of Sodom.
When I hear these words of Jesus, I can only think of all the times that I have been spared by God, the times that God has shown me mercy. I can also think of how a director assigns parts for a play, or a manager the jobs at a restaurant, or the rector the jobs of the laity. Jesus gave us our scripts: to love, to serve, to forgive, to pray. When we perform our roles, God will show us what is perfect in God's eyes.
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