Short Devotion: Mercy Me - Matthew 5v7

 

Matthew 5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” (ESV)

            When I celebrate Communion at the church, one of the main areas that I focus on comes when the celebrant says: “O Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.” It is one of the most meaningful points in the sacrament because it reminds me of how much the gift of mercy is an essential part of Christ’s ministry. At that sacred moment, I know that I am a sinful creature in need of God’s grace, so when I hear those beautiful words, I am both ashamed and assured at the same time: I am ashamed because of my past sins; I am assured because of God’s great mercy.

            But mercy just isn’t personally given to me because I am in need of forgiveness; it’s also a gift which I am meant to share. After being forgiven, I could fall into the temptation of being merciless to those around me. My self-righteous holiness could make me judgmental of others who are struggling with their own sins, or issues, or problems. Instead of seeing them as folks who need God’s mercy and love just as much as I do, I could be morally blinded by my pride into thinking that they deserve what they get, or that I’ve experienced the same issues and have risen above them, so why can’t they do the same?

            Jesus taught us many things with words, but He also applied His teaching with deeds. If we think about when He was nailed to the cross, He didn’t curse those who were killing Him, but instead He pleaded with His Father to forgive them – a divine act of mercy that makes the cross not a terrible instrument of death, but an everlasting symbol of forgiveness, grace, and life.

            So, next time we’re celebrating Communion, perhaps we would do well to ponder on how much God’s mercy comes to us through Christ and then think about how we could show and share that mercy with other people who are struggling, too.

Q: How has God been merciful to me? Did I deserve such a gift? How can I apply mercy to others?

Prayer: O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.

O Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us Your peace. Amen.

Today’s image is one of John’s Good Friday drawings called “Faraway Hill.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Faraway Hill.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to see what the church is doing, check out the website at www.erinpres.org

July 30 devotion - Come to The Table

Revelation 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. (NIV)

            Our church recently decided to set its overall theme for the coming year as “Come to The Table.” It’s a great idea and one which all of our people, teams, ministries, and missions can embrace, experience, and express in wonderful, effective ways. We are all looking forward to seeing how each team and ministry work this into their regular tasks and projects. By the end of the year, we hope to have grown in worship, discipleship, fellowship, and faith.

            As I was reading and reflecting on today’s New Testament passage, it struck that the very first invitation of asking someone to come to the table should be given to Christ Himself. In fact, in today’s highlighted verse, Jesus encourages us to do that. He says that if we open the door (of our hearts and spirits), He will come in and eat with us. In other words, Christ will come to the table where we are dining and join us for a meal. It’s a beautiful picture of our Savior which shows us that He is ready, willing, and wanting to be a participant in our lives, a faithful friend in all that we seek to do.

            So, to initiate our theme, we can all invite Jesus to come to the table of our lives, our faith, our church, and our homes. He will be delighted to do this – all we have to do is open the door and enjoy the meal together.

Point to ponder

Where is Jesus in my life? Am I willing to invite Him to come to the table?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, come to the table of our lives and join our celebration. Enable us to enjoy Your company, to listen to Your conversation, and to share spiritual food with You. In Your Holy Name, we thankfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on any Sunday morning at 11:00 AM. Like Jesus, you’ll be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s Communion drawings called “Glasgow Cup.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Cup.

Precious Times - Mark 14:22

Mark 14:22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.” (NIV)

            One of the highlights of the holidays for most folks takes place at the dinner table. I love it when my family is gathered together for a traditional Christmas meal and we get to catch up with one another. It’s a beautiful festive time, but it also becomes sacramental to me. We’re making a special memory and creating a unique moment in each of our lives. As the years go by, precious times like Christmas dinners will become holy remembrances for a couple of generations.

            When Jesus initiated communion, He was sharing a sacred moment that has continued for almost two thousand years. As He spoke those special words and distributed the bread and wine, Jesus was creating a fixed time in history that will never be forgotten and cannot be erased. So long as human beings celebrate Christmas and Easter, the words of Jesus will be spoken and shared until that wonderful moment when He will return among us to usher in God’s everlasting kingdom throughout the Earth and invite us all to come to His table.

            Wherever you are in this new season of Christmas which lasts until Epiphany – January 6^th – may Christ’s loving spirit abide in your hearts and homes, and be shared with your family and friends.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, fill us with Your peace and love. Enable us to hopefully and joyfully share it with our loved ones and all whom we encounter during this season of goodwill. In Your Holy name, we thankfully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made most welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Christmas drawings called “Long Ago.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: LongAgo.

Not Just For Us - 1 John 2:2

1 John 2:2        Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (NIV)

            There’s a beautiful part of our Communion liturgy that I totally love. It’s when I get to pray over the bread and wine, saying, “O Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world, grant us Your Peace.” I don’t know what the good folks in the pews experience at that sacred moment, but I feel completely grateful to God for allowing us sinners the divine opportunity of being absolutely forgiven. As well as offering this to all of Christ’s believers, the grace of God is extended beyond the table, out of the sanctuary, and into the heart of the community around us.

            It humbles me to think that God’s mercy and love can be experienced by anyone who chooses to accept this gift from God. I don’t fully understand how God does this, but I count it as a great blessing to humanity, coming directly from Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, Savior of the world, and Healer of our souls.

            Sometimes Christians are condemned for being judgmental, graceless, and self-righteous people, who feel spiritually superior and are arrogantly convinced that we are elevated above all others. We erroneously think that we own the moral high ground and often justify our ideas and opinions as being equal to those of God. Our pride gets in the way of our compassion; our sense of privilege and entitlement undermines our effective and personal witness to God’s words and ways.

            God’s love is deeper than we can ever know, and His grace is beyond what we imagine it to be. Both in our Communion liturgy and today’s verse from 1 John, we can read, discover, and embrace a great plan of salvation for a sinful planet. We can find a true meaning for life when we humbly understand that Jesus has sacrificially died, not just for our sins, but for those of the entire world. Our mission, should we choose to accept it, is to take the Good News into our communities and let all people know that because Jesus fully atoned for every one of our mistakes, regrets, and sins, we can be completely restored to God’s love as His precious daughters and sons, no matter who we are or what we’ve done.

Questions for personal reflection

How have I individually experienced God’s grace through Christ? How can I share this beautiful blessing with others?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You are the Savior of the World who heals our broken ways, forgives our personal sins, and restores us to God’s love. We can never sufficiently thank You for such a beautiful gift, but we can extend Your blessing by lovingly sharing it with our families and friends, colleagues and neighbors, community and world. In Your Holy Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s Easter drawings called ‘Passover.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Passover.