God's Favor (4)

God favors the merciful. Recently, I compared mercy and grace. Mercy is like:

Imagine, you are driving 80 mph in a 25 mph zone. A policemen pulls you over. You deserve a ticket of many hundreds of dollars , and suspension of your driver's license.

Instead, the policeman says: "Good morning, sir. I noticed that you were driving in excess of the posted speed limit. This is a residential area. The posted speed limit was chosen to make sure that pedestrians in this area are safe. So, the next time you drive this area, please, reduce your speed to the posted speed limit. And have a good rest of the day."

Mercy is not getting what you deserve.

This is God's intention, and plan. In Christ, we receive mercy. We do not receive the punishment we deserve. And God favors those who have his heart.

The news is full of people, who deserve punishment. And, often, we are with the rest of the world, hoping these people get what they deserve. Yet, even they are designed to live in relationship with the Father. And it is the Father's desire to redeem, and restore, even these. Murderers. Thieves. Dictators. Mass murderers. Human traffickers.

The scribes and the Pharisees worked hard to please God, according to their system. And they condemned, and rejected, those who fell short, those who did not work like they did.

God's heart was for restoration. The Pharisee's heart was for rejection, and condemnation. This was why Jesus was hard on the Pharisees. They thought they were pleasing God. They thought they were God's favorites. First, all of God's kids are his favorites. But, he is especially pleased, and favors, those who heart follows his.

God wants a relationship with all … even Pharisees.

Those who understand mercy, are the most likely to give it, and the most likely to seek. They will turn to their Father, the giver of mercy.