Are you glad to see other people get their 'Pay Back' time?
Lots of people are very pleased when the rich & powerful, who seemed to get away with disgraceful behaviour, meet their comeuppance.
The papers are full of stories of such reverses to people's fortunes - whether the target is (Sir) Fred Goodwin, James Murdoch, Rebecca Brookes or any others you might care to name.
Interestingly, Jesus took a very different approach. ' God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy. ' (Matthew 5.7)
He pressed this approach further, reminding us of some consequences, arising from a critical spirit. ' ' “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.' (Matthew 7.1-2) At root, we are all fallible human beings, and can all be justly criticised for some aspects of our lives by those who knew our deepest secrets.
When we are surrounded by people who nurse grudges and are happy when their enemies face troubles, it is hard to live by a different standard. But, Jesus calls us to be different, and to accept that we are all in need of His mercy. With that deeply embedded in our self-understanding, we can learn to be generous and merciful to all we meet. That would make us different from much in our present corrosive culture. How refreshing!
Lets learn to live Hs way today.
Best wishes,
Richard
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