What the World Needs More of Right Now
There is a question worth asking yourself today. It’s not complicated, but it might be convicting.
What Rock am I Holding?
You may not think of yourself as someone carrying a stone, ready to throw in judgement at another. But if you have ever watched someone fail and thought, well, they had it coming, you were holding one. If you have ever withheld kindness from someone who did not seem to deserve it, you were holding one. If you have ever crossed to the other side of the street, emotionally or literally, when someone needed help, you were holding one. We all carry rocks. The question is whether we will drop them – or not.
The Woman, the Mob, and Mercy
In John chapter 8, a woman is dragged into the middle of a crowd. She has been caught in adultery. The religious leaders are not really interested in justice. They are interested in a trap. They want to use her to corner Jesus. She is a just a pawn in their game. But Jesus does something completely unexpected. He doesn’t debate the law with them. He doesn’t argue theology. He stoops down and writes in the dirt with His finger, and then He stands up and says something that silences the mob: “let the one without sin cast the first stone”. One by one, the 'rocks' hit the dirt. The older ones first. Perhaps the longer you live, the more you realize how much mercy you’ve needed.
Eventually, it’s just Jesus and the woman. And He asks her where her ‘accusers’ went. Then He says ten words that change her world: “neither do I condemn you - go and sin no more”. This is the picture of mercy. Not permission. Not a "wink-wink" at wrongdoing and not cheap grace either. Real mercy. The kind that doesn’t destroy a person when they’re down – but also refuses to leave them there. Mercy sees the person, not just the failure. It puts its arm around you - understands you and re-directs. Mercy understands (because they’ve been there at some point - in some manner - shape or form) – and this Mercy - loves the person enough to say, come out of that.
You Were Standing Where She Was
Every person who has ever received forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ was once standing exactly where that woman stood. Guilty. Exposed. Without excuse. Deserving judgment. Psalm 103 captures the heart of our God: A Father - who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, rich in mercy, who has not treated us according to what our sins deserve, and who has removed our failures from us as far as the east is from the west. That is your story if you are a believer. You did not earn forgiveness. You could not. But mercy stepped in and said, you might have had it coming, but I am not going to give you what you had coming. And then shockingly – God’s grace goes even further, giving every believer in Christ what could never be earned or deserved. Life in Him. Knowing this, how can we still hold onto our rock of offense?
Mercy Is Not Optional
Jesus said in Luke 6:36 to be merciful just as your Father in heaven is merciful. That’s not just a suggestion – it’s a command. James goes further, warning that judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy, but that mercy triumphs over judgment. That verse ought to loosen our tight grip. To withhold mercy is not just an act of hardness toward another person. It actually blocks the flow of God's mercy toward us.
Jesus made this plain. The prayer he taught His followers to pray (The Lord’s Prayer) asks God to condition our forgiveness (from Him) in the same measure that we forgive others. It says: “Father forgive us our trespasses (our sins/our debts to You) as we forgive others (their sins -their trespasses or debts to us). In other words, if we are praying that prayer while holding a rock, we are essentially telling God - not to forgive us either.
Mercy is baked into the Christian life. We are people who have eternal life - because of Christ’s mercy to us. As Christians we are called to become people who carry this Mercy forward into our world.
When Mercy Shows Up in Ordinary Places
There’s a story I shared on Sunday about a woman that was shopping at a thrift store. She was six customers deep at the register and the cashier was visibly angry, upset, loud and irritated - her fuse was getting shorter with each passing customer. Most people in line were focused on just getting through and getting on with their life. But this shopper felt what she called a “soul nudge”. She tried to talk herself out of it. The extra cash she had tucked in her wallet was not meant for someone like this. Surely, someone more deserving and kinder would be more appreciative. But she obeyed God anyway. She paid her bill and then gently slipped the cashier the cash. The cashier paused – and grabbed the shoppers hand back. She looked up - her loud, stern voice dropped to a whisper. She asked one word: why? The answer was two words: ‘soul nudge’. Another pause. Then the cashier said something that explained everything. It was her seventy-fifth birthday. Nobody had called. Not her sister. Not her children. Nobody at work knew or cared. She said she could not remember ever feeling so forgotten. – But God remembered. And Mercy was the vehicle He used to say – “I see you – Happy Birthday”. That’s what mercy does. It is not dramatic. It doesn't require a platform, some big episode or show. It is simply a small act of obedience, a spirit-led moment of kindness and compassion, heaven touching earth stuff - right in the middle of an ordinary day
What Will You Do With Your Rock?
The rock in your hand might be resentment. It might be unforgiveness. It might be pride, indifference, or the quiet satisfaction of watching someone get what ‘you think’ they deserve. It might even be fear, fear of rejection? The kind that hears the ‘soul nudge’ and talks itself out of it and walks away. Whatever it is, Jesus is inviting you to drop it. Not because the other person necessarily deserves mercy. Maybe they don’t. But you didn’t deserve it either, and you got it anyway. Proverbs 11:17 says ‘the merciful person does good for their own soul’. Mercy is not just good for the one who receives it. It is good for the one who gives it. So do yourself some good today. There is a freedom that comes when you open your hand and let the stone drop out. If you want to see more mercy in your world – give yours away and watch it multiply!
Blessings,
Bob
There is a question worth asking yourself today. It’s not complicated, but it might be convicting.
What Rock am I Holding?
You may not think of yourself as someone carrying a stone, ready to throw in judgement at another. But if you have ever watched someone fail and thought, well, they had it coming, you were holding one. If you have ever withheld kindness from someone who did not seem to deserve it, you were holding one. If you have ever crossed to the other side of the street, emotionally or literally, when someone needed help, you were holding one. We all carry rocks. The question is whether we will drop them – or not.
The Woman, the Mob, and Mercy
In John chapter 8, a woman is dragged into the middle of a crowd. She has been caught in adultery. The religious leaders are not really interested in justice. They are interested in a trap. They want to use her to corner Jesus. She is a just a pawn in their game. But Jesus does something completely unexpected. He doesn’t debate the law with them. He doesn’t argue theology. He stoops down and writes in the dirt with His finger, and then He stands up and says something that silences the mob: “let the one without sin cast the first stone”. One by one, the 'rocks' hit the dirt. The older ones first. Perhaps the longer you live, the more you realize how much mercy you’ve needed.
Eventually, it’s just Jesus and the woman. And He asks her where her ‘accusers’ went. Then He says ten words that change her world: “neither do I condemn you - go and sin no more”. This is the picture of mercy. Not permission. Not a "wink-wink" at wrongdoing and not cheap grace either. Real mercy. The kind that doesn’t destroy a person when they’re down – but also refuses to leave them there. Mercy sees the person, not just the failure. It puts its arm around you - understands you and re-directs. Mercy understands (because they’ve been there at some point - in some manner - shape or form) – and this Mercy - loves the person enough to say, come out of that.
You Were Standing Where She Was
Every person who has ever received forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ was once standing exactly where that woman stood. Guilty. Exposed. Without excuse. Deserving judgment. Psalm 103 captures the heart of our God: A Father - who is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, rich in mercy, who has not treated us according to what our sins deserve, and who has removed our failures from us as far as the east is from the west. That is your story if you are a believer. You did not earn forgiveness. You could not. But mercy stepped in and said, you might have had it coming, but I am not going to give you what you had coming. And then shockingly – God’s grace goes even further, giving every believer in Christ what could never be earned or deserved. Life in Him. Knowing this, how can we still hold onto our rock of offense?
Mercy Is Not Optional
Jesus said in Luke 6:36 to be merciful just as your Father in heaven is merciful. That’s not just a suggestion – it’s a command. James goes further, warning that judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy, but that mercy triumphs over judgment. That verse ought to loosen our tight grip. To withhold mercy is not just an act of hardness toward another person. It actually blocks the flow of God's mercy toward us.
Jesus made this plain. The prayer he taught His followers to pray (The Lord’s Prayer) asks God to condition our forgiveness (from Him) in the same measure that we forgive others. It says: “Father forgive us our trespasses (our sins/our debts to You) as we forgive others (their sins -their trespasses or debts to us). In other words, if we are praying that prayer while holding a rock, we are essentially telling God - not to forgive us either.
Mercy is baked into the Christian life. We are people who have eternal life - because of Christ’s mercy to us. As Christians we are called to become people who carry this Mercy forward into our world.
When Mercy Shows Up in Ordinary Places
There’s a story I shared on Sunday about a woman that was shopping at a thrift store. She was six customers deep at the register and the cashier was visibly angry, upset, loud and irritated - her fuse was getting shorter with each passing customer. Most people in line were focused on just getting through and getting on with their life. But this shopper felt what she called a “soul nudge”. She tried to talk herself out of it. The extra cash she had tucked in her wallet was not meant for someone like this. Surely, someone more deserving and kinder would be more appreciative. But she obeyed God anyway. She paid her bill and then gently slipped the cashier the cash. The cashier paused – and grabbed the shoppers hand back. She looked up - her loud, stern voice dropped to a whisper. She asked one word: why? The answer was two words: ‘soul nudge’. Another pause. Then the cashier said something that explained everything. It was her seventy-fifth birthday. Nobody had called. Not her sister. Not her children. Nobody at work knew or cared. She said she could not remember ever feeling so forgotten. – But God remembered. And Mercy was the vehicle He used to say – “I see you – Happy Birthday”. That’s what mercy does. It is not dramatic. It doesn't require a platform, some big episode or show. It is simply a small act of obedience, a spirit-led moment of kindness and compassion, heaven touching earth stuff - right in the middle of an ordinary day
What Will You Do With Your Rock?
The rock in your hand might be resentment. It might be unforgiveness. It might be pride, indifference, or the quiet satisfaction of watching someone get what ‘you think’ they deserve. It might even be fear, fear of rejection? The kind that hears the ‘soul nudge’ and talks itself out of it and walks away. Whatever it is, Jesus is inviting you to drop it. Not because the other person necessarily deserves mercy. Maybe they don’t. But you didn’t deserve it either, and you got it anyway. Proverbs 11:17 says ‘the merciful person does good for their own soul’. Mercy is not just good for the one who receives it. It is good for the one who gives it. So do yourself some good today. There is a freedom that comes when you open your hand and let the stone drop out. If you want to see more mercy in your world – give yours away and watch it multiply!
Blessings,
Bob
HOPE Blog ... Pastor Bob DeFelice
Sometimes random - sometimes not - some things I think - measured against scripture.
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
~ 2 Timothy 2:15
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
~ 2 Timothy 2:15
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