“But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” Luke 15:20
The mercy of God is unlike anything on this earth, of this world. And though we have scriptural pictures of what mercy looks like, the dimensions of it are incalculable. This is first demonstrated and proven by the cross of Calvary. Never in the history of the world since the day that the Lord Jesus died on the cross, before that event, and unto this very day, has the mercy of God been revealed in so great and powerful manner. How is this so?
It has to do first of all with WHO we are looking at, and WHO we are considering. Though Christ took upon Himself flesh and blood, and dwelt among us, revealing Himself to us filled with grace and truth, this Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world was no ordinary man. He was God who, accepting the limitations of mankind in that body that would suffer and die on Calvary. He was also the perpetual perfect testimony, the eternal declaration of the Father’s love, the Savior’s total, and complete sacrifice for sin and the sinner, and the Holy Spirit’s eternal power to enable Him to accomplish the one and only perfect salvation for mankind. But how could it be that a perfect and holy God, the Father who inhabits eternity, dwelling in unapproachable light, who is a consuming fire, be willing to give His only begotten Son to be persecuted and killed by those whom He came to save? How can it be that the Eternal Lord God could, and would, descend so far below the majesty of His eternal throne, to subject His Son to the reviling mockery of the crowds, and the hate-filled insults of His enemies? Yet, regardless of the “loss” to the Father, fully and absolutely knowing every aspect of His Son’s suffering, would not intervene to stop the suffering. How is it that when Jesus could have called upon the Father to send legions of angels to come to His aid and deliverance, He chose not to do so, in order to accomplish a singular salvation for men before a holy God? Why and how? It was because of His mercy towards mankind, a mercy that was looking beyond the terrible minutes when Christ was on the cross, to what He, by the Spirit would make of those who would truly believe in Him and be saved. Christ did not turn aside because of the love of God for those He came to save. He did not turn aside because of the divine capacity, authority, and ability to look beyond suffering and death, to the blessing of sins forgiven, and a new life by the Spirit of God to be given to all believers in Him.
What then of this mercy of God, and how it applies today? It is still in place, operative, eternal, and openly revealed in the hearts of all who hear the Shepherd’s call, and the Savior’s voice, to come, and be saved. This mercy of God is that which is looking down that long road between where God is and the lost and wandering sinner is found. The Father’s eyes are keenly fixed upon that road by which the foolish son had left, desiring to partake of all lesser things than the communion and blessing of the Father. In the circumstances which followed where the son lost everything, he was brought to the conviction that the world offered him nothing but loss, sin and death, with no hope. In that place of poverty of soul, and suffering, he remembered his father. Even though he was a long way off, the memory of his father would change everything. For in that memory of the father’s mercy, and love, the repentant, humble son would return.
The wandering, lost son needs to remember today that there is a merciful Heavenly Father, ever seeking to save a lost, dying son.
Dear Father, Be merciful to us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.