Washed Up, But Washed

“What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” Rom. 9:14-16

For the Apostle Paul to reiterate what God told Moses, I don’t find it surprising that five times Paul received from the Jews 40 stripes (or lashings), less one; beaten three times with rods; then after another occasion he was left for dead after a stoning. It doesn’t surprise me because Paul used many words, such as those that he recited here, that set aflame some and enflamed many other hearts of men into doing him harm.

I can imagine the murmuring from the crowd; some in awe of what they heard… fearful that God did not have compassion and mercy for them. They were the first to arrive at the scene. They were eager to hear something new but there was something in this man’s words that strangely affected them. Then again, others stood and started to mingle farther back. Fidgeting, they looked around; then the religious  leader of their local god in the community stepped forward,

“Who is this God that has the audacity to choose whom He will have mercy? Show compassion? Why, you are as arrogant and ignorant as that supposed Savior of yours… what was His name? Jesus? Oh, yes, I have heard and studied… I am not ignorant and the god we serve here, serves all. Yes, I have heard how this Jesus told his followers that He was the way, the truth and the life and everyone who would see God would have to pass through Him. I am offended by that… the very notion of only one? We live in an educated society; one of openness and candor… we live to excite the passions, where everyone under the loving gaze of our god accepts us as we are. How can he do so? He is a god that sees us through our own eyes, and I have seen enough. Take him away!”

It was interesting in my mind’s eye, how I envisioned those who at first heard the words of the Gospel and marveled but then they quickly retreated… slipping back into the crowd; so not to be pointed out later as was Peter, who stood across the courtyard and heard a rooster crow. I wonder what would have happened to Peter if Jesus’ gaze had not settled on him. Nonetheless, as for those who came that day, there were those who came with anticipation of a great and personal change, an acquisition of knowledge not previously heard, but when they saw the surge of resistance and disagreement to this dissident speaker, they represented a minority. They saw the numbers of those in opposition climb higher and higher as their voices, even higher still above this God that this man spoke of. It was then they thought the cost to climb Golgotha was more steep than the gentle slope that actually would carry them there by faith, and they turned away… receding as a wave back into the sea of man’s rejection and unbelief.

Others, however, didn’t fall back; maybe only representing a family or two. They understood themselves to be washed up on a shore that was admittedly foreign to them, but they knew innately this was home. One could live and die on Patmos when nestled in the arms of a loving heavenly Father, or as Elijah, fed by the ravens. So. With that, they could stand with this dissident speaker, one who followed a carpenter; the Christ who said, “Many are called but few are chosen,” and “For those who have ears, let them hear.” I’m sure they did and one day, Today, we will meet them in the air.

In sum, I pray that we can stand, washed up by our sins and transgression as we are upon the shore of God’s great mercy and compassion. There, let us hug the sand warmed by the Sun of righteousness knowing that we were washed clean.