Divine Mercy is such a great message. Jesus wanted this mercy to be made known to everyone that those who desired it may obtain it. Many Christians believe in God’s mercy. Many of us take it for granted. We assume so much of God’s mercy that we do not really stop and appreciate what God has done for us or even think about what this mercy is. We think a person is merciful if they ignore the offense given. That can be true, but as time goes by, we demand this to be the very definition of mercy. Later, we forget what a sin even is. We become so numb to sin that we do not recognize the evil we do.
Sin is evil, wicked to the core. It causes so much suffering upon ourselves, each other and God. God dwells in each and every one of us. God only desires the good for each and every one of us. When we do evil, or do things that cause evil, God Himself experiences that evil. When we do things that are bad for ourselves, God experiences those evil affects as well. So many of us wonder why there is so much evil in this world. It is because of our decisions against God’s will. We choose to sin. Our sins contribute to the evil in this world. And so the cycle goes on. And so does our eternal punishment for our sins. If we understood the suffering our sins cause, we would be horrified. We truly do deserve the eternal punishments of hell.
Yet God has loved us so much that He was willing to take the punishment of our sins. This is a gift freely given to us. It was His love for us that motivated Him. We do not deserve this kind act for us. God would be justified to leave us in our own hell we have created for ourselves. How we have such evil as being greedy, selfish, full of envy, jealousy, spreading gossip and rumors. We have had lust in our hearts and actions. We think of people as mere objects, things to be used and disregarded when no longer useful. We have become prideful and self-willed to the point of rejecting what is good. Society thinks nothing of a lie. They do not care that something is not true just so that they can do whatever they want. We encourage others to have doubts about how God created them as male and female. This in particular is a kind of wickedness that words cannot express, especially when perpetrated on young children. Their punishment in hell will be great. Our sins wound us and each other in ways we do not understand. That is the one study we do not spend time with, though it is the most important one we should study.
Only God can save us from such tyranny. We thank God that He came to die on the cross for us. We thank God that He would rise from the dead so that we may know that Jesus is God and that He has conquered sin and death. With all the sins humanity has done, it takes an infinite God to overcome what seems to be an infinite abyss of sins and punishment.
Yet God has done so much more for us. Our heavenly Father adopted us into His very family! He didn’t just give us a handout in a disgruntled way. The Father wanted us to be His children. This is incredible news! In the family of God, there is no anger, hatred, jealousy or greed. In God’s family, there is only good will and love beyond our comprehension. In God’s family, everybody rejoices in each other. This is God’s plan for us. He intends us to be truly free in love of God and therefore in each other.
From eternal suffering to eternal wholeness, from total depravity to total joy, from slavery to sin to freedom to love, from anger and fears to peace; this great mercy can only come from the heart of God. Only in Jesus can it be found. The more we look to politics, human inventions, climate change, emotionalism or stamping out poverty by our own will, the more we make a mess of things. Only in His mercy can we have the desire to actually will the good. Jesus, I trust in you!