Have Mercy
by ryan
One day Jesus went up a hill with his disciples and taught them. As it is written:
Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι,
ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.
Or, in English:
The Spiritually Bankrupt are blessed,
because the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Spiritually what?
Let me tell you a story inspired by a story Jesus told (Luke, chapter 18).
One day two very different men happened to be praying side by side at an important spiritual place. One man was a religious expert, an authority on the Scriptures. The other was a business man who cheated people, embezzled funds and was a traitor against his people.
The Religious Man stands and prays, “God I thank you that I am not like other men: blackmailers, unjust people, people who have sex outside of marriage, or this bad business man next to me. I fast twice a week and I offer ten percent of what I get to you.”
The Business Man didn’t even look up. “God, be merciful to me, a man who has wronged you.”
Then Jesus says, “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who realize they could never be good enough to earn God’s forgiveness and favor–the Spiritually Bankrupt.
We are all Spiritually Bankrupt. The thing is, only some people ask for mercy.
—-
We’d like to thank our friend Matthew for teaching what inspired this reflection .
Ryan & Jordan 