Titus 3:3-7

Did you ever play “mercy”?  You know, the game where you engage someone in a wrestling match, get him in a choke hold and keep it until he yells “mercy!”  You have him in submission; in humiliation he pleads for mercy.

The cry for “mercy” is no game.  It permeates the Psalms.  David pleads for mercy when he maintains his integrity as well as when he acknowledges his horrible situation.  Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions (Ps. 51:1).  It permeates the gospels too: from the blind and lame, the demon possessed, and the Gentile mother pleading for her daughter.  

They all plead for mercy because they are in trouble and have no way out.  Mercy is defined as the act of sparing, or the forbearance of a violent act expected (Webster’s 1828).  Strong calls it compassion, pity, a tenderness to one in trouble.  The first Biblical use of mercy defines it by illustration; God was merciful to Lot, forcefully removing him from Sodom, the place Lot chose to live (Gen. 19:16-19).  Some make this distinction between mercy and grace:

Mercy: God does not give us what we deserve.

Grace: God gives us what we do not deserve.

Mercy believes that all are sinners, hell is real, and judgment is inevitable.  What does that say about us given the fact that God saved us by mercy?  The detailed answer to that question is in Titus 3:3.    Living in sin (what the Psalmist called the miry clay and horrible pit, Ps. 40:2) we were:

·        Foolish. The fool says there is no God.  We lived as practical atheists.

·        Disobedient.  To God above all but to parents, civil authority, any authority.

·        Deceived.  We thought we were great stuff, happy, satisfied, only to find ourselves actually living enslaved lives.

·        Serving various lusts.  Serving is from the Greek doulos, bondslaves.  Though we touted our freedom we were enslaved to desires that were killing us.

·        Serving various pleasures.  That’s what we mean.  The lusts led us to alcohol, drugs, shopping, sex, eating, gambling, technology; all of which had the possibility of what we call addiction but which the Bible calls slavery!  Eventually what had been our chosen pleasure took control of us.

·        Living in malice.  Living is not the term for exuberant life; it simply means to pass the time.  We passed the time in every kind of evil.

·        Living in envy.  Never happy with a repeat of yesterday we had an insatiable demand for something more, which led to constant conflict with our neighbor.

·        Being hateful.  Bitter, angry all the time, at everything.

·        Hating one another.  And thus without a true friend in the world!

Do not write this off as an unreal picture.  It is the way life goes.  It is a horrible pit and, if we respond properly, it will result in a cry for mercy!

Psalm 115

In another hillel (praise the Lord!) Psalm we have been brought face-to-face with the root question of humanity: in Whom do you trust?  The answer is either God or god because, by definition, that is what we call that in which we put our trust.  The clarity of our choice in answering that question could not be easier to see than in this Psalm.

·        115:1-2: The writer of the Hymn is concerned that God be glorified before the Gentiles.  God is known to the Psalmists for the familiar twin perfections: mercy (chesed, lovingkindness) and truth (emeth, faithfulness).  The people of the nations need to glorify Him as well.

·        115:3-8:  In contrast to the God of Israel, the God who is in heaven and who does as He pleases, are the images that are made by and worshiped by the nations.  These gods (and therefore the object of the faith of the Gentiles) are designed by men to have mouths, eyes, ears, noses, hands, feet and throats; but none of them work.  They have no life in them; they are made of silver and gold.  Pay careful attention to 115:8: those who make the images and those who worship the images are alike; since they trust in something that is nothing they receive no help.   

·        115:9-11: How unlike the God of Israel.  Those who trust in Him find Him to be their help (a general, all-purpose term that simply says God does what is needed in each situation) and shield (He protects them).

·        115:12-15: Again, those who trust in the Lord, that is, who fear the Lord, will be blessed by Him.  Verses 14-15 call upon God to do just that: to cause His people to prosper.

·        115:16-18: The call to praise at the end is very basic.  God who made heaven and earth (the end of v15) has given the earth to mankind.  The Psalmist commits to bless God in response.

Paul said, To this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe (1 Tim. 4:10).  Think of this.  In contrast to the people of earth who trust in things they have made (fortunes, learnedness, status, a multitude of friends, etc.) and who cannot count on these to be merciful and true (remember 115:1), we trust in a God who is, 1) alive, eternal in the heavens, living and giving life to all; and 2) the Savior, the One who will deliver us, who will especially help those who believe in Him.

We have an opportunity to consider: truly, without hypocrisy, in Whom do I really trust?  Is my “god” the creation of my own hands, my own imagination?  Or is my trust in the God who created me?  This is not only a theological question; it is a practical question.  Who is my God according to my lifestyle?

What happens to the righteous when they die? (5)

Read Luke 7:36-50

I remember my surprise in 2005, when Pope John Paul II died, in finding out he would spend time in Purgatory.  He was highly revered.  Yet he had to spend time in torment.  People were encouraged to pray for him that his stay would be shortened.  This is the Catholic doctrine regarding the righteous.

As we allow a Roman Catholic source to explain their reasoning for this doctrine (Christ Among Us: A Modern Presentation of the Catholic Faith, Anthony Wilhelm, 2^nd Rev. Edition, pp.418-421; direct quotes are in italics), keep in mind that we make two simple arguments against it:

1.     Purgatory is nowhere taught in Scripture.

2.     The doctrine of Purgatory takes away from the finished work of Christ.

In today’s reading it is said that the penitent prostitute did what she did to show her gratitude for Christ’s forgiveness of her sins by making up for them.  So, we are told, our love should impel us to do something to make up for the sins God has forgiven.  This idea of making up for our sins is behind the doctrine of Purgatory.  In an attempt to stay away from salvation by works, we are told that God forgives us thoroughly and asks nothing in return.  And though He does not demand it, there is a necessity within ourselves to make up for our sins.  

United with Christ there are many ways we can do this: by acts of worship, particularly the Mass, the sacraments, deep sorrow in confession, prayer, offering up our sufferings, and doing penance.  But if at our death we have not yet made up for our sins, we must make up for them by passing through Purgatory.  Apparently God does require something in return!

Purgatory is the painful state or experience of encountering God after death, when we see Him as He really is, and by contrast, ourselves as we really are.  We are told, an encounter with the living God must always be painful, totally upsetting.  But how does Purgatory make up for our sins?  In this state of purgation we make up for our sins by growing in love.  While Christ has made up for our sins, we yet have the need of doing something about them ourselves, as when we offend anyone we love.  We experience this painful purgation because we have not loved enough on earth.  This is confusing given our two objections.

It is interesting to note as well: Those passing through this purgatory state know clearly that they are saved, God's love overwhelms them, and they have a joy more intense than anything on earth.  That seems confusing.  And then, true to Catholic teaching, Those in the state of purgation cannot help themselves, but we can help them attain heaven more quickly by praying for them, offering Mass for them, offering our sufferings, good actions, and so forth.

To all this we simply say: Purgatory is not taught in Scripture; and it denies the work of Christ.  His death pardons sin and pays our debt, entirely.