Tuesday, February 24, 2004
Tuesday, February 24, 2004
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
(Matthew 5.7
NRSV)
For example, their attitude toward slaves. According to Aristotle, slaves were living tools and thus were treated in a very impersonal way. If an owner grew tired of his slaves, he could send them to the arena as an evening meal for the lions. If a slave grew too old to work, he could be disposed of like a broken hammer or a rusty plow. Babies were not treated much better than slaves. If a woman gave birth to a daughter or a crippled son, the father might expose the infant to the elements and allow it to die. As for enemies, the only good one was a dead one. It was unthinkable to have mercy toward an enemy.
Jesus was out of step with the time in which he lived. And he is out of step with our time as well. There is a meanness of spirit that marks many people in our time even many who call themselves Christians. Our attitudes toward the poor, toward the weak, toward the prisoner as well toward the person held captive by sin are totally out of sync with our Master's attitudes toward these same people.
Will you allow God to adjust your attitude?
God of mercy, help me to adjust my attitude, so that your mercy will shine through me. Amen.
