A Pound of Flesh: Walking in Love, Mercy and Forgiveness

We are all familiar with the “golden rule.” Matthew 7:12 says “Do unto others as you would like for them to do to you.” We were taught as kids not to make fun of others, because if we were the ones being laughed at, it wouldn’t make us feel good. As we became older, we started to judge people and their actions. Maybe we cheered when someone was punished for a wrongdoing. The law does exist to punish wrongdoing, but sometimes things aren’t always what they seem to be. I know on an instance where a father dropped his scantily-clad daughter and some friends off downtown to hang out. When the girls got out of the car and started to walk away, the father called his daughter back to the passenger’s car door to ask her if she had enough money. He reached over and gave her $20.00. As she reached for the money, the cops drove up and assumed he was trying to solicit under aged girls for sex. My point is to make sure that you are correct in your judgment of others before you demand your “pound of flesh.” We should always be conscious to give people a break, so to speak, because you never know when you’ll need someone to give you a break and not judge you.

I am reminded of three examples concerning the cruel and harsh judgment that people have brought against our fellow man. As a sports fan of the 1980’s, I vividly remember the many great Major League Baseball games that were played. One of which was the 1986 Boston Red Sox vs. the California Angels for the American League Championship. Donnie Moore was pitching in Game 5 for the California Angels with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th inning. The Angels, leading 5-4, needed one out to claim the first pennant in their existence. Moore threw a split-fingered fastball; Dave Henderson sent it on a line over the left-center field wall. And the rest is history. Moore was tortured mentally and hassled by mean-spirited fans that were looking to “kick a man that was already down.” I wasn’t an Angels fan, but I really sympathized with him. The entire city and all of the fans worldwide were waiting anxiously for the last out so that they could celebrate going to their first world series. But that never happened.

In that same year, the Boston Red Sox who beat Donnie Moore and the Angels in the previous series were facing the New York Mets in the World Series. It was a very memorable season for Mets fan and I can remember the starting line up as if it were yesterday when “Doc” Gooden was pitching against Roger Clemens in Game One. Fast-forwarding to Game 5 at Shea Stadium in New York, Boston was up 3 games to 2, and the Mets were down by 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning. The Mets started to get a little rally going and got a few hits, and the crowd starts to get a little excited. Centerfielder, Mookie Wilson stepped to the plate with the go ahead run in scoring position with 2 outs. Mookie hit a slow ground ball to the injured first baseman, Bill Buckner. Bill was suffering with a leg injury, but he insisted on playing in the World Series. Well it was a routine, slow rolling ground ball, and all he had to do was make the stop and trot about 6 feet to his left and his team would’ve won a championship. Well the ball went right between his legs, and the Mets won the game and eventually would win the World Series in the next game. How dejected that man must have felt to let such a fundamental play go unexecuted.

In both of these instances, it was obvious that Donnie Moore and Bill Buckner made a crucial error that directly affected the success of their respective teams. But was it worth it for these men and their families to have to be ridiculed, scorned, mocked and jeered by some mean-spirited fans? They already let a golden opportunity slip away from them when they committed the errors. But to have the error rehearsed over and over again was probably like reopening a wound and pouring salt on it. Besides, these guys didn’t hurt anyone; they didn’t steal anything or damage anyone’s property. They made an honest mistake in a baseball game. That’s all they did! You would’ve thought they dropped a nuclear bomb on a major American city the way some fans behaved. But that’s the society in which we live; everyone wants a pound of flesh. Donnie Moore committed suicide over his ordeal, and Bill Buckner got harassed to the point that he had to sell his home and move his family to another part of the country. Folks, that is crazy for people to not to be able to live their lives after an insignificant error. It was a big error in the history of sports. But is sports really that important in the grand scheme of things? We live in a world of war, poverty, corruption, gang violence, etc. and some “psychotic” fans of the 1986 Angels and Red Sox were indirectly responsible for a suicide and the uprooting of a family. However, with some love, encouragement and support, these two men could’ve bounced back the following year and gave it another shot, but they were never the same; a pound of flesh is what they wanted, and the crazed fans got it. I wonder how those heckling fans felt after they heard about Moore’s suicide and the uprooting of Buckner’s family. They couldn’t even live or raise their families in the same area in which they worked. That’s sad.

One final example was a recent incident involving New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine-(D). A State Trooper was driving him to a function and the vehicle they were in flipped over at nearly 90 mph. The Governor, the driver and other motorists could have died. None did thank God. When the news broke about the accident, we all should’ve hoped that all was going to be alright. But no, the enemies of the Governor wanted justice to be served immediately because the Governor broke the seat belt law. They wanted their pound of flesh. Well I’m not a fan of the Governor, but he is a human being, and deserves some compassion, sympathy, as well as some rest and peace during his time of recovery. But they came for their pound of flesh. It’s time to pay! Was he wrong? Yes. But for all of you flesh eaters, Galatians 6:7 says “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Micah 6:8 teaches us “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? The day will come when you will.” You don’t have to be so quick to see justice to come to people for their wrongdoing. I’m certain that you would like a reprieve for some of the things you have done, as well.

In all of these examples, we see mistakes that were made and the repercussions: lost opportunities for success, and a nearly fatal accident on a major New Jersey Highway. Among humans, there is no grace, mercy and forgiveness. There’s only “what have you done for me lately?” Well I am so thankful to God that He doesn’t love, forgive and judge me like mankind supposedly loves, forgives and judges me. We’ve already seen mankind’s model for extending mercy and grace; it’s non-existent or conditional, at best. Now let’s look at the true model of love, mercy and forgiveness and see how it’s really supposed to be done.

Love is abstract. It isn’t tangible; you can’t grab it and put it in your pocket. It’s a principle or concept that must be demonstrated in order to be comprehended.

God is the model and Jesus came to reveal who God is to us.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:27 “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.”
John 17:25-26 Jesus said “O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name [character and nature], and will declare it [continually], that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

What is love?

1 John 4:8 says that “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”

What does love look like?

John 15:13 Jesus said that “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Romans 5:8 says “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

What do we do with love?

John 13:34 Jesus said “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”
John 1:17 says “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
John 15:9 Jesus said “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”
Matthew 5:43-44 Jesus said “You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

How do we use these Scriptures and apply them to our everyday life? Quite simply, what did God show us in Jesus? Were we all guilty and did we deserve punishment for our sins? Yes. Did we get punished? No. Then go do likewise to your fellow man. As God loved you, go love everyone else the same way. When we sin does God tell people about our faults, secret sins and shortcomings? No. Go treat your fellow man the same way. Does God ridicule us when we make a mistake or sin willfully? No, but God extends grace, and love to us. 1 Peter 4:8 says “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity [love] shall cover the multitude of sins.” Romans 2:4 says “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” Even when we don’t deserve it God is good to us. That’s how we are supposed to be toward others. Love is the earmark of a true disciple of Christ; hence we should strive to walk in love in a greater measure each day. Jesus said in John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” Remember, love isn’t tangible, it must be demonstrated, and we must be doers of God’s Word and not hearers only (James 1:22 & Matthew 7:26)

Don’t be mean-spirited like the people in the examples that I’ve shared. Extend love, grace and mercy when people need it, even if they don’t deserve it. You and I didn’t deserve it either, but that’s God nature and we are partakers of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). That’s how God does us, and He wants us to demonstrate his love to the world, so that they can see Him operating through us. Remember, His goodness brings people to repentance (Romans 2:4). God is invisible but His creation proves His existence, so let’s act like God and personify His attributes to a cold world. Let’s show the world that we have something that they want and need. Instead of retaliating and acting like the world in a given situation, when things go wrong, let evil be overcome with good (Romans 12:21). Remember the “golden rule” as well. This isn’t something that you can do in your own strength and power, but by God’s Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). Live well!