James 2:12-13 “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, ¹³ because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment”. James 3:17 “ But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere”.

Numbers 12

Extending mercy to family members who hurt us is a hard task.  We often rehearse the grief that family has caused us until it becomes so much a part of us that we cannot recognize ourselves without it.  We shrug off the reasons to change by saying,” a so me stay’, take it or leave it. Now if we are honest, to reach to mercy we have to dig deep and examine all the reasons why we are holding on to and protecting the pain. It may be that it gives us the satisfaction of having one over the persons that have hurt us or maybe we are still trying to hold the persons to a standard that not even we can live up to. Whatever the reasons are we need to write them down in a letter to the person that hurt us, burn the letter and release it into the sea of forgetfulness. Mercy and forgiveness go hand in hand.

In today’s passage, Numbers 12, we read about Moses’ brother and sister’s jealousy over Moses’ position of leader and his choice of marriage partner and how it soured the relationship between them.   The Lord was not pleased with Aaron and Miriam and spoke of his intimate relationship with Moses and how different it was from the regular run of the mill.  The Lord was so angry with Moses’ big sister that she became a leper. Aaron begged Moses to forgive them and to extend mercy to Miriam.  Now if Moses was like us all now Miriam would be still leperous.  We would say “mak she tan deh, she too outer order” and wait until our hearts come down before helping.   But Moses offers us a different model.  The passage tells us that Moses was “a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth”. So no wonder, Moses cried out at the same time “O God, please heal her”. Now this is mercy in action. Moses knew that this was his sister and loved her despite the hurt she would have caused him as a person and in his marriage.  Moses chose the high road of forgiveness and mercy and therefore chose fellowship with his sister than separation from all that she loved, for the rest of her life.   

PRAYER

Lord I want to extend mercy to those who hurt me.  It is hard for me to do but please help me to do to others what you do for me daily.  I leave myself in your hands.  In Jesus, Amen.