Faces Of
Mercy
by Cathy Vinson |
|
Might we picture such a scene happening before us today as we would
retreat for a few moments of prayer: an angel appearing to reveal to us our "prayers
and alms have come up as a remembrance before God." What a longed for declaration,
that God would all along have been eceiving our prayers as profoundly!
God was about to do something historically, and for that reason this encounter undoubtedly
was very deliberate. Nevertheless, if we might focus it was Cornelius' "prayers and
alms" that his prayers "have come up before" (ana-rise + baino-place; going
up from one place to another, to arrive in a place) and were a memorial in the very
Presence of the One we seek. What in them would pleasingly arise?
lit. "the prayers of you and the alms of you." The continual exercise of mercy,
from which alms (eleemon - merciful) comes, bore out the fact of his
continual praying (10:2). His disposition of mercy formed him into a "continual"
pray-er, whose intercessions would ascend.
When Jesus illustrated prayer (Lu 11:5-8), he pictured before us a needy friend coming at
an untimely hour with no bread and no money to buy it. The urgency was apparent. All
friendship aside and hindered by the untimeliness, the friend could not turn away. Mercy
would win ("eleos - outward manifestation of pity, assuming need on the part of him
who receives and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who
shows it" - Vine).
Will we allow mercy to interrupt us? And when it does, do we have adequate resources? Yes,
we do, and especially through continual praying. Might we become these very blessers of
men.
"The power of the Church to truly bless rests on intercession - asking and receiving
heavenly gifts to carry to men...[we would be] "set free for that
steadfast continuance in prayer which would uninterruptedly secure the downflow of the
powers of the heavenly world."* downward flow...pouring
out...shedding...
What brought God into our living pit of "malice and envy, hating and being
hated" (Titus 3:3)? works? our level of trust? No, mercy: "but according to His
mercy..." (3:5). He manifests His mercy, and what resulted? SHEDDING..."poured
out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior"(3:6).
As we see in Cornelius, mercy weaved from a life into prayer, and great shedding and
pouring out resulted (see Acts 10:44-46!). In our deep,
helpless yearning for prayers that would "go up before," may we also glory in
the result of pouring out heaven upon others. We may truly become
blessers of men.
*Andrew Murray |
