Hanningfield Green 

Lawshall 

Bury St Edmunds 

Suffolk 

IP29 4QD 

Just A Thought

A woman once came to Napoleon because her son was being put to death. She asked Napoleon to pardon him, but the emperor replied that her son had committed a specific offence twice, and justice required that he be put to death. “But I don’t ask for justice, I plead for mercy.” the mother explained. “But your son doesn’t deserve mercy,” Napoleon replied. “My Lord,” the woman cried, “it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for.” “Well, then,” the emperor said, “I will have mercy,” and he spared her son. 

Many times, we want justice, but we need mercy far more! We all deserve God’s justice because none of us are innocent. According to justice, we are all subject to eternal death, because we have rejected God who is the source of life, and have sinned against Him thousands of times, not just once or twice.

However, while God is just, He is also very merciful so has made both His justice and mercy to meet in Jesus in His death and resurrection. Isaiah 53 v 6 states that although each of us have gone our own way, God has laid the consequences of that sin on Jesus, which is the reason that Jesus could say, If we want justice from God when we die then we only need to ignore Him and that is what we’ll get. 

But if we want mercy, God is rich in mercy and so will welcome anyone who comes to Him in this life in repentance and receive the eternal life He has given us in the Lord Jesus Christ. Behold, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6 v 2)