Pastor Quinn • April 16, 2022
Holy Thursday: His Food, Our Fill
As the sun set on Holy Thursday, the day marked the end of something old and the start of something new. The Old Covenant, which God had established through Moses, was two-sided. God's people would follow God's commands; God would bless his people. However, rather than providing God's people the opportunity to live up to God's demands, the Old Covenant only exposed their flaws. When God established his New Covenant, it was not a two-sided contract. It was more like a will, listing all the blessings God promised graciously to give his people. No matter who you are or what you have done, the blessing of the New Covenant are "for you." Eat the food Christ offers, and all your spiritual and eternal needs are satisfied.
Forgiveness does not come naturally to human beings. It is expected that humans will defend themselves, lash out when attacked, hold grudges, and bite back. So, when human beings hear that they are forgiven, they may even be suspicious or skeptical. Jesus tells a parable that contrasts the forgiveness of God with our own unforgiving sinful nature. God forgives our huge debt. Who can comprehend such unexpected mercy? Certainly not unmerciful servants, who refuse to forgive small debts. Have mercy on us, Lord, and teach us to forgive like you!
Forgiveness does not come naturally to human beings. It is expected that humans will defend themselves, lash out when attacked, hold grudges, and bite back. So, when human beings hear that they are forgiven, they may even be suspicious or skeptical. Jesus tells a parable that contrasts the forgiveness of God with our own unforgiving sinful nature. God forgives our huge debt. Who can comprehend such unexpected mercy? Certainly not unmerciful servants, who refuse to forgive small debts. Have mercy on us, Lord, and teach us to forgive like you!
Give a single bag of M&Ms to siblings in middle school and tell them to share. You will witness counting done with accounting-like precision. Each child will get an equal amount of candy because that is fair. That’s what’s expected! Human beings have an incredibly strong sense of fairness. That is why it can be so amazing when we see how God unexpectedly dispenses blessing and grace. The prophet Jonah was perplexed when he saw God’s mercy on a nation that was an enemy to Jonah’s people. Like Jonah, we need to stop expecting God to be fair. He does not give us what we deserve. Instead, in his grace, he shows us mercy. That’s amazing!
