El-Rachum – The God of Compassion

Rom 9:15: “For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.”

The parable of the workers in the vineyard throws more light on the above verse (Matt 20:1-16). Jesus spoke this parable after Peter asked “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?” (Matt 19: 27). He was trying to compare him with the rich young man who previously asked Jesus about eternal life. In a state where the days of hartal out-number the number of public holidays, I found it difficult to teach this parable to the youth team at Kochi. If we read the passage from an employee mindset, we would stand with the early recruited workers who compared their wages with the late recruits and complained against their boss.

Once a man brought his friend to a Prophet with a good intention of getting him saved but also thought that his sinful ways would be exposed. But the Prophet, filled with Holy Spirit, did not condemn him a word but only said “God loves you”. The pride of this “deserving” child of God was shattered. The thief at the Cross was there because he deserved death according to the law of the land. But after his revelation of who Jesus was, He had compassion for him and assured him of eternity (Luke 23:40-43). God, like the landowner in the parable, only sees our availability and obedience to His voice. But if we think “if a sinner who was in sin all his life received salvation at the end of his life how much more should a person who kept the law all his life and left everything for God, deserve?”. And if God gives us what we deserve, we will rot in hell!

Though none of us are worthy of His mercy and grace, out of His compassion, He assures us of the hope of eternity. We should receive it with thanksgiving. Praise be unto Him, El-Rachum, The God of Compassion.

-Reena Thomas