Paul is telling Titus that he should remind the church that they were no better than the Cretans they live with. The only difference is that they have received mercy and mercy changed everything for them.
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3 v 4-7)
Years ago, there was a master violinist in Europe. He would play in concerts, and he had a magnificent
Stradivarius violin, extremely expensive. He would play the Stradivarius violin in concert and everyone would whisper in the crowd, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.” He would play in churches, and people would say, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.” He even played before kings and queens, and they, too, would turn to one another and say, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.” All the glory went to the instrument.
Then one day this master violinist was walking by a pawn shop. He noticed an old, beat-up, worn-out violin. He walked into the pawn shop and asked how much it would cost. The owner of the pawn shop told him the American equivalent of five dollars. He bought the violin, and he took it home. He polished it, and he refined it, and he tuned it, and he re-tuned it, and he built some character into that violin. Then, when he was to play the greatest performance of his life in a concert hall, he took out the little, five-dollar, worn-out, beat- up violin that he had polished and refined. He put it up to his chin, and he began to play, and everybody in the concert hall whispered, “Listen to the beautiful sounds of the Stradivarius.” (“Rejoicing in Our Suffering,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 74)
I have met and will continue to purposely meet many five-dollar, worn-out, beat-up, violin-type people around the world. At first glance there isn’t much to look at until you realise the master has got hold of their life and something beautiful emerges. I have heard the beautiful sound of the Stradivarius from the amputees of Sierra Leone; the persecuted of northern Nigeria and Burkina Faso; the raped and the child-soldiers of DRC; the prisons of Niger; the HIV stories of Eswatini; the famine of many nations; the slums of Kenya; the lepers of India; the graves of Zimbabwe; the orphans of Malawi; the list just goes on. And the sound coming from the pain … there is none like it in the whole world!
They are rejoicing because of mercy.
They are not carrying the evil acts that were committed against them. Mercy has cleansed the evil that has been done to them.
Martin Luther King, Jr. stated that: “The old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind.”
Those who carry a sense of right and wrong are prone to revenge and retaliation.
What is in your hands can be a blessing or a curse.
We have all seen how position and power can inflict a retaliation that is way beyond what is equal to any mistake or pain inflicted on you. We have seen that innthe regime leaders around the world, government leaders and sadly we have seen it with Church leaders.
The abuse of power. Justified in the eyes of those who hold the sword in their hands but not in the sight of God.
Let’s be different today. Where there is hurt let us bless. Where offence comes let us take every barrier down. Where there is war let us bring peace. Who do you struggle with today? Bless them. Show kindness. Demonstrate the cross. Die for them. Do not pick up the sword no matter what they have done. This life may have battered you into a worn out violin but mercy will make you sound like a a Stradivarius.
As we show mercy then mercy is proven in us.
Mercy was given to you so where is mercy?
