Innocence

Innocence

I was in prison, and you visited me.

Matthew 25:36

While visiting the prison at Potsdam, King Frederick William I listened to a large number of pleas for pardon from prisoners who had grievances against the law’s injustice. All of them said they had suffered imprisonment because of prejudiced judges, witnesses who had perjured themselves, or unscrupulous lawyers.

From cell to cell the tales of wronged innocence continued, until the king finally stopped at the barred door of one cell inhabited by a surly inmate who said nothing.

Surprised at his silence, Frederick said to him jokingly, “Well, I suppose you are innocent too.”

“No, Your Majesty,” came the startling response. “I am guilty and richly deserve all that I get.”

“Here, guard!” thundered Frederick. “Come and get rid of this rascal quickly, before he corrupts this fine lot of innocent people you are responsible for.”

Although it’s possible for human justice to go awry and the innocent to be imprisoned for something they did not do, it is impossible for God’s justice to go wrong. But truthfully, we should not want justice from God anyway. Instead, what we should want are his mercy and grace, because God’s justice will mete out to us exactly what we deserve as a result of our sins, just as the man in prison stated. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), but I don’t want death. I want life!

In the Bible, the concepts of mercy and grace often appear together. And it is interesting to contrast them. Mercy means that God does not give us what we so richly deserve—the death penalty for our sins. And grace means he does give us what we do not deserve—eternal life through Jesus Christ.

So what do you truly want from God: justice, or mercy and grace? Me? I’ll take mercy and grace every time!

Merciful Father, I love you with all my heart, and I thank you for your boundless mercy and grace to me. I am so richly blessed to belong to you through Christ. Amen.