Finding a True Princess

"Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?" "The one who showed mercy to him," he said. Then Jesus told him, "Go and do the same." - Luke 10:36-37 HCSB

A certain poor man came upon such hard times that he despaired for his life as well as the lives of his family. He tried everything, but it was a time of scarcity and people’s hearts had grown hard, thinking only of their own needs and unwilling to help.

One day he heard that there was a community of righteous people, true children of God, called the Ransomed that lived in a town many days away. He had heard of these people and how they were renowned for their humble, loving service to mankind. So he gathered his family together and traveled for several days to reach these people, buoyed by his hope that at long last he would find help and that his family would not need to go to bed hungry.

When he arrived he went to the house next to the biggest church in the town and asked for some assistance. A man dressed in clerical garb answered the door, but roughly denied the poor man’s request. Undaunted, the man went from door to door, pleading for some food or some money. Time after time he received not so much as a biscuit.

He came to believe that there was no such thing as a godly people, a noble priesthood[1] of the one true God. In fact, the hardness of heart that he had confronted in these religious people was beginning to make him doubt the very existence of Hashem!

As he sat on the side of the road, he heard the voice of a young person ask, “May I help you?” The young girl certainly did not look like what he thought the Ransomed should look like. Her hair was died an unnatural color and strange metal jewelry pierced various parts of her face. In fact, she even had tattoos! However, she quietly insisted on helping the poverty stricken family. She took them home, fed them, allowed them to use her shower and made a few phone calls to see if the man or his wife could find some kind of work. That night, the poor man’s heart rejoiced, knowing that he had found a true child of God, a princess of the house of Christ, one of the Ransomed.

God does not desire sacrifices and rituals. He seeks merciful hearts.[2] Tithes, offerings – these are all well and good, but our God is more interested in justice, mercy and faith.[3] Those who understand that and show mercy to their fellow man will find themselves the recipients of God’s mercy too.[4] The Ransomed know this principle well and as slaves who have been shown mercy by their Master, they seek to constantly exemplify Hashem’s mercy to other slaves.[5]

[1] 1 Peter 2:9
[2] Matthew 9:13; 12:7
[3] Matthew 23:23
[4] Matthew 5:7
[5] Matthew 18:33; Mark 5:19