Delievered on Sunday 7 March, 2010
by Rev Dr John Evans
Isaiah 55:1-9
Psalm 63:1-8
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Luke 13:1-9
In baseball there is a rule that says that if the game is two thirds of the way through the 9 innings of a full game, and one team is 10 runs ahead of the other, the game is called off. The leading team is declared the victor. It is known as the mercy rule. One team is saved the ignominy of having to continue and complete the encounter when the victor is obviously apparent. The defeat and annihilation does not have to be so drawn out. Some grace is shown towards the vanquished in an obvious mismatch. I think we could come up with many other examples in sport where there could be a mercy rule applied. My football team would make it a habit of only playing three quarters and not a full game.
Mercy.
Mercy is a quality we …
