There is an IHOP in town that does not specialize in pancakes. The letters stand for International House of Prayer and people pray there constantly. When Jesus drove the money changers and buyers and sellers out the temple, he quoted the prophet, Isaiah: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.”
A former student is the leader of this place of prayer. I saw Billy yesterday and he reminded me of a time when he was in my math class. “I was caught cheating,” he said, “but you showed me mercy.” As a math teacher, I’ve always wanted my students to remember the wonderful theorems I prove, but sadly, that knowledge seems to fade quickly. But show a young man mercy and he’ll come back to you twenty years later and tell you how that impacted his life.
Jesus, the Good Teacher, gave the religious of his day an assignment: “Go learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’” Those that didn’t know the meaning made serious errors. “If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.” But those who understand the Master’s secret and put it to practice get a great reward. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”
The late Henri Nouwen loved to tell the story of a Russian peasant who longed more than anything else to follow Paul’s command to “pray without ceasing,” but try as he might he couldn’t do it. Finally, after asking for guidance from many ‘holy men,’ someone taught him the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” The peasant prayed this simple prayer so often that he found his mind and heart in constant prayer as he walked through Russia with a knapsack and Bible.
“Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The blind cried this prayer. The sick shouted it out. Distraught parents prayed with broken hearts. And Jesus heard their prayers.
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God.” Luke 18:10-14