Have mercy on me
by Maria Rudolph
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The poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought … It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him (2 Samuel 12:3).
Read 2 Samuel 12:1–14
Formerly a shepherd boy, King David is confronted with a parable about a beloved lamb being slaughtered unjustly in his darkest hour of sin. Nathan the prophet exposed his sin, adultery, deceit and murder. David would have felt the sting of this story acutely.
Psalm 51 flows out of David’s quill straight after that shocking visit from the prophet Nathan: ‘For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.’
We draw some of our Lutheran liturgy straight from that psalm:
Against you, you alone, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise (Psalm 51:4,10–12,15).
David was no stranger to sin, and neither are we. David knew that there was only one Good Shepherd who would make the sheep lie down in green pastures and help them not fear even in the valley of the shadow of death. Ultimately, from the line of David, Jesus would be born, only to lay down his life as the sacrificial lamb for the sins of the world.
Cling on to Jesus today. His grace and redemption are bigger than your sins. Hand each of them over to Jesus, one by one. Join David in praying Psalm 51 in repentance, asking God to have mercy on you. For the sake of Jesus, you are restored, you are redeemed, and your sins are forgiven.
Read Psalm 51 and then pray this prayer:
Thank you, merciful God! I can breathe again. You have redeemed me. You have washed me in your blood, and I have come out whiter than snow. Through the waters of baptism, your mercies are new every morning, great is your faithfulness! Thank you for forgiving and loving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Pastor Maria serves at St John’s Lutheran Church Perth in Western Australia. She is blessed with her pastor husband, Michael, who serves at Concordia Lutheran Church, Duncraig. With God’s help, they navigate ministry across two parishes and life at home with two beautiful primary-school-aged kids and one amazing high schooler. Pastor Maria also serves the Lutheran Church on the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations.
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