Ruthless Royalty
To be ruthless is not about “not having Ruth”! (Sorry – I just couldn’t resist.) Ruthless is about not having compassion or pity for other people. There are times that people in power, which can show pity and compassion, choose not to. This was the case when one of the kings family shows up with plans to take out the governor. Check this out…
In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah and ten of his men came to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. (Nethaniah was the son of Elishama.) Now Ishmael was a member of the king’s family and had been one of the officers of the king of Judah. While they were eating a meal with Gedaliah at Mizpah, 2 Ishmael and his ten men got up and killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with a sword. (Gedaliah was the man the king of Babylon had chosen as governor over Judah.) 3 Ishmael also killed all the Jews and the Babylonian soldiers who were there with Gedaliah at Mizpah. 9 Now the well where he had thrown all the bodies had been made by King Asa as a part of his defenses against Baasha king of Israel. But Ishmael son of Nethaniah put dead bodies in it until it was full. (Jeremiah 1-3; 9 NCV)
The Lord notices people without compassion because He is the opposite – FULL of Compassion and Mercy. I think the Lord notices my smallest acts of compassion. He is all about that because He’s changed my heart and developed the compassion and mercy that is present there.
People who are in power have great responsibility. They are to be aware of the authority that comes with power. They should handle power carefully because it can easily corrupt the one holding it. It is a rare quality in our culture to see power and compassion co-exist. The people who hold the power are most often using their compassion to gain even more power. The power often held in our culture is self-serving power. The goal of the powerful is not service; the goal is more power. Jesus had all power in heaven and earth and laid it down to show compassion, love and mercy. I’m so glad He did that, because I needed all three. He delivered salvation and hope of eternal life to us because He checked His power at the door. I’m so grateful.
Pressing On! Dwayne