The Spider Webs of Zeus

Saturday, July 20, 2024

The ancient Greeks worshiped a pantheon of gods represented by statues to which they bowed down and offered gifts. Zeus, the king of their gods, was considered strong, fierce, lusty, capricious, and not to be messed with. The Greeks feared him. Occasionally, spiders would spin their webs across the eyes of Zeus' statue. When this happened, the Greeks would more frequently worship at the statue because they believed that Zeus couldn't see their sins to punish them. Therefore to obtain mercy and escape from judgment the ancient Greeks depended on the whim of spiders. The lives of many believers sometimes seem more pagan than faithful. They never seem sure if they're really saved, forgiven, loved, set free, or really God's beloved child. But God is not like Zeus, or any of the other gods of the ancient world. You don't have to hope for the whims of spiders. His very nature is mercy. His heart and arms are always ready to receive you back. Come into the arms of His love. Because there's no doubt about it: "if we confess our sins, He's faithful and just to forgive".

From Message #408 - The Mystery of His Mercy