Vulnerability and Mercy...

Vulnerability and mercy. I wonder if we really understand the attributes of these two traits. The Bible talks of God's mercy, and also of Jesus's vulnerability. Yet they are at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Mercy flows from a position strength. God is a god of mercy because he operates from a position of strength. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing, and can't operate from anywhere except strength. He is the Uncreated, and we are His created, and no matter how big or strong, or smart we think we are we can never match His strength or wisdom.
Jesus, on the other hand, lived vulnerability. Being vulnerable is living from a position of weakness. Yet, the dichotomy is that Jesus, the Son of the Almighty God, with all the attributes of God, set aside his deity and donned the the cloak of humanity, the cloak of vulnerability.  Jesus chose to make himself vulnerable, and he instructed us, as his followers, to do the same.
Vulnerability means purposely exposing ourselves, our weaknesses, to allow others to know us in our weakness, for it is in our weakness that we can find strength. It sounds like a conundrum, but in reality it is the secret to living a Christ-centered life. In or own strength our basic carnal instinct is to hide our weaknesses and deal with our world from our strengths. The problem with that approach is that there is always someone stronger, or smarter, or bigger than us, and they aren't afraid to knock us down a few pegs. The Law of the jungle, the instinct born of sin.
Vulnerability, however, says to the world to look at us, to see we are transparent and authentic, we are flawed and open about it. It asks the world to be accepting of us for who we are, not who we want or pretend to be. We must trust that our weaknesses won't be embraced and used against us. We must trust.
Being open and vulnerable can be the hardest thing for us to do, for our base instinct is to protect ourselves, not leave ourselves open to potential hurt. And yet when we do open ourselves, when we choose to follow Jesus' example, we are opening ourselves to God's mercy, to his forgiveness, and His love. And when we allow ourselves to be open and authentic before God, when we make ourselves vulnerable to Him, it allows God to flow and work through us. Satan, and evil, may have power on this earth for a time, but when we humble ourselves before God we have the authority, His authority, to conquer whatever befalls our path. Understand, we are still weak and flawed creatures, but we command the power of the Uncreated through His Holy Spirit He has promised to everyone who believes.
A general in the army is just one man. Alone he cannot win a war, or even fight a battle against a stronger, larger foe with any hope of winning. He is neither big enough, nor strong enough. But the one thing he does have is authority. He can command and soldiers to fight his battles. It is not through his strength that the battle is won, but through his authority. Likewise, God gives us the authority to command his power.
Vulnerability and mercy. Mercy through vulnerability. Strength through weakness.
Food for thought...