Restore my church Day 3 - Works of mercy

Day 3 – Works of mercy

 It is only through personal renewal that we can reach communal renewal.

Word and worship are always united to works of mercy – they strengthen us to go out to help the poor.

In Jesus’ greatest sermon – the sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6 – he spoke of mercy through idioms:

1.   Matt 6:22

"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light;”

This idiom was common to the Jewish people. Ayin Tov – good eye; generous eye. One who had a generous eye was aware to the needs of those around him or her, and responded with generosity and love.

// Proverbs 22:9 – “He who has a bountiful eye will be blessed,
for he shares his bread with the poor.”

2.   Matt 19-20

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Accumulating treasures in heaven – what does this mean?

Sirach: Loving the poor is laying out treasure.

Sirach 29:9 – “Help a poor man for the commandment's sake, and because of his need do not send him away empty.” The goods of this world are things we hold loosely and use to help others in need.. And in doing so, we lay out for ourselves treasures in heaven.

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In Judaism, one of the names of God most honoured was “El Racham”.

El – short form for “God:

Racham – mercy which comes from the mother’s womb. Like a place of protection and blessing.

God was one who shows mercy, and He modelled it first before calling His people to it.

Throughout the Old Testament, God longed for restoration of the bride, and shows His faithful love and mercy. Jeremiah prophesied a “time of mercy that is coming” in Maccabees. The lost ark of the covenant would not be seen until this special time of mercy comes.

This comes through Jesus. Luke – a time of mercy comes. And it comes in a very personal way, one which is unimaginable – the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Our God leaves His throne in heaven. Mercy is ushered into the world again in a radical way!

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A duet was sung by Mary and Zechariah, father of John the Baptist. Mary’s song of praise was matched by Zechariah and we have incorporated this in our Catholic tradition – in the morning, we sing the song of Zechariah, and in the evening, the Magnificat.

It is significant that Mary ushers in the gospel of Luke. As the new ark of the covenant, she perfectly mirrors the movements of the old ark of the covenant:

She stays in the house of a priest for 3 months;

David welcomes the ark and leaps for joy // John the Baptist leaps for joy in Elizabeth’s womb;

David: “Who am I, that the ark of my Saviour should come to me?” // Elizabeth: “Who am I, that the mother of my Saviour should come to me?”

(The old ark contained the ten commandments, priest Aaron’s rod, and manna from heaven; the new ark held in her womb Jesus – the Law, the Bread of Life, and the High Priest!)

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The Pharisees had a narrow definition of holiness – that is, sacredness.

They separated themselves from anything or anyone who was unclean, keeping the mantra: “Be holy, as God is holy.” But Jesus points out that they missed the message of mercy continually communicated in the Old Testament, and gives to them a new mantra: “Be merciful as your Father in heaven is merciful” – Luke 6:36. He restores them to what is at the heart of His word.

Such mercy is to be lived out – Luke 8: Mary Magdalene provides for Jesus out of her means.

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God put our salvation into the context of a story to capture our hearts. We’re made for stories!

The case of David and Bathsheba:

David saw Bathsheba bathing on her roof, saw that she “was good”, and “took” her. (This is the same language used in Genesis to describe the fall of Adam and Eve; they saw that the fruit “was good”, and “took” it without regard of God’s time and providence.)

After David fell, he did not recognise that he had sinned, so God sent prophet Nathan as his living conscience. Nathan could have chosen to lay out the facts to David, but instead couched it in a parable. After relating the parable of the rich man who took away the one little ewe lamb of his poor neighbour (2 Samuel 12:1-6), Nathan applied the case directly to David's action with regard to Bathsheba. David could have chosen anyone else, but took Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife. He took his poor neighbour’s only ewe.

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The gospel of Luke is the gospel of mercy – parable of the unmerciful servant, the good Samaritan, the parable of the prodigal son. All these told Jesus’ message of mercy. The whole story of our salvation history hinges on us not embracing the freedom God gives, but instead turning to things that can never give life (even Adam and Eve fell this way). Jesus wants to restore us to this freedom.

1st century context of the parable of the prodigal son:

This parable was one of the most common stories told then by rabbis to teach their disciples. Jesus used stories which were familiar, but added new and life-changing twists.

The way the parable of the prodigal son was always told before Jesus told it – instead of coming out of the village, scanning the horizons for his son, the father of the story stayed within the village, furious that his son had implied that he wanted him dead by the asking for his inheritance while he was still alive. When his son came back, with his confession speech prepared, the father stops him halfway – “You are dead to me. You’ve brought shame to our family and upon my head. You have no forgiveness. Leave and never come back.”

This was reflective of the image of God which was prevalent of the time – he was a God who was distant and demanding, quick to judge, and devoid of mercy. Jesus was severe with the Pharisees for they had propagated this false image of the Father, and this was to Him akin to them worshipping an idol. Jesus came straight from the bosom of the father, and rights this totally inaccurate portrayal of the Father.

And so, in a surprise ending to the popular parable, Jesus says that “while he (the son) was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.” In the midst of his confession speech, his father stops him midsentence, too, but only to say to his servants, “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” Imagine the controversy He caused by retelling the story in such a manner! A loving and forgiving father was unheard of to the Jews. This was a radically different encounter with God – He runs to the horizons of our souls, and scans for a chance to show His mercy..

Vatican II à the very calling of the Christian is to tear down the idol so that the true face of the merciful Father can be revealed to us.

“Christ, the new Adam, fully reveals humanity to itself and brings to light its lofty calling”, the calling to the very revelation of the father and His love.

The Our Father prayer is a powerful prayer – the perfect prayer – which Jesus taught us.. one in which profound revelations emerge, and the true face of the Father becomes known.

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Through our love and mercy, one becomes a new kind of person – a person in which there is something divine.