Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment

As we read the words of this Sunday’s Gospel, many of us will experience sense of puzzlement, or even a sense that what Jesus is asking of us asked is fundamentally not fair. If we keep strict justice in mind, when hearing Jesus say, “But to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. … we say, “Wait a minute. Really?” Where is the justice in these statements?

One of the divine attributes of God is certainly justice, but justice is not God’s central attribute. Years ago, St. John Paul II wrote and encyclical on the topic of Mercy (Dives et Misericordia, 1980). 

Without taking away from the importance of justice, St. John Paul II points out that Jesus unique mission on earth was to make the Father present as love and mercy (DM 3). Jesus centered his ministry on being a model of merciful love for others. We see this modeled in Jesus words, but even more in his actions. The call to mercy is in fact one of the essential elements of the Gospel message and the essential way of life for his disciples (DM 3).

Even in the Old Testament, where we often see God’s justice contrasted with his mercy, the perfection of God’s love is always greater than justice. St. John Paul II points out love is primary and fundamental and it conditions justice. Justice serves love.

This highlights the primacy and superiority of love over justice. In fact, the superiority of love is hallmark of the whole of revelation. The way in which we actually experience God’s love, however, is through mercy. (DM 4). The concrete expression of love in our lives is mercy.

St. John Paul II observes that the very idea of this mercy often creates certain prejudices in our hearts. This is because Jesus calls us to go beyond the precise norms of justice and our heart immediately tells us that this is not fair.

In our Gospel, Jesus calls us to a higher standard than mere justice,

Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well, and from the person who takes your cloak, do not withhold even your tunic. Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back

Our heart stumbles over Jesus’ call, because in focuses on the externals and on the apparent inequality of justice between the one offering it and the one receiving it. Our heart intuitively tells us that mercy does seem fair (DM 5).

Yet, Jesus calls us in this Gospel to transform our love into mercy. Without this mercy, we miss the essential element of relationship. When we fail to show mercy, we often fail to recognize the hand of God moving in hearts of others. We find our highest calling not in the things of this life, but in eternity with God. In the light of eternity, how important is a tunic? If we choose not to retaliate, and this leads to a new relationship with our enemy, we may become a model of merciful love that reveals the heart of the Father to our brother.

A profound example of this mercy is the parable of the prodigal son. The father in this parable sees the good achieved in the heart of the prodigal son. This allows the father to look beyond mere justice, and to forget the evil, which the son has committed against him (DM 6). The father recognizes the reality of conversion in the prodigal’s heart. St. John Paul II notes, “Conversion is the most concrete expression of the working of love and of the presence of mercy in the human world” (DM 13). With eternity in mind, our goal should always be conversion.

Like the older brother in this parable, our heart may still say this is not fair! Clearly, our faith does not demand that we never pursue justice. We acknowledge such goods as the rule of just laws and legitimate self-defense. Our faith calls us to advocate for those who are poor and defenseless. We have not abandoned justice.

Yet at other times, Jesus calls us to show mercy. More than this, the presence of God in our life should lead us to become models of mercy and to make mercy the central focus of our life in Christ.

We can ask ourselves; in the light of eternity, what does Jesus ask me to do in this concrete situation? What action will most likely lead to this person’s eventual conversion? We can also think about the mercy and love we have received from God through the loving sacrifice that Jesus has made on our behalf. Do we really understand the depth and breadth of the love and mercy that we personally have received from God? In a certain sense, we are all prodigals.

As St. Paul reminds us, “All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Yet even so, this will not stop the mercy of God towards us. St. Paul continues, “But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). St. John reminds us God’s mercy flows from his love, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life” (John 3:16).

At the same time Jesus’ message of love and mercy also contains a solemn warning for those who harden their hearts against mercy. In the Our Father prayer we say, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” (Matthew 6:12). Just in case we miss the implications of the word “as” in this verse Jesus immediately reminds us, “But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions” (Matthew 6:15). St. James warns us: “For judgment will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13).

Yet as the psalmist reminded us, “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 103:8). Let us each open our hearts to his love and may his mercy flow through our lives to the world.

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SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME--YEAR C: 1 Samuel 26:2, 7–9, 12–13, 22–23; Psalm 103:1–4, 8, 10, 12–1, 1 Corinthians 15:45–49, Gospel: Luke 6:27–38