“But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.  For the Son of Man is the Lord of even the Sabbath.”  Matthew 12:7-8

 

As I wrote the post about the effect of a simple “hello” on Virgil, I was really struck by the Scripture listed above.  It seemed to say so much…about Virgil and the many that we potentially interact with each and every day…and the choices each of us make.

Think about this:  God isn’t so much about what we are doing, but why we are doing it or not doing it.  “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.”  By the nature of this instruction, we probably need to ask ourselves, what is motivating me, my actions and my words?  Am I doing something because I am seeking to be kind, truthful, hopeful or compassionate?  Or am I permitting injury or disadvantage to something or someone for the sake of something else or for the benefit of myself.  Those are some of the contrasting definitions of mercy and sacrifice.

Let me give you this example.  It is great that I am sacrificing my time and energy to check on my grandma.  It is easily something I can justify with Scripture’s instruction to take care of our families and elders.  And so, if I walk in there, trying to take the easiest, quickest route to her to avoid the many others who may potentially cross my path and slow me down…is that what He truly desires for me in living out His instruction?  Is that the goal He wants me to aim for?  To go about that visit as quickly as possible for the benefit of my timetable rather than maybe His and theirs…

If I never smiled at Virgil and said, “hello”, is it possible that those moments of mercy would have been lost?  “Mercy” is defined as “compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one’s power.”  www.dictionary.com.  It is compassion, an act of kindness or favor.  Id.  Think on it this way, I have the power to walk by in my hurry and duty, but can I forbear from executing that power and take a moment to show compassion and kindness to someone else?

Now, let’s explore a little further into the Scripture, “But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.”  I emphasize the last portion because it really spoke to me.  All those seniors, sitting in wheel chairs, waiting and waiting for someone to engage them.  And yet so many, myself included, walk by ignoring or purposefully trying to avoid engagement.  Isn’t that a form of condemnation in a way?   Eyes on the floor so that you will not “see” them motion you over.  Making a b-line to where and what you are trying to do–sacrifice at the expense of mercy.  I don’t see you, and I am refusing to validate you exist.

The most powerful word to me was “guiltless”.  Many times life contains unpleasant parts. Aging will happen to all (besides Captain America).  But let’s go deeper than that.  When something hard or painful is happening, we want an “answer” for why.  A reason that justifies the trial or struggle or our involvement.  Sometimes, however, people are struggling with things we can’t understand and there are no easy answers.  The guiltless are those who are innocent; they have done nothing wrong.  They have committed no crimes or offenses. There is no deserved “reason” for their suffering.  But how often do we start out judging the validity of their need or situation before even knowing anything. Thoughts like: “They are not in need of my time.”  “I am sure someone else will step up to do it.”  “It is not my responsibility.”  “They don’t know me…”  “They won’t notice, or it won’t matter, that I didn’t _____.”

Can it be that how we treat others, even in the smallest of ways, can convey the mercy needed to help them through another day?   Better yet, would we be more faithfully serving and following God if we took the mindset that those we encounter are guiltless and in need of our mercy?  Could it be that the Creator of this earth, who is actively moving, has deliberately placed these moments into our schedules as opportunities for us despite what we have “planned” out for our day?  Can we trust that His lessons of mercy, what He longs for more than any sacrifices we might make, are more important to Him and this world than almost anything else we can do or learn?

Mercy, compassion, forbearance, kindness, etc.  Attitudes and framework that hold the potential to shine the light of heaven into dark and lonely places on this earth.  Often, with something as simple as a “hello Virgil”.

Let us not forget that He also emphasizes in this verse that “He is Lord of even the Sabbath.”  Could His mention of “even the Sabbath” be God trying to draw our attention to those situations that involve what seems like rest (those not actively needing our engagement).  Many times a physical or cognitive disease debilitates someone to the point that they can no longer actively engage society or life as they once did.  Thinking expansively, sometimes, so does tragedies and trails.  Could it be that He is reminding us that our thinking may be misguided when we quickly dismiss someone else as not needing us or our attention?  To truly understand that He is Lord of those situations, we must acknowledge them, acknowledge that the quality of their moments are just as important to Him as ours are.  Just as with us, He does not judge their value by their productivity. Neither should we withhold mercy because it does not appear on the surface to work for us or for them.  Acts of mercy, freely given, affirm our understanding of His ways.  They are His light.

If we trust and believe this, then we should strongly consider steering away from doing just the things that we see as most useful to our lives.  Instead, we need to purpose our hearts to move with truer mercy towards those He places in our paths, trusting that their situations–as uncomfortable as they may make us–are an important part of His plan and timing in their lives and in our own.  These moments are life lessons on how to apply mercy in the real world rather than just seeing its definition on paper.

The Sabbath rest that my grandmother and Virgil are in these days shall some day likely be my own.  Someone’s depression, illness, loneliness, tragedy or challenges may some day be ours.  Wouldn’t it be better and wiser for us to learn the many nuances of mercy now, for one day we may long and need such mercy to be returned to our souls?

“But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’  For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”  Matthew 9:13