Matt’s Musings

Dear St. Paul’s Friends & Family,

“I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”  (Matthew 9:13b)

This week’s gospel lesson is an unexpected synopsis of Jesus’ ministry.  We are also given some key insights into his motivation for ministry.  A lot happens in 14 verses.  Jesus calls a disciple, gets criticized by the religious experts for eating with sinners and tax collectors, sets those religious officials strait, accidentally heals a chronically sick woman, and finishes it all off by resurrecting the deceased daughter of the local synagogue leader.

Jesus’ response to the Pharisees (the religious law experts) who were criticizing him for hanging out with the religiously suspect was to remind them that he desired mercy and not sacrifice.  His calling was to minister to those who had been deemed undesirable by the religious establishment.  Jesus challenged religious boundaries by calling a tax collector, Matthew, to be one of his disciples.  Jesus would have been deemed unclean, unfit for worship and leadership, after he was touched by the chronically hemorrhaging woman, healing her, and after he had laid his hands upon the dead child, raising her to life.  

Mercy is what motivated Jesus.  Mercy from God that restored health and life to those who were considered beyond help.  Mercy that brought Matthew and his tax collecting friends, and scores of sinners into God’s fold.  Jesus, throughout his life, made it his mission to restore the socially outcast, the poor, the sick, and the religiously estranged to fellowship with God.  Jesus claimed them for his own as disciples, friends, and beloved neighbors.  There was not judgement, only mercy.

The difficult irony when considering Jesus’ life is that we as modern believers still struggle with welcoming those who are different than ourselves into the fellowship of faith.  We too often readily go along with the fissures that divide society.  Outrage has been made into a profitable product peddled by political pundits, politicians, media influencers, and unfortunately, more than just a few pastors.  The result is that we’ve learned to fear “the other” so much that we’ve lost sight of the fact that “the other” are part of us, our neighbors and God’s beloved.  They represent diverse world views, belief systems, sexual orientations, economic conditions, identities, occupations, ages, and races.  While some preach judgement that leads to division, Jesus preaches mercy that leads to inclusion and grace.  May we boldly share the gift of God’s mercy with others, so that they too can experience the love and grace that brought us into the community of Christ’s beloved body.

Blessings on your journey!

Pastor Matt