Showing Mercy

Proper5A, June 11, 2023, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, by Sr. Annette Fricke, OP There is a glaring obstacle to interpretation of this gospel passage. We do not live in Jesus’ day and the scientific advances that have transpired between when this portion of Matthew was written and our own understandings of evil and healing, that which would bring us down and that which brings restoration are different. Some would use this part of Matthew to pit science against Jesus. This was a part of the heritage of a not-so-distant past. Groups of people believed that healing only came from prayer and scientific medicine was more miss than hit. Other folks believed that the cure for mental illness is not science, but exorcism. However, this is not the moment for debating something that will probably continue to be debated for some time. Jesus is not calling us to a debate. Following the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapters 5 through 7, is a series of healing stories and calling / discipleship stories. The gospel for today has 1) Calling the tax collector, Matthew (9:9-13), 2) Healing a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years, and 3) bringing back to life the daughter of a synagogue leader (9:18-26). Jesus is not only an inspiration but puts his words into action. There is a quote attributed to Carl Jung which states, “You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.” We are called to be more than a cheerleader; we are called to be a player. But for those of us with a scientific and modern medicine understanding, it is crucial to focus NOT on the actions, but on the inter-actions - the relationships - between Jesus and those who come to him. Matthew, a leader of the synagogue, and the hemorrhaging woman are all people of faith. The voiced objection to the calling of Matthew and associating with Matthew’s friends is a social illness whereas the other two are physical illnesses. They believe that Jesus can and will heal them and Jesus responds with healing. But let’s back up a bit. There is a whole paragraph on the social criticism of Jesus. This is really the over-arching theme of today’s Gospel. What matters most is how we treat other people. Why? Recall that very first commandment given to Moses to deliver to the people, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” How would God treat others? Equally welcoming to everybody in every walk of life. Jesus treats us all the same just as he did the tax collectors, the synagogue authorities, and the women. Jesus saw the injustices of the world around him, but as always, the first step is developing a relationship, practicing hospitality. God desires mercy, not sacrifice. The religious rituals in Jesus’ day were restrictive and Jesus was known more than once to heal of the Sabbath. Healing on the Sabbath was against Jewish law. “Jesus demonstrated that the power of God's presence was embedded in mercy and not in religious rituals (Matthew 9:13). But one had to stop being hopeless and hapless, stop being isolated; and start connecting and trusting. Because ‘mercy’ is a relationship.” Jesus demonstrates how to push through social barriers and dare to go beyond the norm of this group and that group, this person or that person, pushing beyond our comfort zones. We too, can be the conduit of God’s love to each other and to the community beyond. We too, can be God’s compassion in our community and our world. If [we] stop and really think about it, the most difficult "miracle" in today's text is not the raising of the girl from death, nor the healing of the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. The most difficult healing was including the despised tax collector, Matthew, back into community.” Matthew, the woman Jesus called ‘daughter’ and the synagogue leader had in common, not just their social and/or physical illnesses, but the belief that God can and does transform all of us, so that we, too can be in the transformation business. We begin with what we have in common. We are God’s children. We are all related. When we shake hands at the passing of the peace, look each other in the eyes. We don’t need to say much, just make a connection. This is what God’s example in Jesus is. This is how we bring healing to each other. We face each other, we are vulnerable to each other, we make amends when we have been the cause of hurt. This is our invitation to live as the people of God. Footnote:David Ewart, www.holytextures.com.