Thursday Evenings at All Hallows (Thursday, August 17, 2023)
Welcome to Thursday Evenings at All Hallows. As a part of an ongoing series about what Jesus taught, this evening's message will examine his teaching about mercy.
WE GATHER IN GOD’S NAME A lamp or candle may be lit.
You, O Lord, are my lamp;
my God, you make my darkness bright.
The light and peace of Jesus Christ be with you
and also with you.
As this evening hymn is sung, more lamps and candles may be lit.
Open this in a new tab to hear F. Bland Tucker’s translation of the Phos hilaron, “O Gracious Light.”
1 O gracious Light,
Lord Jesus Christ,
in you the Father's glory shone.
Immortal, holy, blest is he,
and blest are you, his holy Son.
2 Now sunset comes,
but light shines forth,
the lamps are lit to pierce the night.
Praise Father, Son, and Spirit; God
who dwells in the eternal light.
3 Worthy are you of endless praise,
O Son of God, Life-giving Lord;
wherefore you are
through all the earth
and in the highest heaven adored.
to our God, who will richly pardon.
Silence
Open this link in a new tab to hear Hans Leo Hassler’s setting of the Kyrie.
Kyrie eleison,
Kyrie eleison,
Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison,
Christe eleison,
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison,
Kyrie eleison,
Kyrie eleison.
Silence
May the Lord forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are
and direct what we shall be,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Open this link in a new tab to hear Kiran Young Wimberly “Hallelujah (Psalm 146).”
Hallelujah, I will praise the Lord as long as I live
I will sing praise to God with all of my being
I will trust not in rulers, they will pass into dust
But I will hope in the Lord our God, the one who will love
Hallelujah, I will praise the Lord as long as I live
I will sing praise to God with all of my being
Happy are those who hope in the God who redeems
The heavens, earth and seas belong to the Maker of all things
Hallelujah, I will praise the Lord as long as I live
I will sing praise to God with all of my being
To the poor God brings justice, to the hungry, a feast
Sets the prisoners free, meets the refugee, sing praise to the Lord
Hallelujah, I will praise the Lord as long as I live
I will sing praise to God with all of my being
The Lord lifts the lowly, to the stranger shows care
The widow and the orphan, God will never forsake
Hallelujah, I will praise the Lord as long as I live
I will sing praise to God with all of my being
God’s goodness and mercy never come to an end
Our God will reign forever, hallelujah, Amen
Hallelujah, I will praise the Lord
Hallelujah, I will praise the Lord
Hallelujah, I will praise the Lord, Hallelujah, Amen
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
Let us pray.
Silence
Almighty God, you sent your Holy Spirit to be the life and light of your Church. Open our hearts to the riches of your grace, that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit in love, joy, and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
WE HEAR GOD’S WORD
A reading from the New Testament (Matthew 9:9-13).
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.
Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”
When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
Silence
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
In his teaching, in instructing the disciples and in his conversations with the Pharisees and the teachers of the religious law, Jesus emphasizes the quality of mercy. In his own actions Jesus displays that quality.
The passage of Scripture that Jesus quotes in today’s reading is Hosea 6:6.
I want you to show love,
not offer sacrifices.
I want you to know me
more than I want burnt offerings.
The Septuagint, the earliest surviving Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, in which the Book of Hosea is found, renders the Hebrew term “to show love” as “to show mercy.”
By the time of Jesus’ earthy ministry, the Jewish population of Judaea spoke Aramaic, not Hebrew, and Jews living in the diaspora, the various cities of the ancient Mediterranean world outside of Judaea spoke Greek, which was the lingua franca of the time, the language adopted as a common language.by the various peoples inhabiting these cities. Jesus appears to have been familiar with Greek and Latin as well as Aramaic and Hebrew.
As we shall see, Jesus refers to this passage from the Book of Hosea on several occasions.
In the Beatitudes, the eight blessings, which are found at the beginning of the collection of Jesus’ teachings in Matthew’s Gospel, known as the Sermon the Mount, is found this blessing.
God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7 NLT
In this Beatitude Jesus identifies a relationship between showing mercy and receiving mercy. It is a relationship similar to the relationship that he later on in the Sermon on the Mount identifies between forgiving and being forgiven.
If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6: 14-15 NLT
In a discussion with some Pharisees about the Sabbath, Jesus refers again to Hosea 6: 6.
At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.”
Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!” Matthew 12: 1-8 NLT
When Jesus visited their synagogue and the Pharisees questioned him about healing on the Sabbath, Jesus responded—
“If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:11-12 NLT
What Jesus is saying is that if they themselves are willing to show mercy to a sheep on the Sabbath and rescue it from a well, why do they object to someone showing mercy to a fellow human being and healing them. Jesus then proceeded to heal a man’s deformed hand. They appear to have failed or refused to see the connection between their own actions and healing on te Sabbath. They became outraged when Jesus healed the man and plotted to kill him.
What we can gather from Jesus’ response, from both his words and his action, is that God does not set limits on when and where we can do good or show mercy.
We may wonder why the Pharisees were willing to rescue a sheep from a well on the Sabbath but not to do good to a fellow human being.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Hans Leo Hassler’s setting of the Kyrie.
Kyrie eleison,
Kyrie eleison,
Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison,
Christe eleison,
Christe eleison
Kyrie eleison,
Kyrie eleison,
Kyrie eleison.
Silence
May the Lord forgive what we have been,
help us to amend what we are
and direct what we shall be,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Blessed is the Lord:
Who has heard the voice of our prayer.
Therefore shall our hearts dance for joy:
And in our song will we praise our God.
Who has heard the voice of our prayer.
Therefore shall our hearts dance for joy:
And in our song will we praise our God.
Open this link in a new tab to hear Kiran Young Wimberly “Hallelujah (Psalm 146).”
Hallelujah, I will praise the Lord as long as I live
I will sing praise to God with all of my being
I will trust not in rulers, they will pass into dust
But I will hope in the Lord our God, the one who will love
Hallelujah, I will praise the Lord as long as I live
I will sing praise to God with all of my being
Happy are those who hope in the God who redeems
The heavens, earth and seas belong to the Maker of all things
Hallelujah, I will praise the Lord as long as I live
I will sing praise to God with all of my being
To the poor God brings justice, to the hungry, a feast
Sets the prisoners free, meets the refugee, sing praise to the Lord
Hallelujah, I will praise the Lord as long as I live
I will sing praise to God with all of my being
The Lord lifts the lowly, to the stranger shows care
The widow and the orphan, God will never forsake
Hallelujah, I will praise the Lord as long as I live
I will sing praise to God with all of my being
God’s goodness and mercy never come to an end
Our God will reign forever, hallelujah, Amen
Hallelujah, I will praise the Lord
Hallelujah, I will praise the Lord
Hallelujah, I will praise the Lord, Hallelujah, Amen
The Lord be with you.
The Lord bless you.
Let us pray.
Silence
Almighty God, you sent your Holy Spirit to be the life and light of your Church. Open our hearts to the riches of your grace, that we may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit in love, joy, and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
WE HEAR GOD’S WORD
A reading from the New Testament (Matthew 9:9-13).
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.
Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?”
When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
Silence
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
What Did Jesus Teach about Mercy?
In his teaching, in instructing the disciples and in his conversations with the Pharisees and the teachers of the religious law, Jesus emphasizes the quality of mercy. In his own actions Jesus displays that quality.
The passage of Scripture that Jesus quotes in today’s reading is Hosea 6:6.
I want you to show love,
not offer sacrifices.
I want you to know me
more than I want burnt offerings.
The Septuagint, the earliest surviving Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, in which the Book of Hosea is found, renders the Hebrew term “to show love” as “to show mercy.”
By the time of Jesus’ earthy ministry, the Jewish population of Judaea spoke Aramaic, not Hebrew, and Jews living in the diaspora, the various cities of the ancient Mediterranean world outside of Judaea spoke Greek, which was the lingua franca of the time, the language adopted as a common language.by the various peoples inhabiting these cities. Jesus appears to have been familiar with Greek and Latin as well as Aramaic and Hebrew.
As we shall see, Jesus refers to this passage from the Book of Hosea on several occasions.
In the Beatitudes, the eight blessings, which are found at the beginning of the collection of Jesus’ teachings in Matthew’s Gospel, known as the Sermon the Mount, is found this blessing.
God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy. Matthew 5:7 NLT
In this Beatitude Jesus identifies a relationship between showing mercy and receiving mercy. It is a relationship similar to the relationship that he later on in the Sermon on the Mount identifies between forgiving and being forgiven.
If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6: 14-15 NLT
In a discussion with some Pharisees about the Sabbath, Jesus refers again to Hosea 6: 6.
At about that time Jesus was walking through some grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, so they began breaking off some heads of grain and eating them. But some Pharisees saw them do it and protested, “Look, your disciples are breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath.”
Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God, and he and his companions broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. And haven’t you read in the law of Moses that the priests on duty in the Temple may work on the Sabbath? I tell you, there is one here who is even greater than the Temple! But you would not have condemned my innocent disciples if you knew the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!” Matthew 12: 1-8 NLT
When Jesus visited their synagogue and the Pharisees questioned him about healing on the Sabbath, Jesus responded—
“If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.” Matthew 12:11-12 NLT
What Jesus is saying is that if they themselves are willing to show mercy to a sheep on the Sabbath and rescue it from a well, why do they object to someone showing mercy to a fellow human being and healing them. Jesus then proceeded to heal a man’s deformed hand. They appear to have failed or refused to see the connection between their own actions and healing on te Sabbath. They became outraged when Jesus healed the man and plotted to kill him.
What we can gather from Jesus’ response, from both his words and his action, is that God does not set limits on when and where we can do good or show mercy.
We may wonder why the Pharisees were willing to rescue a sheep from a well on the Sabbath but not to do good to a fellow human being.
Among the possible explanations is that the Pharisees were very legalistic in how they interpreted and applied their religious law. They paid more attention to the rules than they did the intentions behind them. They thought of themselves as righteous and wanted others to see them as they saw themselves. One of the teachings in the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament associates treating livestock with kindness with righteousness. “The godly care for their animals, but the wicked are always cruel” (Proverbs 12:10 NLT). We cannot rule out that they might rescue the sheep for the sake of appearances. The sheep would also foul the water in the well, and they would not b able to draw water from it. If the sheep was injured by the fall ad died in the well, it could contaminate the water in the well. And they would be forced to dig a new well.
Jesus’ teaching and his example not only reveals that God does not limit when and where we can do good or show mercy but also God does not limit to whom we may do good or show mercy.
In the Gospel of Luke, in the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus tells those whom he is addressing—
“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone hits you on one cheek, let him hit the other one too; if someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well. Give to everyone who asks you for something, and when someone takes what is yours, do not ask for it back.” Luke 6: 27-30 GNT
After telling them to treat others as they themselves would wish to be treated, Jesus goes on to say—.
“If you love only the people who love you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners do that! And if you lend only to those from whom you hope to get it back, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount! No! Love your enemies and do good to them; lend and expect nothing back. You will then have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God. For he is good to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful just as your Father is merciful”. Luke 6: 32-36 GNT
What Jesus is saying, loving those who love us and doing good to those who do good to us is nothing. What God blesses is loving those who do not love us and doing good to those who do not do good to us. We are to imitate God like children imitate their parents and do good to everybody just like God does. We are to be merciful just as God is merciful. Note that Jesus does not frame being merciful like God is merciful as a suggestion but as a command.
Later on Luke’s Gospel, in Luke 10:26-37 Jesus not only affirms the most important commandment, which is two commandments—the commandment to love God and the commandment to love people, but he also connects obeying this commandment to showing mercy to others.
One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”
The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
“By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
The Samaritan in the story was an inhabitant of Samaria, what was once the northern kingdom of Israel before the Assyrians conquered that kingdom. The Samaritans are the descendants of the people of the northern kingdom.
Jesus’ teaching and his example not only reveals that God does not limit when and where we can do good or show mercy but also God does not limit to whom we may do good or show mercy.
In the Gospel of Luke, in the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus tells those whom he is addressing—
“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone hits you on one cheek, let him hit the other one too; if someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well. Give to everyone who asks you for something, and when someone takes what is yours, do not ask for it back.” Luke 6: 27-30 GNT
After telling them to treat others as they themselves would wish to be treated, Jesus goes on to say—.
“If you love only the people who love you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners love those who love them! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners do that! And if you lend only to those from whom you hope to get it back, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount! No! Love your enemies and do good to them; lend and expect nothing back. You will then have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High God. For he is good to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful just as your Father is merciful”. Luke 6: 32-36 GNT
What Jesus is saying, loving those who love us and doing good to those who do good to us is nothing. What God blesses is loving those who do not love us and doing good to those who do not do good to us. We are to imitate God like children imitate their parents and do good to everybody just like God does. We are to be merciful just as God is merciful. Note that Jesus does not frame being merciful like God is merciful as a suggestion but as a command.
Later on Luke’s Gospel, in Luke 10:26-37 Jesus not only affirms the most important commandment, which is two commandments—the commandment to love God and the commandment to love people, but he also connects obeying this commandment to showing mercy to others.
One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”
The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
“Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”
The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.
“By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
“Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
“Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.
The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”
The Samaritan in the story was an inhabitant of Samaria, what was once the northern kingdom of Israel before the Assyrians conquered that kingdom. The Samaritans are the descendants of the people of the northern kingdom.
Like the Jews, the Samaritans worshiped God, but they had their own temple on Mount Gerizim, which they believed is where God has commanded the people of Israel to build a temple to him and not Jerusalem.. They also have their own Pentateuch, which they believe to be the original and unaltered version of the laws given by God to Moses and the people of Israel on Mount Sinai. The Samaritans believe that their religion is the pure version of the religion of the people of Israel and the religion of the people of southern kingdom of Judaea became corrupted during their captivity in Babylon. The difference in their beliefs from those of the Judeans, the people of the southern kingdom of Judaea, had caused hard feelings between the two peoples.
The Judeans also claimed that the Samaritans had intermarried with the woman of the foreign peoples that the Assyrians settled in the conquered norther kingdom and therefore were a mongrel race and not pure descendants of the people of Israel. However, DNA studies of the Samaritans do not support this claim. Jesus himself called the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob an Israelite, a descendant of the people of Israel.
In the story the Samaritan shows compassion toward the injured man, tends his wounds, takes him to a place of safety, and pays for his care, while the priest and the Temple assistant who were both Jews like the injured man crossed to the other side of the road and passed by him.
The expert in religious law in all likelihood would not have been surprised by the actions of the priest and the Temple assistant. Like them, he most likely believed that touching a corpse even accidentally would have made them ritual unclean and unable to perform their duties in the Temple at Jerusalem. What mattered most to them and to him was the performance of these duties, which in the priest’s case would have involved in making sacrificial offerings to God. While Jesus makes no mention of Hosea 6:6 and the Samaritans do not accept the books of the minor prophets as a part of their Bible, nonetheless the words that God spoke through the prophet Hosea are embodied in the Samaritan’s actions:
I want you to show love,
not offer sacrifices.
I want you to know me
more than I want burnt offerings.
What then is mercy which Jesus told the religious law expert to go and show to others? Here are some definitions of mercy, kindness, and kind taken from four leading dictionaries.
First, mercy—
“Kindness that makes you forgive someone, usually someone that you have authority over. “Kindness shown to someone whom you have the right or power to punish.” “If someone in authority shows mercy, they choose not to harm someone they have power over, or they forgive someone they have the right to punish.” “Compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power, also: lenient or compassionate treatment.” “Compassionate treatment of those in distress.” “A kind or forgiving attitude towards somebody that you have the power to harm or right to punish.”
Next, kindness—
“The quality of being kind.” ““The quality of being gentle, caring, and helpful.”
And finally, kind—
“Generous, helpful, and thinking about other people’s feelings.” “Generous, helpful, and caring about other people.” “Of a sympathetic or helpful nature.” “Of a forbearing nature: gentle.” “Arising from or characterized by sympathy or forbearance.” ““Caring about others; gentle, friendly, and generous.”
All of these definitions describe Jesus’ character as well as his actions. They are also descriptive of the qualities Jesus would have his followers develop and behavior he would have them adopt.
Showing mercy to others, treating them with kindness and forgiveness, and doing good to them, no matter who they are, is not Jesus’ only teaching. However, it is one of his core teachings, a teaching which he himself exemplified.
Being merciful, showing or exercising mercy, treating others kindly, gently, and compassionately, even though they may not deserve such treatment, is an attitude, a way of thinking, and a way of behaving, that anyone aspiring to be a true disciple of Jesus will, with the help of the Holy Spirit, seek to cultivate in themselves. It is an attitude, a way of thinking, and a way of behaving that they will encourage their fellow Christians also to cultivate in themselves.
At the conclusion of the Sermon on the Plain Jesus asks those gathered to hear him—
“…why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” Luke 6: 46-49 NLT
A true disciple of Jesus is someone who has turned to Jesus, listened to his teaching, and is following what he taught. True disciple builds their lives upon the solid foundation of Jesus’ teaching. True disciples call Jesus Lord because for them Jesus is indeed Lord. They recognize and accept Jesus’ lordship over their lives. God in his loving kindness gives us an abundance of grace to enable us to do just that. To God be all thanks and praise now and forever. Amen!
Silence
WE RESPOND
Open this link in a new tab to hear Ed Buldoc’s arrangement of Fredrick William Faber’s “There Is a Wideness in God’s Mercy.”
1 There’s a wideness in God’s mercy
Like the wideness of the sea;
There’s a kindness in God's justice
Which is more than liberty.
There is plentiful redemption
In the blood that has been shed;
There is joy for all the members
In the sorrows of the Head.
2 There is welcome for the sinner,
and a promised grace made good;
there is mercy with the Savior;
there is healing in his blood.
There is grace enough for thousands
of new worlds as great as this;
there is room for fresh creations
in that upper home of bliss.
So be merciful, just as our God is merciful—
Be merciful, just as our God is merciful to us.
Let there be wideness in our mercy.
Let there be kindness in our hearts.
Oh, may our lives be merciful.—
3 For the love of God is broader
Than the measures of the mind;
And the heart of the Eternal
Is most wonderfully kind.
If our love were but more simple,
We would know the living Word;
And our lives would be thanksgiving
In the kindness of the Lord.
So be merciful, just as our God is merciful—
Be merciful, just as our God is merciful to us.
Let there be wideness in our mercy.
Let there be kindness in our hearts.
Oh, may our lives be merciful.—
[Instrumental interlude]
4 There’s a wideness in God’s mercy
Like the wideness of the sea;
There’s a kindness in God's justice
Which is more than liberty.
There is plentiful redemption
In the blood that has been shed;
There is joy for all the members
In the sorrows of the Head.
So be merciful, just as our God is merciful—
Be merciful, just as our God is merciful to us.
Let there be wideness in our mercy.
Let there be kindness in our hearts.
Oh, may our lives be merciful.—
WE PRAY FOR GOD’S WORLD
Let us pray for all people and for the Church throughout the world.
Father, we pray for the universal Church;
that we all may be one in Christ.
Grant that every member of the Church may truly and
humbly serve you;
that your Name may be glorified by everyone.
We pray for all Christian pastors;
that they may be faithful ministers of your word and
sacraments.
We pray for the spread of the gospel;
that people everywhere may come to know and love you.
We pray for all who govern and exercise authority in the
nations of the world;
that there may be peace and justice among all.
Give us strength to do your will in all that we undertake;
that we may be blessed in all our works.
Have compassion on those who suffer or are in grief or
trouble;
that they may he delivered from their distress.
We praise you for all your saints who have entered into
joy;
may we also share in your heavenly kingdom.
Let us pray for our own needs and those of others.
Silence
Those present may add their own petitions.
Accept our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who taught us to pray,
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
WE GO FORTH TO SERVE
May the Lord bless us and keep us,
May the Lord make his face to shine on us and be gracious to us,
May the Lord look on us with kindness and give us peace. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear David Haas “We Are Called.”
1 Come, live in the light
Shine with the joy and the love of the Lord
We are called to be light for the kingdom
To live in the freedom of the city of God
We are called to act with justice
We are called to love tenderly
We are called to serve one another
To walk humbly with God
2 Come, open your heart
Show your mercy to all those in fear
We are called to be hope for the hopeless
So all hatred and blindness will be no more
We are called to act with justice
We are called to love tenderly
We are called to serve one another
To walk humbly with God
3 Sing, sing a new song
Sing of that great day when all will be one
God will reign and we'll walk with each other
As sisters and brothers united in love
We are called to act with justice
We are called to love tenderly
We are called to serve one another
To walk humbly with God
Those present may exchange a sign of peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
In the story the Samaritan shows compassion toward the injured man, tends his wounds, takes him to a place of safety, and pays for his care, while the priest and the Temple assistant who were both Jews like the injured man crossed to the other side of the road and passed by him.
The expert in religious law in all likelihood would not have been surprised by the actions of the priest and the Temple assistant. Like them, he most likely believed that touching a corpse even accidentally would have made them ritual unclean and unable to perform their duties in the Temple at Jerusalem. What mattered most to them and to him was the performance of these duties, which in the priest’s case would have involved in making sacrificial offerings to God. While Jesus makes no mention of Hosea 6:6 and the Samaritans do not accept the books of the minor prophets as a part of their Bible, nonetheless the words that God spoke through the prophet Hosea are embodied in the Samaritan’s actions:
I want you to show love,
not offer sacrifices.
I want you to know me
more than I want burnt offerings.
What then is mercy which Jesus told the religious law expert to go and show to others? Here are some definitions of mercy, kindness, and kind taken from four leading dictionaries.
First, mercy—
“Kindness that makes you forgive someone, usually someone that you have authority over. “Kindness shown to someone whom you have the right or power to punish.” “If someone in authority shows mercy, they choose not to harm someone they have power over, or they forgive someone they have the right to punish.” “Compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power, also: lenient or compassionate treatment.” “Compassionate treatment of those in distress.” “A kind or forgiving attitude towards somebody that you have the power to harm or right to punish.”
Next, kindness—
“The quality of being kind.” ““The quality of being gentle, caring, and helpful.”
And finally, kind—
“Generous, helpful, and thinking about other people’s feelings.” “Generous, helpful, and caring about other people.” “Of a sympathetic or helpful nature.” “Of a forbearing nature: gentle.” “Arising from or characterized by sympathy or forbearance.” ““Caring about others; gentle, friendly, and generous.”
All of these definitions describe Jesus’ character as well as his actions. They are also descriptive of the qualities Jesus would have his followers develop and behavior he would have them adopt.
Showing mercy to others, treating them with kindness and forgiveness, and doing good to them, no matter who they are, is not Jesus’ only teaching. However, it is one of his core teachings, a teaching which he himself exemplified.
Being merciful, showing or exercising mercy, treating others kindly, gently, and compassionately, even though they may not deserve such treatment, is an attitude, a way of thinking, and a way of behaving, that anyone aspiring to be a true disciple of Jesus will, with the help of the Holy Spirit, seek to cultivate in themselves. It is an attitude, a way of thinking, and a way of behaving that they will encourage their fellow Christians also to cultivate in themselves.
At the conclusion of the Sermon on the Plain Jesus asks those gathered to hear him—
“…why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” Luke 6: 46-49 NLT
A true disciple of Jesus is someone who has turned to Jesus, listened to his teaching, and is following what he taught. True disciple builds their lives upon the solid foundation of Jesus’ teaching. True disciples call Jesus Lord because for them Jesus is indeed Lord. They recognize and accept Jesus’ lordship over their lives. God in his loving kindness gives us an abundance of grace to enable us to do just that. To God be all thanks and praise now and forever. Amen!
Silence
WE RESPOND
Open this link in a new tab to hear Ed Buldoc’s arrangement of Fredrick William Faber’s “There Is a Wideness in God’s Mercy.”
1 There’s a wideness in God’s mercy
Like the wideness of the sea;
There’s a kindness in God's justice
Which is more than liberty.
There is plentiful redemption
In the blood that has been shed;
There is joy for all the members
In the sorrows of the Head.
2 There is welcome for the sinner,
and a promised grace made good;
there is mercy with the Savior;
there is healing in his blood.
There is grace enough for thousands
of new worlds as great as this;
there is room for fresh creations
in that upper home of bliss.
So be merciful, just as our God is merciful—
Be merciful, just as our God is merciful to us.
Let there be wideness in our mercy.
Let there be kindness in our hearts.
Oh, may our lives be merciful.—
3 For the love of God is broader
Than the measures of the mind;
And the heart of the Eternal
Is most wonderfully kind.
If our love were but more simple,
We would know the living Word;
And our lives would be thanksgiving
In the kindness of the Lord.
So be merciful, just as our God is merciful—
Be merciful, just as our God is merciful to us.
Let there be wideness in our mercy.
Let there be kindness in our hearts.
Oh, may our lives be merciful.—
[Instrumental interlude]
4 There’s a wideness in God’s mercy
Like the wideness of the sea;
There’s a kindness in God's justice
Which is more than liberty.
There is plentiful redemption
In the blood that has been shed;
There is joy for all the members
In the sorrows of the Head.
So be merciful, just as our God is merciful—
Be merciful, just as our God is merciful to us.
Let there be wideness in our mercy.
Let there be kindness in our hearts.
Oh, may our lives be merciful.—
WE PRAY FOR GOD’S WORLD
Let us pray for all people and for the Church throughout the world.
Father, we pray for the universal Church;
that we all may be one in Christ.
Grant that every member of the Church may truly and
humbly serve you;
that your Name may be glorified by everyone.
We pray for all Christian pastors;
that they may be faithful ministers of your word and
sacraments.
We pray for the spread of the gospel;
that people everywhere may come to know and love you.
We pray for all who govern and exercise authority in the
nations of the world;
that there may be peace and justice among all.
Give us strength to do your will in all that we undertake;
that we may be blessed in all our works.
Have compassion on those who suffer or are in grief or
trouble;
that they may he delivered from their distress.
We praise you for all your saints who have entered into
joy;
may we also share in your heavenly kingdom.
Let us pray for our own needs and those of others.
Silence
Those present may add their own petitions.
Accept our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who taught us to pray,
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
WE GO FORTH TO SERVE
May the Lord bless us and keep us,
May the Lord make his face to shine on us and be gracious to us,
May the Lord look on us with kindness and give us peace. Amen.
Open this link in a new tab to hear David Haas “We Are Called.”
1 Come, live in the light
Shine with the joy and the love of the Lord
We are called to be light for the kingdom
To live in the freedom of the city of God
We are called to act with justice
We are called to love tenderly
We are called to serve one another
To walk humbly with God
2 Come, open your heart
Show your mercy to all those in fear
We are called to be hope for the hopeless
So all hatred and blindness will be no more
We are called to act with justice
We are called to love tenderly
We are called to serve one another
To walk humbly with God
3 Sing, sing a new song
Sing of that great day when all will be one
God will reign and we'll walk with each other
As sisters and brothers united in love
We are called to act with justice
We are called to love tenderly
We are called to serve one another
To walk humbly with God
Those present may exchange a sign of peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
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