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Jesus said to his disciples: “Be merciful, just as your Father is
merciful.” Luke 6:36
What is mercy? How is the Father in Heaven merciful? Suppose
someone lived a life contrary to God’s will. When that person dies
and stands before the Judgment Seat of God, will God, in His mercy,
say, “That’s okay, you can enter Heaven even though you do not
deserve it”? Or in our lives, if someone is living an openly sinful
lifestyle that is objectively contrary to God’s moral law, should
we say, “If living that way makes you happy, then I’m happy for
you”? Neither of these depicts authentic mercy.
After telling us, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful,”
Jesus defines what He means. First, He tells us what not to do:
“Stop judging…Stop condemning.” God, and God alone, has the
authority to judge and condemn. We do not. Therefore, when we judge
and condemn another, we usurp God’s authority. Only God sees the
heart; therefore, only God can judge a person.
However, the command to “Stop judging” and “Stop condemning” must
be exercised from two perspectives. On the one hand, we ought not
to judge a person as a sinner deserving condemnation. On the other
hand, we ought not to declare a person morally righteous,
especially when someone’s actions contradict God’s revealed law. So
what are we to do? We limit our judgment to the objective moral
actions that God has revealed, leaving it to God to condemn or
exonerate the heart. This will free us from anger and enable us to
express authentic love.
For example, if two people live as husband and wife even though
they are not married, we should look for an opportunity to express
our hope that they enter into marriage rather than continue living
together while unmarried. This is not a condemnation of their souls
but a proclamation of God’s objective moral law. It’s the Gospel,
and we must speak it with kindness, patience, and clarity.
Furthermore, if we express to these same individuals that we are
somehow happy for them and support their living arrangement, we are
also wrongly judging them to be in God’s good graces, which is just
as sinful on our part. Hence, not judging and not condemning means
we focus on the objective action, not the heart. This can be
difficult, especially with those closest to us, but it is essential
in practicing true mercy.
What Jesus says next is even more challenging: “Forgive” and
“give.” As an added motivation, Jesus explains that we will only be
forgiven when we forgive others, and good gifts will be given to us
only when we give. Forgiveness and generosity are acts of great
mercy. To forgive is to offer pardon to one who has committed some
sin against us. Though we never know a person's heart and,
therefore, their culpability for an action, there are plenty of
times when an offense is committed against us. In this case, there
is only one appropriate response: forgive and give kindness,
compassion, and mercy. We must never hold a grudge, remain angry,
sulk over an injury, or hold a sin against another. Never.
The challenge is that human reason alone cannot fully comprehend
this. We need divine revelation and God's grace to inform our minds
and hearts that this is the right thing to do. By drawing closer to
Christ in prayer and the sacraments, we can grow in this
supernatural mercy, allowing His grace to transform our
hearts.
Reflect today on this true meaning of mercy. Beg for God’s mercy in
your life in superabundance. As you do, choose to offer mercy to
others to the same extent that you ask for God’s mercy. Give
generously, exceeding what your human reason alone comprehends, and
God will pour His mercy upon you in the same incomprehensible
way.
My merciful Lord, there are many times when I judge another,
hold a grudge, and am stingy with mercy. Please give me Your Heart
so that I can overcome my failures and give of myself with
supernatural virtue. I want to be like You, my God. Help me show
mercy in superabundance. Jesus, I trust in You.
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