In Between Mercy and Righteousness

Jesus called both blessed: the hunger for righteousness and the practice of being merciful. Which do you gravitate towards more easily—showing mercy, or seeking righteousness?

Last weekend, during my mom’s memorial service, we found ourselves pulled between mercy and righteousness when an estranged family member showed up unexpectedly. Should we invite him to sit with the family? Should we welcome him into the family dinner after the service? 

In Sunday’s scripture, Luke 10:1-10, Jesus showed mercy to a man who had betrayed his community, spending time with him over a meal. It’s the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector.

Like the heckling that happens in a sports arena, the crowd let Jesus know they did not approve of his actions. Their indignation had merit. Zacchaeus, as the chief tax collector, had amassed wealth and stolen from his people using a toxic mix of deceit, fear, and extortion. 

Just when we think we understand Jesus, he goes and befriends the “worst of these” rather than the “least of these”.

Jesus sensed there was more to Zacchaeus than the dominant narratives circulating about him. Curious, and withholding judgement, Jesus made a bid for connection, letting Zacchaeus know he wanted to spend time with him. This offer of connection opened up space in Zacchaeus to reimagine what his life might look like. He must have been hungry not just for mercy, but for righteousness, too, because Zacchaeus aligned himself with Jesus and made a pledge to return fourfold what he had stolen from the people. 

I think it’s easy to take the stories of Jesus’ life and make absolute moral codes out of them: “If someone hurts me, I must be willing to meet and eat with them.” I don’t think this is how stories impart their wisdom. I think this story illustrates the possibility that in the economy of kinship, mercy can generate justice rather than erode justice.

I think this story invites us to be open to the possibility that our narratives about the people who hurt us might not be the whole of who they are. I think this story is an invitation to pray, “What does love look like now?” as we open ourselves up to the pull of mercy and the hunger for righteousness.

This story places us in the flow of Divine Love, and if we let it, opens us up to the creative, prophetic imagination and generous hospitality that Jesus showed in this story.

We are in a season of our church life where not just scripture but circumstances are inviting us to draw near to one another in mercy, asking “what does love look like now?”

We have so many families in our church facing challenges. As we are vulnerable with and responsive to each other’s needs, we create that hospitable space between mercy and righteousness where love grows. Together, we can each hold a corner of the net of support for these families. None of us has to be the hero. Each of gets to share a portion of what we have. As we practise this, offering each other kindness, prayers, meals, companionship, we all get to be a part of that net of mercy and righteousness. 

Warmly,

Anne
Rev. Anne Baxter Smith
Pastor, Southpoint Church