Matthew 9:13 “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” What DOES this mean? Hosea 6:6; Pr 21:3; Mt 12:7
Jesus and the Samaritans: not just social statements, neither - merely - the truth of the diversity of those who would be “loved” and offered eternal life - though that is true; but also, Jesus is also aiming this right at His disciples as an example to the disciples, a demonstration of God’s heart, and as a teaching to those who would become apostles - representatives of Jesus and His kingdom, and with authority. That THIS is how you are to be, how you are to share the truth of the gospel with mercy and love, care for the sheep, and teach the sheep how to love and care for one another.
These would be men (and the women accompanying them) whose minds - attitudes and affections - would need to be tested, shown as sinful, that they would see that they too are in desperate need of God’s mercy (despite their “lofty” calling and position). It was vital that they would see, that they themselves, also, needed to be transformed. As, this would be the essence of the gospel (and that - to the nations) and the establishment of and care for the Church in which the peoples would be placed, arranged, and care for.
The parable of the Good Samaritan was not just a challenge to the scribe, though, he had asked for it. It was to all would hear it. And maybe, in particular, this challenge was to his disciples, who would certainly have had the same attitude buried deep within their own hearts.
And now, just as the disciples then, here today, we, too, would need to have our own hearts examined by God’s merciful truth to see who it is, that we, in our sinfulness, would consider to be unworthy of our mercy, grace, and (desire for) their wellbeing - that is - God’s best.
Why us, today? Well, one, we’re human. And the context of (sinful and broken) humanity, “there is nothing new under the sun”.
We, too, want swift retribution, to see the “truth” vindicated, morals judged, ethics tried, and punishment handed out - now! And we are living in a time and space, with resounding voices around us, where we know what is true, make “right” judgments, and want it dealt with - now. We are the court of public opinion, and our opinion is, “We have seen the evidence, it was obvious from the beginning, guilty, as charged!”
Is that how the “Rule of Law” protects its citizens? Is this how we live out the edict that a person is “innocent until proven guilty”?
But, that is not God’s way. His own word says this about Himself, that He is “…gracious and righteous…merciful - full of compassion” Ps 106:5 (86:5,15; 103:8; 112:4)
But, we might say “Enough of this mercy, what about truth?!”
Do we not understand, that mercy is grounded in truth, and speaks truth, because in truth, is life and freedom? Therefore, loving one mercifully, is a matter of helping them see and know, the Truth, that sets them free?
We must learn that it is not “truth”, then “mercy”. Then “love”, in any particular order, or one, without the others. The fact is, we cannot express any one of these without the others.
Luke 9
Livin’ binary in a world of grays: Mercy or truth or love? Which one is it? Well, just be nice! Ummm, nope. But, we should be kind (restraining our own anger (James 1), we bring forward what is essential, good and necessary, for the wellbeing of the person before us that our kindness toward them (in Jesus’ name, with Jesus righteousness and character) would be intended to lead them to repentance (Rom 2; 12) - our preference not being “they get what they deserve, but, that they experience God’s merciful love and grace and turn and follow Him to life, for life.)
Preference?? Why preference? God’s goodness is of His good
Love: 1John 4:16-19 “God is Love and loves”; 1Cor 13: “Love is patient, love is kind…” agape - love that centers on moral preference (and, it seems, God’s moral preference is that all would repent and be saved)
Love is… patient and kind: The love of God, and of our neighbor for God’s sake, is patient toward all men. It suffers all the weakness, ignorance, errors, and infirmities of the children of God; and all the malice and wickedness of the children of the world; and all this not only for a time, but to the end; and in every step toward overcoming evil with good, it is kind — Mild, gentle, benign; inspiring the sufferer at once with the most amiable sweetness, and the most fervent and tender affection.
And is kind - The word used here denotes to be good-natured, gentle, tender, affectionate. Love is benignant. It wishes well. It is not harsh, sour, morose, ill-natured. Tyndale renders it, "is courteous." The idea is, that under all provocations and ill-usage it is gentle and mild. "Hatred" prompts to harshness, severity, unkindness of expression, anger, and a desire of revenge. But love is the reverse of all these. A man who truly loves another will be kind to him, desirous of doing him good; will be "gentle," not severe and harsh; will be "courteous" because he desires his happiness, and would not pain his feelings. And as religion is love, and prompts to love, so it follows that it requires courtesy or true politeness, and will secure it; see 1 Peter 3:8. If all people were under the influence of true religion, they would always be truly polite and courteous; for true politeness is nothing more than an expression of benignity, or a desire to promote the happiness of all around us.
1Tim 2:1-7 “1I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 7And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.”
1John 4:19 “We agapeo (love out of and with a moral preference) because God loved us (out of and with a moral preference)”
This IS loving, or agapeo-ing, our enemy, this IS what Jesus is, did, does, and desires for us to do - the Samaritan represents the greatest of our enemies - impure, untrue, dirty, sinful, and unmerciful - and best represents (in the mind of the Jew, at the time) what would be the worst of us. As the priest and the Levite walked by, there could be no greater indictment, that a Samaritan, would stop and do the “right thing”, to fulfill God’s truth - with mercy by agapeo (ing) - rendering aid without question, cost, or reciprocation or repayment (Matthew 5), and to do so, lavishly (Ephesians 2)
Mercy: Ps 106:5 (86:5,15; 103:8; 112:4) “God is gracious and righteous; our God is merciful - full of compassion”; Luke 6:36 “Be merciful as your heavenly is merciful” - compassionate - of tender mercy; experiencing deep pity - expressing visceral compassion - as God has for people who look to Him for help in their difficult situations.
Truth: “The truth will set you free…”; “I am the way the truth and the life - no one comes to the Father except through me” (Hebrews 2; 10) - truth, but not merely truth as spoken; truth as an idea, reality, sincerity, truth in the moral sphere, divine truth revealed to man - straightforwardness - true to fact, reality, as the opposite of illusion - all truth personified and exampled in and by Jesus Person, life, teaching, and ministries - He did not merely speak the truth but was the truth in His very being.
Illusionary: "the truth, as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God and the execution of his purposes through Christ, and respecting the duties of man," opposed alike to the superstitions of the Gentiles and the inventions of the Jews, and to the corrupt opinions and precepts of false teachers even among Christians”.
So that if one is believing an illusion, mercy has pity and moves us toward them, love compels us to bring aid in the form of truth - what is true about God and man, or, in this case, self.
It is not enough “to love”, to “be merciful”, then/or “speak the truth”. No. It is ours to do just what Jesus does: to love, by being merciful and lovingly speak the truth.
