Rollins Chapel, Dartmouth College
Richard R. Crocker, College Chaplain
January 4, 2007
Scripture texts: Matthew 18:21-34, Matthew 5:7
"Blessed (happy) are the merciful, for they shall obtain
mercy."
Welcome back. We begin a new term today, but we are continuing in a series
of meditations on the beatitudes, which I am framing as Jesus' teachings on
happiness.
Of all the beatitudes - blessed are the poor, the hungry, the meek - it is
this one that is perhaps most problematic to me. Mercy seems a good thing, so
why is it problematic? I will try to explain.
You are all familiar, I am sure, with the image of the "scales of
justice" often found in court rooms, depicting a blind-folded goddess
holding an old fashioned scale, with mercy on one side and punishment on the
other. The courts are to weigh the two, balance them, in rendering
judgment.
Jesus' parable on this subject, which we read, complicates the dilemma. On
the face of it, it is a parable about mercy. The debtor is called to account,
is unable to pay, and begs for an extension. Instead of giving an extension,
the king cancels his debt altogether. This is mercy. But then that same debtor
encounters someone who owes him only a small sum, and he "put him in
prison until he would pay the debt." This is an outrage to us hearers -
the one who has just been forgiven a large debt refuses to forgive - or show
mercy -- to someone who owes him a very small debt. We draw from this, I
expect, the lesson that we who have received forgiveness ought therefore to
show it to others. That is the obvious lesson. But the parable goes much
further. It describes what happens when the king finds out: "Then the king
summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt
because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow
slave, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord handed him over to be
tortured until he would pay his entire debt. So my heavenly Father will also do
to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your
heart." (Matthew 18:32-35)
Uh-oh. This is a very troubling passage. Apparently there are limits to
mercy. Apparently Jesus was serious when he said "blessed are the
merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Apparently he meant "blessed
are the merciful, for they - and only they - will obtain mercy." -
Apparently God's mercy does not extend to those who show no mercy?
I should note that many biblical scholars view this ending of the parable as
an addition by the early church - who seemed always more comfortable with God's
wrath than Jesus did. But there is no consensus. Perhaps Jesus spoke these
words, or perhaps the church, speaking in his name, spoke these words. In
either case, the notion that God punishes those who fail to show mercy spins us
on the heels of paradox: how is it that a merciful God fails to show mercy to
those who fail to show mercy?
Now I confess that my thoughts on this subject have been inextricably
interconnected with two events this week: the death of Gerald Ford and the
execution of Saddam Hussein. Gerald Ford, of course, is known as the man who
showed mercy - to Richard Nixon. And Saddam is known as the man who showed no
mercy. One is good and one is bad. But my feelings are more complicated than
that.
Most of you, of course, know nothing, really, about Gerald Ford. Most of the
American population does not remember Richard Nixon. For you, when Dick Cheney
said in his eulogy for President Ford that one could do worse than be
remembered as a man of forgiveness, you probably nodded your head and said,
yes, good thing. But it was not like that. Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon
only a few days after taking office, thereby preventing the former President
from ever having to officially admit any wrong doing or face any trial or
penalties. Dick Cheney was right. It did cost Ford the election - because most
of the American population - me included- felt that Nixon received mercy
prematurely. He got off Scot free, as we say. Now I know that feeling is not
particularly admirable, but many of us had it. Ford came across as a man of all
mercy and no punishment. By pardoning Nixon, Ford seemed to white wash the
issues.
And then there is Saddam Hussein - arch villain number one in the present
American pantheon. According to the reports given to us, Saddam was a man
without mercy - a man who was brutal and violent - and who therefore himself
deserved no mercy. In popular parlance, he got what he deserved. And I can not
agree with this position either. Though I realize that others may
disagree, I can not justify capital punishment in any case. But even if I did
think capital punishment is sometimes justified, I - and many others - was
disturbed and sickened by the way this was carried out. It seems to me as if
this is another act of violence which will only lead to more violence. But most
of the world - at least most of the American world - dare I say even most of
the Christian world - may think that I am wrong.
Mercy. It's a difficult subject. Too much of it seems wrong. Too little of
it seems wrong. It's confusing to me. But this much is clear from the teaching
of Jesus: those who show mercy shall obtain mercy. Now mercy implies pleading.
Mercy is shown when someone asks for it. Lord, have mercy! Lord, be merciful to
me, a sinner. In other words, it is shown when someone asks for it. And to ask
for it is to admit our need for it. When we have seen our need for forgiveness,
and when it has been given to us, we are to show that same mercy to others. By
such behavior, the whole world can be redeemed. Without it, there is only
hatred, vengeance, and violence. Justice demands that harm be acknowledged.
Mercy refuses to meet harm with harm. Without mercy, there really is no hope.
Without acknowledgement of guilt, there is no justice.
I received this email this week from a former student. It said:
I have a question, and I thought perhaps you
could help me find the answer. What do you think God will do with Saddam
Hussein? I saw a piece of an old interview with him last night, and in it
he said that his main goal was to please God, and that he believed he was doing
that. It reminded me of the 9/11 hijackers. They believed they were
doing something that would please God. If a person does something
horrible but believes in his heart that he is doing something that will please
God, what does God do with that person when he dies?
I hope you can help me with this.
I wonder how you would answer this question. My only answer is a prayer: May
God have mercy on us all. Amen.
copyright©2007
Richard R. Crocker
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