Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time Yr B 2024

Title

The God Who Has Mercy

Outline

We live in a culture with very little mercy

People want a type of justice for themselves and upon others: I want what I think is my due and I want them to get what I think is their due. But there is little place for mercy except for me, for they deserve what they are getting.

Not only does this not satisfy, for justice in this sense never happens, but it estranges us from God, the ground of our being, and therefore from ourselves.

Our readings tell us that God is mercy

Israel is suffering its due, but now God says “Enough,” not because justice is satisfied, but because mercy triumphs over justice. He brings them back. He provides for them along the way. In a sweet touch he adds, “Pregnant women, together with those in labor.” He is a father with them. And he did more than this, for we know that he also brought the nations along with ethnic Israelites to form one people of God.

Then look at Jesus our high priest, designated by God, but also suffering weakness for us so as to “deal patiently with the ignorant and erring.” He himself is the sacrifice he offers for us. I think of this as the greeting of Fr Hough after my ordination echo in my ears, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek,” that is, according to the order of Jesus who offered himself for the weak and erring.

Finally, we have our gospel. We do not know the given name of the blind man, only that he is the son of Timaeus. He is blind, probably hungry and dirty, one of those to whom Jeremiah refers. He asks “Jesus son of David” for mercy. Jesus accepts from this man the messianic title he usually put off and asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus knew, it was obvious, but he gets him to articulate his heart and perhaps in doing that he realizes he wants to see Jesus. “I want to see.” “Go you way, your faith has saved you.” But we find his way is now Jesus’ way, for he “followed him on the way.” We see mercy dispensed so as to inwardly restore the dignity of the man.

Sisters, we need to live Jesus, not our culture

Our culture others the foreigner, the sick, the unborn, the enemy, etc. On that our political parties are agreed with different emphases on how and to what degree and sometimes on the who.

We are called to follow Jesus in the way, to see with his eyes, to provide places of rest and refuge for the “enemy” the foreigner, the one who is othered; to bring healing and tender care to women carrying or birthing the unborn, to the sick; and in doing this to open the eyes of the blind.

This is the way of Jesus and his Father. It is for the whole world. And while it earned Jesus a cross as the world’s type of justice, and may well do so for us, it receives from God the tender, “my firstborn,” and “my priests according to the order of Melchizedek-Jesus” and and a place at his side on the way from which we can gaze on his face. Mercy triumphs over judgment.