Sherry Sterling

Dear friends,

Have you ever cried “uncle!” or begged for mercy to have something stop? As a child, I learned to walk a wide circle around my uncle, to avoid his outstretched arms that would lock me into a tickle fit, starting out with laughter, and soon devolving into my feeling trapped, wanting it to end. I wish I’d been able to catch my breath to cry out for mercy!

The Gospel reading for today recounts the story of the Pharisees asking the disciples why their teacher eats with tax collectors and sinners. When Jesus heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.” (Matthew 9:9-13)

Jesus is quoting the beginning of Hosea 6:6, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”

The Jewish tradition in Jesus’ time was big on sacrifice and burnt offerings, following the covenant between God and the Israelites. The devout brought animals or birds to the temple, to be bled and burnt on the altar for purification from their sins. This was an offering of sacrifice in place of themselves. From that lens, Jesus’ death provided the perfect and final sacrifice for our sins.

Yet, Jesus reminds us that God desires mercy, not sacrifice.

We need the sacrifice. God wants the mercy.

What is mercy, anyway? The dictionary defines mercy as: “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm.”

Mercy is relational. It’s offered within connection. Heart to heart. It’s not about satisfying a tally sheet, balancing the columns of right and wrong. It throws that out, offering deliverance (the meaning of the likely origin of the phrase “Say ‘uncle’!,” which is attributed to an anglicization of the Irish ‘anacal’).

If God desires mercy, then that goes two-ways—our offering mercy to others, as well as our receiving mercy from God. Mercy is a generative act, whereas sacrifice is a step removed from the intimacy God seeks. Mercy takes a step beyond sacrifice, toward God’s heart.

I pray to stay open to the abundant mercy of God’s heart, and to practice offering mercy to those in my life.

Peace and love,

—Sherry