Mercy Me…

“…for his mercy endures forever.”

Quick, what is the first thing about mercy that comes to your mind when you read that line?

Recently a young man was sentenced to death for the crime of killing of eight people who were attending a bible study. The mother of one of the victims is reported to have said that she has forgiven the young man for his actions. Does your view of mercy have any correlation to these type of events? If it does, do you think it has a biblical foundation rooted in loyalty or justice?

PSA, penal substitution atonement, is a theory advanced by John Calvin during the times of the Reformation. Calvin, who was a lawyer, presented his case for the death of Jesus using his familiarity of the judicial system, the courtroom, the prosecutor, the witness, the defendant, and evidence leading to innocence or guilt, and restitution from guilt to craft a narrative of explanation for how humanity did the unthinkable: killed God. While it is still a theory, it continues to dominate not only the doctrines of thousands of churches, but more importantly, its influence has spread even to how we think and act daily in our world of believers and non-believers alike.

Mercy is a topic wrapped up in this PSA vortex. The dominate image that all draw upon whenever they are confronted with trying to define mercy is the accused person, pleading with body wrenching sobs of desperation, throwing themselves upon the “mercies” of the court. This is not mercy. This is the image of a peon entreating their overlord not to send them to the dungeon; a slave beseeching clemency before the master’s whip; the bereaved mother holding her dead child in her arms while a gang member presses a pistol to her temple. These images and references to mercy no one wants to endure forever. Regrettably, this is the only solution churches seem to be able to present under PSA.

There are two particular stories of Jesus interacting with women in the gospel narratives. The first is the woman caught in adultery who is cast before Jesus’s feet to be stoned for her actions. It is an attempt by the religious class to trick him into denying the validity of their laws about such conduct. Jesus turns the tables on them by saying whoever hasn’t broken any of the law should be the first to throw the stone. Suffice to say, there was a trail of stones leaving the scene.

The second is the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus has a conversation with her when, by all social standards of the day, he should not have even been in the region of Samaria, let alone speaking to a woman. In this dialogue, he reveals to her that he knows she has been married to several men and the current man she is with, she is not married to. According to the law, she is an adulterous too.

I want you to think about of these examples for a moment. They are guilty; they both deserve the punishment described by the law. Neither one cries out to Jesus for mercy, yet that is exactly what he delivers – pre-PSA.

Let’s step back for a moment and discover how you would deal with the issue presented by both of these women. Let’s say that your partner is caught, or confesses to, being in an adulterous affair. (I understand that this may be a tender subject for some, my intention is not to pick at a wound, but to try to offer some relief.) After the initial feelings of betrayal, hurt, disgust and abandonment, do you know mercy as Jesus did, one that endures forever? This is where the rubber meets the road as a believer. I’ve skirted the issue long enough so here is the point.

The Hebrew word often translated as mercy in the word “chesed.” Whenever this word was encountered by the Greek translators they could only use the one word that they had in their vocabulary, “eleeo” which to them meant, mercy or compassion. Now consider that for all the times this word is used in the New Testament, only three times is it ever rendered as compassion, and only two of these times was it used by Jesus in this compacity.

Chesed, or hesed, is a multi-faceted word that is foundational to Israel relationship with God. It is a covenantal word. In the Hebrew scriptures, it is transcribed at times as mercy, but more often as love, kindness, compassion, lovingkindness, goodness, or favor. It describes the relationship between parties and how they interact, one with another, and with others apart from the relationship. It demonstrates kind deeds one for another. However, it is most prominently displayed where the weakness of one member is supplanted by the strength of the other. The word, and its corresponding actions, demonstrate a fidelity to the relationship independent of the character of the parties.

Before anyone jumps on that last statement about character, understand that this description is within the confines of human covenantal relationships. When the Divine enters the picture, it takes on a whole different perspective. The character of God is love from the start. He is not going to change that with His covenants with humanity. He is not trying to get love from someone, He is it. A covenant simply gives Him another means to give who He is even when the weaker can’t give it themselves.

I want to draw your attention to a lack of judgment about the actions of the partners with chesed. This does not mean that what each does isn’t important to the other, but that the integrity and security of the relationship supersedes the predilections of those previous commitments made to one another. It is expected within the nature of chesed that the relationship will last indefinitely, the stronger, as required, always covering the weaker until they recover from the effects of their transgression.

Some of you probably have a hard time dealing with these claims about chesed. This is some of the same reasons why people can’t accept the grace of God. It looks too much like chesed. They are very close in action. When relationships get torn apart from infidelity, fidelity to the relationship is the last thing we are able to commit to. We want justice, recompense from the embarrassment we incurred. However, many forget that God covenanted with us first. He is our strength in this weakness. He is insuring our relationship when we’re too weak to give a care.

Disclaimer time: Some of you have had issues here or continue to. I want to make it very clear here, if you are in a situation in a relationship where you are in harm’s way, do everything in your power to protect yourself and those being affected by the circumstances. I am not endorsing staying in any relationship that promotes and/or keeps you in danger.

Jesus demonstrated to both of these women that fidelity to the relationship they shared as people of the covenant was just as vital to him as it had original been intended. He stood beside them independently of the results of their actions and offered his aid to bridge the chasm of self-inflicted shame and doubt. He offered a new view on life with a future void of disgrace from the one helping.

“Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.” Beautiful thoughts, difficult reality. Chesed for those who act in lovingkindness or grace. Grace for those who are strength to the weakness of those they love. Love to those whom love seems so distant from the acts committed against them. Love, not judgment; grace, not weakness; chesed, not mercy. It endures…