We have all heard the phrase “Cleanliness is Next to Godliness.” In fact, this phrase never occurs in the Bible. A phrase that does occur is the one in today’s Gospel: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Mercy not cleanliness is next to godliness because God is the God of love, mercy, and compassion. The Bible speaks of God as holy, perfect, and merciful.
“Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2)
“So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48)
“But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:35-36).
These different words interpret one another. To be holy and perfect means to be merciful. There is a phrase right before today’s Gospel passage begins that shows us what God’s mercy looks like: “God himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.” Jesus, then, issues the challenge to all of us his followers: “love your enemies and do good to them.”
In today’s Gospel Jesus add even more challenges: “Stop judging…Stop condemning…Forgive.” Jesus does not say, “Do not judge, Do not condemn” but “Stop judging, Stop condemning.” He knows that we religious people tend to judge and condemn.” Jesus tells us to look at the “wooden beam” in own eye and leave the judging and condemning to God (Matthew 7:3).
During this season of Lent each of us is invited each day to “Repent, and believe in the Gospel”, to “Turn and Trust in God.” We are called to perfection but not in the sense of never making a mistake but in the divine sense of showing mercy and compassion. When we turn to God we experience his patience, his compassion, and his mercy. He gives us this mercy as a gift and asks us to share this gift with one another. “Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.”
Image: “IMG_2550HA Jacob Jordaens 1593-1678. Jésus instruisant Nicodème. Jesus instructing Nicodemus. Bruxelles.” by jean louis mazieres is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.