Rev. Don Campbell
ERRING ON THE SIDE OF MERCY
As Jesus and his disciples walked through the grainfields on the Sabbath, the disciples plucked the heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands to remove the husks, and ate them. Immediately, the Pharisees charged them with violating the law against reaping on the Sabbath. Many commentators immediately begin refuting the interpretation of the Pharisees, trying to “out-lawyer” them. In this, they depart from the text and from Jesus’ example.
Jesus could have debated the legality issue, “But Jesus answering them said, ‘Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he went into the house of God, took and ate the showbread, and also gave some to those with him, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat?’” (Lk 6:3-4). Jesus cited a case in which there can be no debate: “it is not lawful.”
In Matthew’s account of this incident, he adds these words from Jesus’ lips: “But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless’ (12:7).
Rulebook Christianity never considers the intent of the heart nor exigent circumstances; and, therefore, never has to grapple with “Go learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice’” (Matt 9:13).
But what if we err in the granting of mercy to someone from whom God ultimately withholds it? We can be assured that God will make no errors, and his judgment will certainly triumph in the matter; but if I am going to err, I want to err on the side of mercy, because “Judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (Jam 2:13).
