Pop Quiz. Let’s see if you were listening. God desires what… instead of what? There are four
answers and you can mix and match. Hint: last verse ___ read. God desires steadfast love and
not sacrifice, knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings (v. 6). “What counts with God, are
not sacrifices/offerings. Sacrifices are a God-given, gracious means of grace through which
Israel’s sins can be forgiven. But repentance is understood to be necessary for the sacrifices to be
effective (see Lev 5:5). The sacrifices are not magical acts that bring forgiveness; without
repentance, they are ineffective, worth nothing” (Working Preacher, Terence E. Fretheim). I
start here because our gospel lesson has several parts with familiar stories, but Jesus asks us to go
and learn what this means, quoting this verse from Hosea. Jesus uses shorthand saying, “I desire
mercy, not sacrifice.” Jesus quotes this again later in Matthew (12:7), so I’m guessing he wants
us to learn about it. READ Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26
“Years ago the country-western singer Garth Brooks had a hit song titled ‘I’ve Got Friends In
Low Places.’ Its the story of a young man whose girlfriend has dumped him to marry an older
and wealthier man. The young man shows up at her wedding, but he doesn’t have the right
clothes or behavior and so he stomps off in anger to join his hard-living friends, telling her, ‘I’ve
got friends in low places, where the whiskey flows and the beer chases the blues away ….’
Raucous words, but set to a powerful melody. I’ve often thought as I’ve listened to the song on
the radio that with a slight change these words could apply to God-in-Christ: “He’s got friends in
low places”; Perhaps even, “He’s got friends in low places, where the mercy flows and the free
grace is for you and me….” (Sermons.com, Marc Kolden).
Mercy flowed from Jesus in all three parts of our gospel lesson, toward Matthew and the tax
collectors, the leader’s daughter, and the hemorrhaging woman. Each story shows us what
mercy looks like with skin on, what steadfast love looks like in human form. Jesus is bestowing
restorative mercy. “This mercy is not simply words, not just words of forgiveness or absolution,
but tangible acts of restoration that show what the kingdom of God ought to be like. While
sharing a meal with tax collectors and sinners, (the Pharisees question Jesus about associating
with sinful people.) His response reveals a relational ethos: ‘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.’
This statement is a direct challenge to the religious order. The Pharisees emphasize purity and
sacrifice, but Jesus reorients the discussion toward mercy, toward healing, and toward
relationship.
“(Then two intertwined healing stories –a synagogue leader’s daughter and a woman suffering
from chronic bleeding– show the wideness of God’s mercy.) These two individuals stand at
opposite ends of the social spectrum: The synagogue leader is prominent, while the woman is
unnamed and ostracized. The synagogue leader is confident enough in himself to walk directly
up to Jesus, while the woman lives in a state of shame and desires to move unnoticed. For both
people, Jesus responds with equal compassion (and mercy)” (Working Preacher, Danny
Zacharias).
Mercy brings community, new life and restoration. Jesus provides mercy to the powerful and the marginalized all while eating with sinners. Too often today Christians want to condemn sinners,
much like the Pharisees did. But Jesus showed mercy not condemnation. In fact, in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus never once scolds sinners. He does not criticize them. He does not demand repentance. He simply eats and drinks with them. Let’s remember, Jesus is calling Matthew to follow him as he is telling us to learn what “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” means. What is
meaningful for both God and Jesus is not simply our religious acts, but our acts of mercy. We are to follow Jesus by demonstrating what steadfast love with skin on looks like.
“A young girl is eating dinner at a friend’s house. Her friend’s mother asks if she likes brussel sprouts. ‘Yes, of course,’ the girl replied. ‘I like brussel sprouts.’ After the dinner, though, the mother notices that the brussel sprouts remain untouched.” thought you liked brussel sprouts,’ the mother asked. ‘I do,’ answered the girl. ‘But not enough to actually eat them.’ We Christians like a lot of things – peace, love, harmony, (mercy). But not enough to actually do something about them” (Sermons.com, Leonard Sweet). Sister Helen Prejean learned to actually do something about mercy. She showed steadfast love with skin on. “Her story is told in the book Dead Man Walking, which later came out in film. Sister Helen hears of a correspondence program with prisoners on death row. She decides to participate and begins writing, even though she’s been told not to expect to hear anything in return. Much to her surprise, though, one of the prisoners does respond and catches her completely off guard by asking her to be his spiritual guide. Apparently, his execution date was fast approaching, and he wanted some representative of God to be there for support over the next several weeks.
Sister Helen hesitates. It is one thing to do charity long distance. It is quite another thing to do
mercy face to face with a convicted murderer. Gary had been sentenced to death by lethal
injection for participating in the brutal rape of a young woman and the subsequent murder of
both her and her finance. Sister Helen recoils at the very thought of meeting this rapist and
murderer, let alone ministering to him. But a voice deep inside of her tells her she must go. So
she does. The first several meetings are difficult. Gary comes across a whole lot more cocky and
arrogant in person than he did in his letters. He refuses to admit his guilt and insists that he is the
innocent victim of a corrupt legal system.
To make matters worse, Sister Helen is despised and publicly vilified by the victims’ parents
for even spending time with Gary. How could she, a deeply religious nun, befriend this cold-
blooded murderer! They are horrified and let her know that every time they see her. And yet,
despite these difficult barriers, Sister Helen risks her name, her reputation, her own safety, to
reach across them and embrace Gary with the love of God. And the more she perseveres in
loving him, the more his defenses begin to crumble. Finally on the night before his execution,
Gary confesses to his crime and asks for God’s forgiveness. In a flood of tears, he thanks Sister
Helen for all her love and support. He then tries to send her home, insisting that her work with
him is done and that he is now ready to meet his Maker.
‘No, that’s okay,’ she responds. ‘I’ll stay through the execution.’
‘But why?’ Gary wants to know. ‘I’m only getting what I deserve.’
‘Because,’ she replies, ‘the last face I want you to see before you die is not one of hatred and
vengeance, but one of love and mercy.’
The next morning, Gary is strapped into place while Sister Helen and the victims’ parents watch
through the window of an adjacent room. Within a matter of minutes, the last lethal dose is
injected and Gary is pronounced dead. Most of the by-standers breathe a sigh of relief. Some
even begin to applaud. But Sister Helen alone stands there — with arms reaching out to Gary and
a look of pure mercy on her face.
Some of us learn mercy by reading about it in our Bibles. But most of us, like Sister Helen
Prejean, learn mercy by just doing it to those who least deserve it — to those who are unclean, who are despised and rejected by society. (Sermons.com, J. Scott Miller, Learning Mercy . . .
Doing Mercy). Jesus said, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” Amen.
