Life and Love

Go and learn the meaning of the words,

I desire mercy, not sacrifice.

     The readings for today call to mind images of life and death, mercy and thanks, and under these images, the Lord presents a subdued tone of justice.  In the first readings, the writer of the book of Genesis recounts the story of the death of Sarah, Abraham’s wife.  

      Abraham, a man of righteousness, fulfills the funeral obligations and has his wife buried in the land.  Not being content with just mourning this period of death, he sets his sights on new life for his son, Isaac.  Abraham calls his most loyal servant and has him swear an oath.  There is some contention among Jewish scholars over the details of this oath, but it is remains a gravely solemn oath.  He tells the servant “put your hand under my thigh”.  The midrash rabbah teaching says this is a literal translation because the king would always has his on the top of his thighs and servants would literally be below them.  However, the Jewish milah teaching delivers an interpretation that is very serious and very uncomfortable today.  The teaching says that an oath in Jewish antiquity is sworn over a sacred object.  Given that God’s covenant with Abraham regarded the terms of his descendants and circumcision, his “male-ness” would be considered a sacred object.  Regardless of the tradition of faith or interpretation, the oath is serious and Abraham sends his servant to get a wife for his son.  If she cannot follow through when the servant finds her, then he would be released from the oath.  We still see that Abraham, certainly suffering through his loss, still looks to bring new life for his family and his son.  The scripture closes with the statement that Isaac did find solace with Rebekah, the woman found by his father’s servant.  

      The response for today is hymn of thanks for the goodness of God.  The Catholic Church always teaches that it is right to give God praise.  From our waking breath to our last conscious thought before we retire at night, we should give praise to God.  All our hope is in God, the light of the world.  The psalm speaks very briefly of our inheritance.  Our inheritance is eternal life with Jesus.  As God is love, so our eternal life is with love.  

     The Gospel today is the loving Jesus.  And I have noted in the past few blog entries I have written, it is also the audacious Jesus.  Jesus sees Matthew and calls to him.  And Matthew responds and comes.  This story in scripture is speaks to us today about our vocations to both holiness and service.  Jesus not only calls Matthew to follow him, but he calls me and you to follow him as well.  The day was full of work for the Lord  and after he called Matthew, he went home to eat.  But he did not go home alone, eating with him were his disciples and tax collectors and sinners.  The pharisees do like this, which is interesting because for them to say this to his disciples indicate they were in the house too.  They may not have been eating for the custom was to remain clean by avoiding these people.  The Gospel writer tells us why this takes place.  It is because Jesus is the good physician and the physician seeks out the ones who are will.  And he did not come to call the righteous, but he came to call sinners.  And when we read this story again, we see that at the table, Jesus has a place for sinners.  And for me, and you, this is our place at the Lord’s table.  

     This story relates the sympathetic Jesus who calls to the ones who are outcast by sin, shame or other systematic rejection.  And so it remains for us.  In our rejection of the world, our lives of faith make us outcasts in the secular world.  We find our place at table with Jesus.  The great call of Jesus to us is mercy.  Within this great call to be the followers of Jesus is our act of mercy.  Being obedient to the Lord is not a sacrifice, although the world would make us think that giving up worldly treasures is a fool’s errand.  But the truth remains that the Lord bestows amazing graces and showers the faithful with his love and mercy.  And though we ought to reject the worldly treasures, when the Lord blesses us with his kindness, we can reconcile worldly sacrifice with divine mercy.  For the God of life and love seeks not see us suffer but to live and live well.  And this life is not just the temporal life, but the eternal life in love.