On Being Merciful

I hope you haven’t felt overwhelmed by Jesus’ message in today’s Gospel. (Luke 6:27-38) Not looking for revenge is already a big step. But Jesus takes it one step further: keeping loving, even those who are against you. “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Let’s dare to ask: What does Jesus hope to achieve with these demands?

Is he trying to make us feel guilty? Dear friends, I completely reject that thought. That is not the Jesus we meet in the Holy Scriptures. In the Gospels, we encounter Jesus, who uplifts and strengthens people. Through his merciful love, he reveals our human weaknesses, our limitations and Jesus Christ encourages us to rise above them. That is how Jesus works.

Jesus in the Bible

If we focus on that biblical Jesus, one sentence in today’s gospel stands out: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful!” Jesus wants this truth to be engraved in our hearts. Be compassionate just as your Father is merciful.

Dear friends, this kind of behavior comes easier in our relationships with those we love and who treat us well. And this is where Jesus’s big challanges starts: In everyday life we are confronted with misunderstandings, hurt feelings and conflicts which can damage our relationships and our communities. Instead of searching the battle fields of far off countries, we should first take a look at our own lives. Jesus calls us to rise above our natural instincts, to go beyond anger, resentment and revenge. God trusts us to go beyond human instinct. With this in mind, let us try to follow in Jesus’s footsteps.

Be kind to those who are against you (“Love your enemies and do good to them”).
Do not hold grudges against those who do you wrong.

Friends, this way of life, way of living, lifestyle, goes against our natural instinct to fight back and look for revenge. It takes courage.

David's Mercy

In our First Reading (from the Book of Samuel), David had a chance to kill King Saul, the temptation must have been overwhelming. But David resisted the urge to act as most of his day would. Instead of taking the King’s life, which he could have, he simply took his spear and water jug. Even though Saul had hunted him, David chose mercy over violence. His decision to spare Saul, even while being pursued by him, was more than just restraint, it was an act of grace that went beyond human instinct.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Jesus himself endured beatings, insults and torture. Even as he was dying on the cross, he blessed his enemies. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful! But my friends, to be merciful does not mean making ourselves small or cowering in fear. True mercy is not weakness, it is strength. It takes courage to forgive, to let go of grudges, to love beyond what is easy.

God Calls

I know, this is a high calling, but it is one God knows we can follow. With Jesus by our side, new paths open before us. It is as if he is saying to us, “Don’t live superficially or go along with what is mainstream.” Jesus challenges us to go beyond the ordinary and live with a deeper purpose, faith and love. Jesus pesents the question: “For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?” His remark was, “Even sinners love those who love them.”

Jesus’ comment reminds us how serious we are called to follow his words. How we treat those, who mistreat us, shows how deeply we live our faith. Let us pray, dear brothers and sisters, for the strength of the Lord, that he will continually guide us to live out his devine love in our daily lives.

Closing Thoughts

I’d like to leave you with one final thought, inspired by our Swiss ski superstars in their recent SUNRISE Telecom sponsorship campaign. Their slogan says: “Dream big – Do big”. Our ski team has achieved great success, and perhaps if we embrace this mindset, with God on our side, we too can strive for something greater.

Dream big, Do big. – “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful!”

If we dare to dream of a world shaped by God’s mercy and take even the smallest steps toward it, we become living signs of hope. In a divided and quiet often broken world, our mercy, our kindness, our love can be the unexpected blessing that changes everything.

So dream big, Do big, Love bigger.

Praised be Jesus Christ. Amen