The problem with mercy
Today’s scripture passage comes from a conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus. Nicodemus was not a priest, but was a faith leader among the Jewish people. He was a Pharisee, a group “concerned with keeping God’s covenant through interpreting and applying the . . . law to their contemporary situation.” (Holmes, 141) The figure of Nicodemus can be interpreted in different ways beyond that, though, including as “a representative of those who believed because of Jesus’ signs, a seeker of unusual courage, a religious insider investigating a religious upstart, a secret believer who lacked the courage to declare his faith openly, or an oppressor who had to decide whether or not to side with the oppressed.” (Culpepper, 135)
I suspect Nicodemus eventually became an important part of the first generation of Jesus-followers. That would help explain how the story of this interaction found its way into John’s gospel, which was composed decades after this conversation took place. I would also cite the mention of Nicodemus as one of the folks who ensured Jesus was buried in a respectable manner; he likely would not have taken the risk of being involved in such an effort if he didn’t believe Jesus was who he claimed.
But at this point in the story, Nicodemus is skeptical. He expresses disbelief at some of the things Jesus says, in particular the idea that someone must be “born again.” He envisions a physical rebirth, but that is not what Jesus is describing.
At some point in the narrative, the discussion becomes a theological statement. Nicodemus disappears, and a narrator’s voice seems to take the place of Jesus. It’s during this portion of the chapter that one of the most famous verses in the gospel appears. But today I’m looking a little bit past those lines, because John 3 does not end with verse 16.
A judgment is declared by the speaker: Light has come to the world, but some continued to embrace darkness and the evil deeds it hid. Others, those who do “what is true,” come to the light; their deeds have been done in God. Bible scholar Laura Sweat Holmes explains it this way:
“‘Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light’ implies that the light reveals their deeds for what they truly are. So truth is attracted to the light. The phrase ‘whoever lives by the truth’ means whoever does the truth. In the [Hebrew scripture] this meant living faithfully. Often paired with living mercifully, it describes one who upholds God’s covenant of faithful and merciful love. As in the old covenant, so in the new birth: one’s position, in light or darkness, is shown by faithful actions.” (Holmes, 158–159)
Jesus refers to “the kingdom of God” as he does in the other gospels, but John’s gospel also introduces a term not found in Matthew, Mark, or Luke: being “born again,” or “born from above.” (Holmes, 143) Like Nicodemus, we might find ourselves asking what that looks like. The rest of the passage helps to clarify that. It’s not about making a one-time confession or baptism; it’s about embracing the way of living that comes with the light of the world.
A light shone in the National Cathedral a few days ago. During the Service of Prayer for the Nation, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde addressed the president, saying
“I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives. . . . The vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. . . . I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here.” (Budde)
In that moment, we heard a person who was expected to simply be nice instead preach the gospel. In that moment, the people whose lives are at stake when it comes to issues of immigration and LGBTQ rights were suddenly humanized. In that moment, the clouds of racism and fear and greed and partisanship and uncertainty and xenophobia and homophobia and transphobia and misinformation were pierced by a message that reminded followers of Jesus who we are, and to whom we are responsible.
Some of us are so accustomed to the societal culture wars surrounding migration and LGBTQ rights that it’s a shock to hear the timeless perspective of the gospel applied.
Oh yeah — we’re all image-bearers of God, regardless of where we’re born, regardless of who we love, regardless of what pronouns we use, regardless of how we look.
Oh yeah — we’re to watch out for the marginalized, regardless of who is in charge or which political winds are dominant or whether it might require us to take a risk.
Oh yeah — belief in Jesus doesn’t mean going to church on Sundays, wearing a cross necklace, or being nice.
I’m skeptical of any marriage of religion and state, and thus I question the existence of the Service of Prayer for the Nation in the first place. Though it incorporates voices from different faith traditions, it’s also a relic of Christendom in a country that is increasingly pluralistic. It could be interpreted as a Christian stamp of approval on a given individual’s election, regardless of the motivations behind it. If, as in this most recent instance, it serves as an opportunity for the church to challenge the new president to act in the best interest of the marginalized rather than those whose interests are accompanied by the most lobbying dollars, I suspect it might eventually fall out of favor with anyone elected to the office of president.
A problem arises when you try to combine the teachings of Jesus with national and financial interests. So, as with Nicodemus, when you invite Jesus into your space for a conversation, you’re likely to hear something you might not want to. If Jesus applies his lens to the United States, certainly he would look with love on the work we do collectively to protect the vulnerable, to provide aid to those who suffer around the world, and to uphold human rights. But he also might point out our lingering systemic racism and sexism. He might look disapprovingly on our status as the top manufacturer of killing machines. He might cite the increasing damage that unbridled capitalism is bringing to Earth and its inhabitants.
Sometimes we might prefer that our collective actions remain in the darkness, and thus we resent the light that exposes them for what they are. When we do so, we bring condemnation to ourselves. (Holmes, 157)
There was some public outcry following Bishop Budde’s request that the president extend mercy. Some claimed she crossed the line from religion into politics, as if the two can be mutually exclusive. Certainly one could find good and bad examples of the intersection of religion and politics throughout history, and thankfully our country has laws in place to discourage some practices such as endorsing specific candidates. But maintaining a belief that exercising faith in God does not cross into political spaces requires an anemic reading of the Bible.
Look at Moses, who approached Pharaoh with a message from God to disrupt the economic system of Egypt by freeing Israelite slaves.
Look at Samuel, who warned the people about what it meant to be ruled by a king.
Look at Nathan, who condemned King David’s proxy killing of Uriah and the seizure of Bathsheba.
Look at the prophets, who warned the kings of Israel and Judah what would befall them if they failed to champion justice and righteousness, and instead harmed the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or otherwise shed innocent blood. (Jeremiah 22:3)
Look at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednago, who were sentenced to death because they failed to obey a tyrant.
Look at John the Baptist, who pointed out that Herod’s marriage to his brother’s wife was illegal.
Look at Paul, who took his message about one God to the seat of power, which recognized many.
Look at the author of Revelation, whose references to Babylon are actually referring to Rome.
Look at Jesus himself, whose teachings so threatened the political authorities that they executed him.
Believing in Jesus should lead to believing Jesus. Believing what he said when he taught us how to live. Believing that the way of life he offers truly is better than any system conceived by humankind. And believing that values like mercy are called for even when they’re not politically popular.
Mark Allan Powell writes that
“The main focus of John’s Gospel . . . is on the way that Jesus affects quality of life in the here and now. In John’s Gospel eternal life is more than just ‘life after death’; it is not only life that is endless in length but also life that is endless in value and meaning. . . . People can have this life, and have it abundantly, if they know the truth about God revealed in Jesus. What is this truth? Above all, Jesus reveals that God loves the world and desires to bless and to save rather than to punish or condemn. The very coming of Jesus is a demonstration of this love, and through his death on the cross Jesus reveals divine love at an unprecedented and unimaginable level.” (Powell, 341)
When we’re reborn into new life, we’re not only believing in Jesus; we’re continuing his mission, and that will become apparent in the way we live. We’re believing what he says about God’s kin-dom, what it will look like when it is fully realized, and the values we need to embrace along the way.
One value of God’s kin-dom is mercy, and I’ve been thinking about that word a lot during the past week. What is mercy? What does it look like? Why might someone have a problem with it?
In our English Bible translations, most instances of the word “mercy” come from the Greek word ελεοσ, which BibleHub defines as “the compassionate treatment of those in distress, especially when it is within one’s power to punish or harm. . . . The term encompasses both the feeling of compassion and the action that results from it.” (BibleHub)
Mercy is certainly mentioned a lot in scripture — at least 55 times in the New Testament alone, and often by Jesus. Jesus said that those who exercise mercy are blessed (Matthew 5:7), asks that we be merciful (Luke 6:36), and quotes Micah, who reminds us that God values mercy over ceremony (Matthew 9:13). Jesus even condemns a group of leaders for nitpicking over perceived slights while neglecting the importance of justice and mercy. (Matthew 23:23)
Thus it’s ironic that a group of U.S. House members introduced a resolution to condemn Bishop Budde’s words at the Service of Prayer for the Nation. H.R. 59 declares that she “used her position inappropriately, promoting political bias instead of advocating the full counsel of biblical teaching.” (U.S. House Of Representatives)
I’m not sure what they mean by the “full counsel of biblical teaching,” but I don’t think scripture supports the idea of people being merciless to one another. So I looked through the rest of Bishop Budde’s homily to see what might have warranted exception. To me, it read like a sermon about unity. She identifies three foundations for unity, and I’ll share a bit of how she described them here: “The first foundation for unity is honoring the inherent dignity of every human being, which is, as all faiths represented here affirm, the birthright of all people as children of the One God. . . . A second foundation for unity is honesty in both private conversation and public discourse. . . . A third foundation for unity is humility, which we all need, because we are all fallible human beings. We make mistakes.” (Budde)
Recognizing the dignity of humans, being honest, and humility. These all sound like Biblical principles to me. It makes one question the time and effort put into this House resolution, especially when the country is dealing with funding disruptions, destruction fueled by climate change, and foreign conflicts.
I don’t know much about the house members who authored H.R. 59. They might be people of faith. They might even believe in Jesus. But I wonder if they believe Jesus. I wonder if they believe that the values he championed — values such as humility and self-sacrifice and meekness and peacemaking and justice and mercy — truly represent the path to a better way of living. Holmes writes that “the abundant life available now changes the lives of believers and of others in the present. [Today’s passage shows] how the lives of believers should look different from others, and how ethics and belief are related.” (Holmes, 158)
When you invite Jesus into your space for a conversation, you’re likely to hear something you might not want to. And the same applies when you invite the gospel into a space occupied by the wealthy and powerful.
Siblings in Christ, I pray that you receive mercy when in need — it’s something we all require from time to time. And I pray you have the opportunity to offer it as well, for you will be blessed when you do.
Thanks be to God.
Amen.
Works Referenced
BibleHub. “1656.eleos.” Accessed February 1, 2025. https://biblehub.com/greek/1656.htm
Budde, Mariann Edgar. “Homily: A Service of Prayer for the Nation.” Washington National Cathedral. January 25, 2025. https://cathedral.org/sermons/homily-a-service-of-prayer-for-the-nation/
Culpepper, R. Alan. The Gospel and Letters of John (Interpreting Biblical Texts). Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1998.
Holmes, Laura Sweat and George Lyons. John 1–12: A Commentary in the Western Tradition (New Beacon Bible Commentary). Kansas City, Missouri: Beacon Hill Press, 2020. Kindle edition.
Kanno-Youngs, Zolan, Tim Balk, and Erica L. Green. “Bishop Asks Trump to ‘Have Mercy’ on Immigrants and Gay Children.” The New York Times. January 21, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/21/us/politics/trump-bishop.html
Powell, Mark Allan. Introducing the New Testament: A Historical, Literary, and Theological Survey. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2018. Kindle edition.
Silva, Pedro. “The Way Shower.” Daily Ripple, January 31, 2025. https://dailyripple.substack.com/p/the-way-shower
U.S. House of Representatives, 119th Congress. “House Resolution 59.” https://trackbill.com/bill/us-congress-house-resolution-59-expressing-the-sense-of-the-house-of-representatives-that-the-sermon-given-by-the-right-reverend-mariann-edgar-budde-at-the-national-prayer-service-on-january-21st-2025-at-the-national-cathedral-was-a-display-of-political-activism-and-condemning-its-distorted-message/2629579/
