DIVINE EXTRAVAGANCE

Daniel 9:4b-10; Psalm 78: 8, 9, 11 and 13; Luke 6:36-38   

The wisdom of the desert fathers offers us a way out of our self-sufficiency and arrogance, enabling us to journey together as wounded human persons in need of God’s mercy. The desert monk, Dorotheus of Gaza, proposed the spiritual practice of ‘self-accusation’. In accusing ourselves, we humble ourselves before God and provide space for God to act in our lives. The prayer of the publican in Luke’s Gospel, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!”(Lk 18:13) is an example for self-accusation. In self-accusation, we do not in any way implicate guilt to our wounded self, instead, we express our total dependence on God, seeking God’s mercy to be healed.

In the first reading, Daniel engages in the spiritual practice of self-accusation. He pleaded to God on behalf of all his people, who had turned away from Yahweh, the faithful God. He cried out to God: “Incline your ear, O my God, and hear. . . . We do not present our supplication before you on the ground of our righteousness, but on the ground of your great mercies” (Dan 9:18). Daniel enjoyed an intimate relationship with Yahweh. He affirmed that God has remained faithful to his covenant commitment, which demanded mutual loyalty and faithfulness. Israel, for its part, had failed to be a faithful covenant partner. Yet, God in his mercy sent prophets to invite the people to return back to him. It is very troubling to note that the Word of God addressed to the Kings and the officials was ignored. It points to a situation where the leaders, both political and religious, had failed miserably in their responsibility to create a spiritual and ethical environment for the people to listen to God’s word and to be obedient to it.

In the Gospel, Jesus presents to his disciples a specific exhortation: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6:36). This exhortation must be seen together with the instruction to love one’s enemies (Lk 6:37). The condition to experience God’s mercy is to become merciful ourselves in our relationship with our brothers and sisters, “For the measure you give will be the measure you get back” (Lk 7:38). Therefore, if we take efforts not to judge, not to condemn, to forgive, to give generously, then, divine action is assured. God will respond to all our gestures with extravagance and abundance. In order to illustrate divine extravagance, Jesus employs the symbol of the measure, which is a basket filled with grains. It would be shaken, filled over and returned back flowing. The radical teaching of Jesus is that our human response to our brothers and sisters would be used as a benchmark for God’s judgement, which is also documented in the Lord’s Prayer (Mt 6:12).

The Hebrew word Rachamim, meaning ‘mercy’ is related to the Hebrew word rechem, which is the womb of a mother. It is in the womb the intimate connection of compassion and the bonding of love takes place between the mother and the child. It is the same way God feels for each of us. In connection with the people of Israel, God would say: “Therefore, I am deeply moved for him; I will surely have mercy on him” (Jer 31:20). God is also moved with compassion towards us. He patiently waits for us with open arms to experience his infinite mercy for the mercy of God is greater than all our sins.       

Prayer

Abba Father, give us a compassionate heart to be merciful to one and another and to fill the world with vibrations of forgiveness, peace and healing.

In Jesus’ Name we pray!