The Mercy of Jesus

THE MERCY OF JESUS

Jn. 20:19-31

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday and today's Gospel demonstrates the mercy of Jesus. John tells us that the Apostles were behind locked doors in the upper room for 'fear of the Jews'.  Could they also have been behind locked doors for another fear, the fear of facing Jesus?

There was now solid evidence that Jesus was alive.  The women had told Peter and John that the tomb was empty and that an angel had told them that He had risen.  Peter and John had rushed to the tomb to verify the evidence given them by the women.  The tomb was most definitely empty and Jesus must have risen from the dead.  They could be certain that He was soon to pay them a visit.  John was the only one who had shown loyalty and friendship to Jesus.  The rest had deserted Him.  After the way they had treated their Lord, how were they going to face Him?  They, who were His trusted friends, had failed Him miserably when He needed them most.  They ran away like frightened children.  They had been so afraid and terrified to support Him or to acknowledge that they were His followers.

They were painfully ashamed of their cowardice and were fearful of encountering their Master.  Locking themselves in a room showed their awkward immaturity.  They were like boys who had broken a window and were awaiting punishment from their father.

When they met Jesus how would they react, what would they say?  If they really thought they were going to be reprimanded it meant that in the three years they had been with Him they had not really known Him.  So much of His teaching had been about forgiving your enemies, not seven times, but seventy times seven.  Surely, if they were truly sorry, they should have known He would forgive them, just as they had seen Him forgive many others?  He silently endured all the injustices hurled at Him and loved every one of His enemies.  He did not show anger when He was insulted, but blessed those who cursed Him.  He did not reject the man who betrayed Him, but called him 'friend'.  On the Cross He did not call for His murderer's destruction, but forgave them their sins. How could they ever think that He would not forgive them?  Whoever studies the life of Christ will understand that He is a merciful and forgiving God.

What a surprise the Apostles must have got when they saw Jesus' appearance through the locked doors.  He would have looked at each one of them with love.  His first words were 'Peace be with you!'  That put them at ease.  He then showed them the wounds in His hands, feet and side to prove that He was Jesus.  Although His body was glorified and could no longer suffer any pain, He wanted to retain the wounds made by the nails and spear.  They were to prove to the world His tokens of love for us.  There could now be no doubting that this was Jesus and that He had truly risen from the dead.  John tells us that 'at the sight of the Lord the disciples rejoiced.'  Jesus could see what the words, "Peace be with you" meant to them that He repeated it a second time. Those words were enough to tell them that they had been forgiven.  All that fear that had filled their hearts was in vain. 

The lesson we are to take away from today's Gospel is that we must be forgiving.  If Jesus was to take revenge on His Apostles this would have been the ideal time and place, but that thought never entered His mind.  As followers of Christ we are not only expected to retell the forgiveness of Jesus but we must demonstrate it in our personal conduct by loving our enemies who have hurt us or been unfaithful to us and have abandoned us in our times of need.

When we have been hurt it is so easy to find good reasons for seeking 'sweet revenge' against our enemies.  We might even find taking revenge satisfying, but that would not be following Jesus’ example.  We would lack spiritual maturity.  Jesus invites us like Him to rise above our old hurts and to love everyone.  So if we have any enemies let us forgive them today.  Let us pray for those who hate us, love those who curse us, and ask our heavenly Father to fill our enemies with grace and bring about reconciliation.

Lord Jesus, may we will live according to Your Word, "Be merciful even as your Father is merciful.”  Your Apostle St. James has something wonderful to say about those who show mercy, "There is no judgment for those who are merciful."  In other words, the merciful will walk straight into Heaven!

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