Be Merciful as God is merciful

BE MERCIFUL 

Which is best in front of God? To be perfect according to His mind? Or To be merciful like Him? 

Actually, both are same, but are different aspects of His identity. Matthew writes, "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48), which echoes Leviticus 19:2: "Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy." Luke makes a single but remarkable word change, "be merciful, just as your heavenly father is merciful" (Luke 6:36). 

Luke’s Gospel was believed to be written  10 to 15 years after the gospel of Matthew. Maybe it was Luke who wanted to change the way of looking at the holiness of God. How can we understand the word of Jesus as per today's gospel reading according to Luke? 

1. No one can be perfect, but everyone can show mercy. And in showing mercy we approach divine perfection. Luke records the perfection used by Matthew as the mercifulness of God.  

God's perfect life is donated to imperfect people. God's face is nothing but his mercy. When we say perfection, what comes to our minds are hardness, rigidity, and roughness. But the Mercy of God does not include inferiority, fear and negative feelings. Jesus said, “I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world” (Jn 12:47). Jesus did not judge even his own murderers. Instead, He was thinking well of them, excusing them and praying for them: “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do” (Lk 23:34). As His disciples, we are invited to be like the Master.

2. Throw away the judgemental attitude: There are two strong imperatives used in the sayings of Jesus; Stop judging and stop condemning. When Jesus says: “Do not judge”, Jesus is not prohibiting the exercise of our faculty of discernment, nor are we asked to approve everything that our brother does. What He is forbidding is to attribute an evil intention to the person for acting thus. Let us not spend time judging others for it is not our work. Rather, we are asked to help, discern and correct others who are traveling with us without taking the role of condemning. 

3. The flow of forgiveness: Just if we laugh at them, we think about their ignorance, and we have pity on them. It becomes mercy. Why they are just unable to understand the people? How small are still people? They are not exposed to the environment of love. It is written, "Give and gifts will be given to you": how can we understand. In the parable of the prodigal son, the father gave gfts to both the sons, but what did  he receive from them in return? Yet, the Father receives happiness. Remember there is no happiness in having or receiving, but rather in giving. If you want to remain satisfied, just give whatsoever you can, offer time, and give love in case of negligence. 

Surrendering is important to achieve the happiness, like the father by simply offering. In the first reading, Daniel prays to God, he surrenders to God, he surrenders the people. Daniel is satisfied. Happy.