Mercy in Matthew (2): Have Mercy!

2014/08/31
Christ Church, Mountain Top

Message,
Matthew 9.27-31, 20.29-34

“Mercy”
in Matthew:

      Last week, “fraternal twin stories”, Jesus
quoting “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”. Inclusion & Permission. The
unworthy made welcome and sinners made guiltless.

      This week, “identical twin stories”, both
of the healing of two blind men. In both stories, they call out, “Have mercy on
us, Son of David”. In both stories, they follow Jesus. In both stories, they
call him “Lord”. In both stories, Jesus touches their eyes. The fact that
Matthew tells this story twice, whereas Mark and Luke only do so once, and the
fact that Matthew puts two blind men in the story, whereas Mark and Luke only
list one … well, that’s a mystery that the scholars still haven’t figured out …
but it matches other patterns in Matthew’s writing (Bruner, I:434). I won’t be
offering a ground-breaking solution – or any solution at all – to that
particular conundrum, though I will be making an observation relative to their
placement within the broader context of Matthew’s gospel.

      These two stories, with their reinforcing
similarities and their contrasting differences, provide us some insight on the
experience of God’s mercy. In line with the structure of the story, we’ll
structure the experience of mercy as

      Mercy’s Cry

      Mercy’s Community

      Mercy’s Commission

1. Mercy’s Cry

      Persevere

            9 – follow Jesus (ignored?), follow
into a house

How
do the blind follow Jesus? (Hauerwas, Matthew,
Brazos Theological Commentary, p 103; Bruner)

            20 – through the rebuke of the crowd

            Desperation – have to meet Jesus

            Perseverance manifests faith,
nurtures faith

      Perceive

            “Lord”

            “Son of David” – Messiah, royal
(political?)

They
perceive Jesus as “Son of David” (Messiah), though those who are have sight are
unable to perceive this (Hare, Bruner).

2. Mercy’s Community

      Connecting with experts – medicine, lawn
care, cooking, computers

            Recent retail experience

      TENS (learning names, meeting people)

            Touch

            Eye contact

            Name (spoken, and repeated)

            Story

      Blind, marginalized, second to leprosy;
repulsive (Bruner, I:436)

            Sitting (social outcasts, Bruner
II:349)

      Question

            Invites them into community

            Calls forth faith that they may not
even know they have

      Touch

            Grossness and congregational care

3. Mercy’s Commission

      Obedience

            9 – disobedient – tell the story
when are told to be silent

                  Perhaps due to the political
content of Jesus-Messiah

                  Patriotic theology (Bruner,
I:438)

28.18-20
– “disciples … teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”

            20 – followed Jesus

Experiencing
God’s mercy does not relieve us of responsibility to obey Jesus in all things.

      Mission

            In the context of Matthew,

                  9 – precedes mission of
disciples

                  20 – precedes passion of
Christ

                  Mission that overcomes
barriers & integrates into community

            20 – the crowd was following Jesus,
and preventing the blind

“Sometimes
Christ’s followers are the greatest obstacle to others following him” (Bruner,
II:350).

Resources:

Frederick
Dale Bruner, Matthew: A Commentary (2
volumes), Eerdmans

      Stanley Hauerwas, Matthew, Brazos Theological Commentary

      Douglas Hare, Matthew, Interpretation