Justice and Mercy

Step #1: Lectio / Read

Mark 11:11-26

​Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple area.
He looked around at everything and, since it was already late,
went out to Bethany with the Twelve.

The next day as they were leaving Bethany he was hungry.
Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf,
he went over to see if he could find anything on it.
When he reached it he found nothing but leaves;
it was not the time for figs.
And he said to it in reply, “May no one ever eat of your fruit again!”
And his disciples heard it.

They came to Jerusalem,
and on entering the temple area
he began to drive out those selling and buying there.
He overturned the tables of the money changers
and the seats of those who were selling doves.
He did not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple area.
Then he taught them saying, “Is it not written:

My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples?
But you have made it a den of thieves.”

The chief priests and the scribes came to hear of it
and were seeking a way to put him to death,
yet they feared him
because the whole crowd was astonished at his teaching.
When evening came, they went out of the city.

Early in the morning, as they were walking along,
they saw the fig tree withered to its roots.
Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look!
The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”
Jesus said to them in reply, “Have faith in God.
Amen, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,
‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’
and does not doubt in his heart
but believes that what he says will happen,
it shall be done for him.
Therefore I tell you, all that you ask for in prayer,
believe that you will receive it and it shall be yours.
When you stand to pray,
forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance,
so that your heavenly Father may in turn
forgive you your transgressions.”

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Step #2: Meditatio / Meditate

This Gospel is one of my favorite Gospel stories.

I love so much how we see Jesus whom we associate with a loving lamb, the God of peace, lose His temper. We see Him get fiery, we see His passion. Jesus chases these tax collectors and money changers and runs them out of the temple area; He flips some tables over, permitting no one to carry anything through the temple area.

The tax collectors were taking advantage of these poor worshipers by charging exorbitant prices for the Passover sacrifice. In response, Jesus gets really mad.

How many times have we seen a situation at home or school where there is injustice?

We might get super mad and super worked up, but then it passes, and soon enough within the next week we have forgotten about it. I know that I have been there.

Our faith does not call us to stay quiet; our faith calls us out to be bold and step out. We are called to stand up for those who have no voice. We are called to call on the money changers in our lives, and we are called to live a life of virtue.

Jesus is calling us on to call others and ourselves on to holiness. He speaks later in this passage about prayer: "When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.” In a sense, Jesus is contrasting his emotions, His righteous anger, with His loving mercy here. I love that this is in the same passage as Him flipping over tables, because it shows that justice and mercy are not contradictory, it shows that they are totally compatible.

In our anger, we cannot lose sight of the fact that we have to be merciful. In our daily lives, we have to see that we do not need to be timid; mercy is not timid, just like justice is not boisterous. Rather, we have to be bold in our prayers and our actions, being willing to stand up for others in each and every situation.

This entire passage is about boldness in the face of injustice; so go out and be bold.

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Step #3: Oratio / Pray

"When you stand to pray,
forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance,
so that your heavenly Father may in turn
forgive you your transgressions.”

​In my prayers this week, how can I pray with more boldness?

In my actions this week, how can I step out in faith?

How can I forgive those who have hurt me this week?

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Step #4: Contemplatio / Contemplate

Father I adore You, and I lay my life before You, oh how I love You.

Jesus I adore You, and I lay my life before You, oh how I love You.

Spirit, I adore You, and I lay my life before You, oh how I love You.

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For the Rest of Your Day...

Be bold in your prayers today. Do not be timid, but rather step out in faith and ask the Lord for whatever is on your heart. He will surprise you.

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Today's prayer was prepared by Ron Nakis.