A Reflection on the Modern Error of Preaching Mercy without Repentance

Archdiocese of Washington ^ | 11/14/2013 | Msgr Charles Pope

[markomalley]

There are of course many ways of describing the pastoral, liturgical and theological struggles of our day. But one very simple way of describing current problems that touches on all these areas is simply this:  that a presumptive attitude of mercy without repentance is both taught and widely held by far too many modern Catholics, and other Christians.

There is much talk of how God loves us, is rich in mercy, is kind and forgiving. And all of these things are true. But another essential truth is that these gifts, these essential attributes of God, are accessed by repentance. It is repentance that opens the door to mercy, forgiveness, and kindness.

Perhaps an analogy will help. Consider a man who is in very poor health. Perhaps he has  a host of problems that surround obesity such as hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes etc. Now modern medicine has a lot to offer people who are struggling with poor health. The healing help includes everything from medicine to surgery, to information on nutrition etc. But in order for this man to access that healing help, a number of things are first necessary:

1. He may need others to testify to him some concern for his health, for many exhibit various levels of denial as to their condition especially when it involves things like overeating, smoking, or drinking.
2. He then needs to accept that his condition is serious enough that needs both help and change.
3. He needs to decide to seek the help of the medical profession and follow through on that decision by scheduling and keeping an appointment with a doctor.

Now, when he does this, AND ONLY when he does this, will the healing help of the medical profession unfold for him. It is not enough for him to say, “Well isn’t it great that there are doctors, medical professionals, information, and medicine that can help me! It’s just wonderful that there are so many caring and professional people out there who can help and save me!” No,  that is not enough. He has to make a change and actually reach out and develop a relationship with the medical community. He has to actually take the medicine. It is not enough to praise the medicine, he has to take it. It is not enough to feel reassured that there are people out there, he actually has to go to them, interact with them, and set a new course.

And this is an analogy for the spiritual life and repentance. God’s offer of mercy and healing love stand, and are offered to everyone. But these magnificent gifts must be accessed through repentance. That is to say, we must come to understand the seriousness of our condition, turn to God, call upon his mercy, and begin to receive the glorious medicine he offers: the medicine of his Word, of the Sacraments, of prayer, and walking in fellowship with the Church, which he established as his ongoing presence and voice in the world (cf Acts 2:42).

The Greek word that is usually translated as repentance or repent is metanoia and it means more than simply to clean up our act. Most literally it means to come to a new mind, or a new way of thinking. This is why God’s word, the teachings of the Church, and preaching are so essential for all of us. Whereas perverse councils separate us from God, (Wisdom 1:3), God’s truth proclaimed in the Scriptures and the teachings of the Church summon us back to him, summon us to a new mind, a new way of thinking. It convicts us of error and sin, but also announces the Savior who is the saving Truth who sets us free.

But of course it is not enough for us simply to hear of this new way of thinking, we must actually come to it, decide for it. Repentance is to actually embrace this new mind, and this unlocks all the blessings the healings, the mercy, and the salvation that is promised. We must allow the grace of God, interacting with our freedom to effect an actual change, a decision in our life that changes the way we think, the way we act, and puts us into a saving relationship with the Divine Physician Jesus.

Like the patient above, we must be brought to understand the seriousness of our condition, come to know that there is saving help available, and then by positive decision, rooted in grace, actually reach out to lay hold of that help.

Repentance is the door, is the key that unlocks mercy.

Yet too often today mercy is preached without reference to repentance. Too many who preach and too many who hear have come to see mercy as granted without any human engagement. One simply has it automatically, no matter what.

Yet that is not what Scripture teaches. Most notably, Simon Peter on Day One of Pentecot and the going for of the gospel preached a sermon laying out who Jesus is, and how we, in our sin and rebellion killed the very author of life. The text from Acts says,

When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:37-38)

Thus, when asked what they are to do, Peter does not say, “Don’t worry, all is well, God is mercy. He says, “Repent and baptized.” In other words, come to a new mind, come to your senses, reject your sins, be washed clean and come to Jesus. And this will unlock the supreme blessing of the Holy Spirit of God, who is the mercy of God, the love of God the very life and grace of God!

And how is this accessed? Repentance.

Isaiah had said, The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the LORD (Is 59:20).

And to the Disciples in Emmaus Jesus said, This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. (Luke 24:46-48)

And thus preachers and teachers in the Church, who are Christ’s witnesses, must proclaim repentance that unlocks the forgiveness and mercy of God.

St. Paul warns, In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30).

Thus those who preach and teach mercy without repentance are deceivers and likely themselves deceived. And those who think of mercy without reference to repentance are deceived.

Faith and repentance are the supernaturally transformed and assisted human element that is necessary to unlock mercy and the graces of God. To ignore or deny this amounts to a denial of human freedom and does not help God’s people. Rather it hinders them, for mercy is accessed through repentance, and without it, the door cannot open. Repentance must be preached to all the nations because repentance, by God’s grace opens the door.

[markomalley]

Msgr Pope ping

[HiTech RedNeck]

It’s a complex subject. The word mercy and the word merchant come from the same root. Mercy definitely works hand in hand with the blood purchase of the sinner, which means God has set that sinner up for a guaranteed repentance (i.e. an ultimately completely successful restoration in thought and in action to alignment with God’s desirous will). (Unabashed crazy-evangelical bible theology here.)

And yet we can speak in another sense of having mercy on an unbeliever and not be talking utter nonsense. One could also have mercy on something like a horse or a dog.

Shades of C. S. Lewis distinction making???

[markomalley]

The word mercy and the word merchant come from the same root.

Not so much...particularly if you look at the original languages of the Scriptures. In Greek, mercy is ἔλεος (eleos), while merchant is ἔμπορος (émporos). Two completely different words.

Even in the English, the etymology of the words is not the same: they both have Latin roots. Mercy is derived from the Latin misereri (to have pity or compassion on), while merchant is derived from the Latin mercari ("to trade, traffic, deal in").

That is not to say that we aren't redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb of God (1Pe 1:18-19), but the two words are not at all related.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I was going to do a humble mea culpa, but I double checked on Wiktionary. Which says

Etymology

From Middle English merci, from Anglo-Norman merci (compare Old French merci, mercit), from Latin mercēdem, accusative of mercēs (“wages, fee, price”), from merx (“wares, merchandise”). Displaced native Middle English are, ore "mercy" (from Old English ār "mercy, grace"), Middle English mildse "mercy, clemency" (from Old English milds, milts "mercy, kindness").

I think you're comparing the Latin words. I mean in English of course. Not in Greek or Latin.

[HiTech RedNeck]

But I would agree in the sense that the highest purpose of mercy from God is to make possible the restoration of a right relationship. The movement of spirit which does that is called repentance.

I think maybe it could be likened to untying a knotted cord. You need some space in which to do it. That space is like mercy. Once it’s untied you don’t need that much space for the untied cord.

[Errant]

Amen!

[markomalley]

I use the Greek because we should concern ourselves with the languages used by the apostles and evangelists when they wrote the Scriptures.

I will claim a mea culpa on the mercy / miserere. That's what I get when I use my (decrepit) memory rather than looking it up.

[HiTech RedNeck]

And of course the Greek is the source language. I acknowledge this.

[HiTech RedNeck]

It’s just that the English does hint there is a connection between mercy and payment. It doesn’t rise to the level of a source scripture hint. But it can still help open up insights.

[RegulatorCountry]

It can veer off in unhelpful directions, too. See “mercenary.”

[NYer]

Ping!

[Tax-chick]

Yet too often today mercy is preached without reference to repentance. Too many who preach and too many who hear have come to see mercy as granted without any human engagement. One simply has it automatically, no matter what.

I have never come across this, that I recall. Maybe I just don't pay enough attention.

[jboot]

Repentance is the door, is the key that unlocks mercy.

+1. Don't hold your breath waiting to hear this from Joel Osteeen or Rick Warren, though,

[Salvation]

While we are alive, Christ is perfect mercy.

At the moment of our death, Christ is perfect justice.

(So that repentance is our thing to deal with.)

[HiTech RedNeck]

I do go with an evangelical model that we are presented “perfect in the day of Christ Jesus.”

I don’t get into purgatory arguments. The predictions of the Roman Catholic tradition might or might not be applicable here. I would tend to see a purgatory, if there even is one outside this particular mortal coil, as a mix of trial and joy — just like we see our purification work out in this world. It would not be one unmixed grim zone. And you’d want, even with eager joy, to press on through it. It would not be a quintessentially discouraging place.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I.e. we in a sense are in a purgatory already. Whether that extends past the mortal, any evidence would be frankly extrabiblical. And you know we Crazy Evangelicals are skeptical of the extrabiblical, while knowing you Roman Catholics are quite enthusiastic about it at times. I tend to think the encounter of 1 Corinthians 3:12 might be the size of it; a final encounter that judges the progress that was made during our mortal lifespan, spotted with sins in its incompleteness, and a final squaring up of a spirit that by this point has been made ready to square up. God already fits such dual (or multiple) purpose encounters in our mortal lives, so why is that not possible at the end. It would be like a cacophony of ill-tuned strings that resolves in a perfect adjustment and a perfect musical chord. As C. S. Lewis posited in “Screwtape Letters”: “they embrace those pains. They would not barter them for any earthly pleasure.” It will hurt so good, in modern parlance.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Well, any thing can be used for good or for ill.

I was just thinking of what is the best sense of a purchase. And of course my mind immediately goes to Christ’s blood.

[JosefKozma]

I agree with what you said about not hearing about repentance from Osteen, I have never heard Rick Warren.
I call all of America to repent, turn away from homosexuality, and all other forms of sexual depravity practiced with abandon in America.
Thus says the Lord, (Rev 21:8) But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

How about lilly livered priests, and pastors who are afraid to preach about sin, that is what I believe the Scriptures are telling us here. PC has made multitudes of so called leaders afraid to confront people with their sin.

And:

1Co 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (homosexuals, catamites those who submit receptively to homosexuals)
1Co 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1Co 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

In the last verse we see repentance applies to people who even were involved in these most degrading sins.

[jboot]

Repentence of sin is a gift from God and an essential outworking of redemption. Put another way, it is the cardinal sign of God’s mercy. You cannot have one without the other. No repentance, no mercy.